Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1848-08-10
1)oHtital.
SPEECH OF JOHN M. CLAYTON
of Delaware,
IN DEFENCE OF ZACHARY TAYLOR.
DELIVERED IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED
STATES, july 5, lS4S

DELIVERED IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED
STATES, July 5, lS4S
Mr.. FooTE having concluded an elabor-
ate address to the Senate against Gen. Tay-
Tor, and called upon the Wing Senators, and
especially the Senator from Delaware. to
explain the principles upon which Taylor
was to be sustained as a candidate for the
Presidency;
Mr.. CLAYTON rose to reply. Mr.. NILES
of Connecticut, Immediately called Mr.
CLAYTON to order, denying his right to re-
ply, as the whole subject introduced by Mr..
FooTE was Irrelevant and Mr.. DALLAS, the
Vice President, refusing to hear any debate,
upon the call to order, decided tile debate
to be out of order But the Senate, on a
vote taken Immediately after this, gave leave
to MIR. CLAYTON to proceed, notwithstand-
ing the decision of the Vice President.
Mr.. CLAYTON then addressed the SEN
ate, as follows:
The decision Of the Chair was indeed
Unprecedented, and directly in opposition
to his own solemn decision, on case pre-
clsely similar to this, made BY him only a
few weeks ago Neither nor my friends
originated this political debate We were
content to leave Gen Cass and Gen. Taylor
in the hands of the people, and the Senate
will unanimously bear me witness, that ]
never introduced an irrelevant topic in any
debate here. The political friends of the
gentleman who occupies the chair began this
discussion. They attacked Gen. Taylor and
his character, and scofIed at his claim to
the Presidency. They were allowed to pro-
coed without interruption jr0m the CHAIR
through debate which extended through
the greater part of two days. The Vice
President was, by the rules of the Senate,
bound to call his own political friends to
order, if he thought the debate was out of
order. But not word about order was
heard from his lips till took the floor to
reply, and then he arrested the debate, and
put IA seal upon my lips. The Senator from
Mississippi had charged upon me and my
friends that we desired to evade the discus
slon--that Gen. Taylor had no principles
which we dared avow--and said that he had
on consultation with his friends, resolved to
provoke us to debate on this subject, and
to see that We should u" dodge no blows
which in chivalry and honesty we were bound
to take" lie even charged us with de-
sign to pass the resolution for speedy i'd
Journment Of Congress in order to avoid
and dodge this very discussion. lie went
further, SIR He called on me personally to
meet HIM in debate on these questions. Yet
alter he had been permitted to indulge in
this strain of attack on me aud my friends,
his own party associates seize the occasion.
the moment rise to take up the glove he
has thrown at my feet, 10 dodge the encoun-
ter. These are the circumstances under
winch twenty-one Democratic Senators have
TINS day voted TO deny me the freedom Of
speech They have large party majority
here, but such and so gross was the MUS
tlce OF this attempt to sthc a discussion,
which they themselves provoked, that ma
jorlly Of the Senate has overrued their pur-
pose; and to that majority, aud especially
to the chlvalrous Senator from Mississippi.
Mr. FooTE, } who has expressed his own
deep sense Of the injustice done, tender
my thanks.
have already stated to the Senate that
have no means of access TO the opinions
OF Gen. Taylor which are not in the possess
sion of every member of this body, and ev-
cry citizen of the country. Honoring his
character as | sincerely do, have never
yet had the pleasure of an introduction To
that distinguished mani have never adj
dressed letter to him in my life, nor re-
celved one from him. | have formed my
opinions of the principles of the man from
his writings and actions, and from what any
other may have seen in the public prints
10 these means of information all have
equal access, and all can form AN opinion
as well as can, on the whole subject OF
debate.
think 1t is also due to General TAYLOR
to say, IN the outset, that the position he
has assumed before the country, as candi-
date for the Presidency, has been entirely
Inexperienced in the course of this debate.
He has been held up here as merely Whiq
candidate, bound to sustain every WhiS
principle with which that party has ever
been identified. 1t has been alleged. that
he is bound to carry out all the dictates, and
obey all the behests of mere party-that
ne runs merely as party man-that he is
bound hand and foot by party pledges-and
that he must carry out, at all hazards, and
under all changes of time and crcumstan-