Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1848-06-16
rCoocluded from 1st pdge.1

and as have no DOUBT WIN nor;con Doo .
demnation of nine-tenths OF inc H''ro or 20
PIC Conrse. than to express my own f
ICise n these important and highly interest
VI e"o 90 Ihave, however, another object S
ne and that not subordinate one.
~ I;re ~ repe, with due contempt, some OF the
r'anv and bitter attacks that have been made
mon the democratic party and the late Presl- I
don't in the progress of this debate, by the ted
oralists who have undertaken the defence OF
Mr. Webster, their leader, and their tavorIte.
They charge us with attempting TO stimulate
the nation into war, for base political pur-
poses. For these, and all such charges, can
but feel the most thorough contempt. | have
invariably found those w are in the daily
habit of making the most bitter and ruthless
charges against the whole party, to be the We
~ last who would dare TO whisper au.ht in
furious to the reputation of any individual
member of such party Sir, the democratic |
party know too we'll on whom the burdens of
war always have fallen, and must fall, to de-
sire it when not demanded imperatively for
the honor and safety of the nation. And |
look upon him, or them, who desire war for
any other purpose, with as much contempt as
| would upon those who would skulk when
war was proper. And ] might, with much
more truth, retort on the gentlemen who have
made these charges, that they have conJured
them up, with the vain hope of screening them |
selves and their leader from the contumely and
disgrace that are likely TO overtake them.
/ will now beg leave TO turn my particular
attention to the gentleman from New York,
TMr. Hunt owe that gentleman an apollo
gy for not having heard his whole speech. 1t
was accident alone that heard any part of it.
| understood him TO say-and know did not
misunderstood him-that Mr. Van Buren,, by
his misconduct, was justly chargeable with
the burning of the Caroline, and all lis train OF
evil consequences; that but for his gross and
criminal neglect of high official duty, these
misfOrtunes would never have befaen the
country. l understood him specifically to
charge that Mr.. Van Buren,, with the hope to
gain the northern districts of New York for
his friends who were candidates for Congress,
and thereby TO strengthen himself, had abstain
ed from issuing his proclamation, which. bad
he issued at proper time, would have pre-
vented all these disasters to the country. Sir,
let me tell the gentleman who has made these
charges, that he is paying his own noble State
most shabby compliment when he announ-
ces to the world that her support is to be pur-
chased by such vile means when he holds
out the possibility even that the President of
the United States could hope to win her favor,
either for his friends or himself, by criminal
dereliction of duty. 1t is said, and from un-
doubted authority, that charge of precisely
an opposite character was made against him
pending the very elections to which the gen.
teman has referred. 1t was then convenient
TO charge him with too rigid administration
of the law, TO the oppression of the patriot
cause; by which his friends are said to have
lost ground both in New York and Maine
Of oh ic OH fbo
other, and both of them false Can any sane
man believe that Mr. Van Buren,, in the first
six months of his Presidency, was so much
alarmed about his reelection as to be driven
to such desperate and despicable resort as
this ? Whom did he fear as competitor -
Was it Gen'l Harrison He had Just beaten
him two to one. Was it Mr.. Clay? To the
reProach OF party supported by his name
and talents alone, they have ever abandoned
him at the hour of need, and left him to the
modification OF being distanced by every com
petitor. What party had he to fear The
wing party? The discordant elements tina
have since made it up were then in a state o.
angry chaos. The odds and ends, and shreds
and patches of all parties that now compose
it, had not yet been forced even into repul-
sve contiguity. The southern STAKEHOLDER
and northern abolitionist had not yet been
taught that tbeir honor and their interest re-
quired of them TO pull kindly in the same har'
ness. No, sir; these were among the many
other equally strange things taught aferwarl
in the Harrisburg Convention, and form toe
important an epoch in the history of the times
10 be chronicled at any other period. They
were heraded into the world by the hard eide
shout, and made their advent under the coon
skin banner. But, whatever inducements Mr.
Van Buren, might have had to pursue differ
ent course, | am prepared to prove that, in re
IatiOn to this matter, at least, he did all tina
could be desired or expected of wise ant
vigIant Chief Magistrate. 1t may he true tina
he did mot issue his proclamation quite as sooI
as the gentleman from New York thinks h
should have done. But of what avail was
when issued Simply TO inform the people
OF that which the simplest man in the cOmmu
nifty knew just as we'll before-that we wer
at peace with England, and that it would b.
unlawful to engage in the civil wars of Cana
da. This, if it had been done in time, wou
have satisfied the gentleman from New York
for so he has expressly informed this House
II would not have satisfied the nation, nor dit
it content Mr.. Van Buren,. He felt himseI
called upon to resort to much more rigid an,
much more efficient means. If the gentleman
who is so fond of censuring the President TO
neglect of duty, wishes TO know what he ha
done, let him read the public documents with
in his reach, and he will find that on the III
OF December-more than twenty days befor
the burning OF the Caroine-he issued his or
ders, through the Secretary of State, command
ing the district attorneys in the States border
ing on Canada TO prosecute with rigor all per
sons who should be found guilty of informed
ding In the affairs of that country He vii
also find that on the same day, and through
the same medium, he addressed the severa
Governors of those States, exhortng them t.
a like vigilance. And those Governors seve
rally issued proclamations. SO that the peac
and harmony of the two nations would hav
remained unbroken, if proclamatons cou
have been of any avail. But this is not al
that the President did to preserve the peace
When informed by the mayor of Buffalo tina
Mackenzie was beating up for recruits in tina
place, and when he learned also that distur
dances OF like character were going on il
otneE places, he Immediately ordered the Uni
ted States attorneys of the adjoining district
TO repair forthwith to the scenes where thos
illegal transactions were said 10 be in pro
gress; and he also placed at the disposal O
these law officers all the custom house officer
in their vicinity. But have still one turtle
proof; and one which presume will be con
elusive with the gentleman from New Yo,E
as it is British proof | have the testimony O
Lord Palmerston before the House of Com
mons, in which he expresses his entire salts
faction that the American government wer