Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1848-02-03
mRNsBURG BERKELEY THURSDAY


MIR. ToApEIss. make no personal assault
do not want ~ be interrupted.
MIR. Housros still persisted. am aware
(sasd he) that the gentleman does not want 10
be interrupted in such a course of remark as
he sees fit to indulge 10.
fCries of ssorders'l
The CHssRMAN said he understood the gen
tleman from Alabama rose to order.
MIR. HoUsToN, (continning.) Iwish to say,
with reference 10 the declaration Of the gentle
man from Mississippi, that | was retained
lcounsel--
Mr.. ToarKIss, (who still retained his posi-
lion on the fioor.) No; ! said only by mpli-
cation.
MIR. Housros. That represent ire people
OF my district in what say and do here, and
am not the retained counsel OF the President
of the United States or any body else. The
gentleman says il must have been prepared
for me- II Is true knew what subject the
message was OBJ
lCrIes of 'sorder. orderDl
MIR. ToMpKiSs. Well, II was sealed pack
age; and the gentleman comes out and de-
clares he knew what was in it, and nobody
on this side Of the House knew. So far from
repelling any thing which have stated, the
Igentleman confirms all the remarks have
made.
The CHAlRMAN called 10 order. aud repeat
led that he would take the liberty Of saying
that, when gentleman was on the floor, and
Il made observations Of a personal character, he
felt it his duty ut one TO call him 10 order. If
he made Measurements intentionally or other
wise, (and il could not be supposed that any
gentleman would make them intentionally, } il
was merely mistake in his argument.
Mr. ToMpYISs. No. il il MOI n mistake Il
the Chairman please. "a LAUGH will 90
on nevertheless. Lei ne tnrn onr a,,en,on ~
10 The precedent quoted 10 the message and
The ,recedents of Inc gentleman who cornas
for,h ne the advocoteI will no, sav 40 Inc 81
,ained counsel ether exnress or ;mnl;ed-of
he Executive nrerooa,ire' and see whe,ber
they fit the case before us.
What (asked Mr. T) were the preceten,s I
The message Of President Washington which
was quoted was in relation TO the treaty max
ing power--a power conferred by the consti
tuition upon the President and Senate: and
treaty negotiations, as recognised by the prac-
tice OF European Governments for centuries.
had peculiarly the feature of secrecy. But we
had lived long enough 10 know that in re
publican form of government. where there are
no, those who are born to govern, where there
are not those who are Gods amounted, but
!, where the people of the country are the true
soyereigns, and where, like the true sovereigns
Z in every country, they have right, and Il is
their duty, 10 know every .hinc that is going
on. they require no public servants 10 keep Sc
| crets from them. because that which is con.
cealed is generally disastrous to the public lib.
: erty, and their negoiiators can afford to b.
frank and honest, and they are the only sove-
reigns in the world who can afford 10 coDduc,
their negotiations upon those exalted pfipci-
pies The precedenls quoted by the gende-
man from the aogeared book were only prece,
dents affecting the treaty making power, and
none OF them, as he should presently show,
Affecting the war power, or touching u IN any
manner, except inclaentaiiy through the urea
V-haAhg power.
1t was true, when they looked back to the
precedenis from the organization of the Gov
eminent, in which the right to maintain Sc
crecy was claimed they found that they rela,-
ed only 10 negotiations then pending, and not
to negotiations which had been contaminated.
What was sovereignty in the hands Of The
people-the sovereignty which reposed in the
twenty millions of heads and hearts OF the u
nited States worth, if the public servants OF
that sovereignty could conceal from them. ac
ter they were completed, any negotiations
with foreign republics which might seriously
affec. their interests at home or abroad /? Il
exercised by The people of the United States.
Intelligence, honesty, freedom. were the grand
characteristics of American sovereignty. and
it rested with all the people. Those who
were the more public servants. whether exec
utve, ministerial. or representative. had no
right to close the book Of their public ransac-
tons against their masters. and saw This Won
shall not read: and vet they found men ready
10 advocate from dog cared books the doctrine
that they should he Concealed.
~, ,n,. 80 ohoroc,o 50 mn ,
,,h;cb haJ hean raSnp,aJ ~. a. ~ -" o.'iJ 10
ea,,nd ,ha, no soI;,ar,, r,raoad, moau ~
-, -, o"a s,,hI;sL 10. p.es H. II qouo
W. LII ~ :" ."J - NV
" s"s 4, "" -, WIN pIun u,'' peop,e ,n'o war
~ - 49, 80 ~ w u'e
nIosa I,s ~ w, o'o ana wiz nehe'
We, The gen,e,oan found dnr oa,pd hooa nu ~
al;ah 81 sann.I h rn,,nd e%ss ,ooa :"
,ain his Eyecn,;ye nreroaa,,vs prero@,, Sro
one IF Inc h;abes, a,,r;h,,sas pS ,norarcS~1
Hs WAS oo;n, now, IN he absanca oe oil
au,bor;,y 6sca,sss he conce;yad he rar an
could NO, fnJ loo aoreJ rrses leo, ON d.,
snb;ec, IN ,ha cavsronosn, Of ,ha IIni,sd States
~ iii 10 refer - cera~ r,cs which haa sor,s
Ehsar;no On Inc s,,h;ec,"na, ,ha, Ne haJ 49,,
grea, resnac, ,nr he an,bor,,v ,vhicl, he ,na s
now about TO resort to. Blu, he would al,de
~" 10y. w 'eoo'' w. Dn' "e "o"iu "huue,