The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1850-03-12
..SPE z C H
-. OF THE
HON. ROBERT C. WINTHROP,
OF MASSACHUSETTS,.

Dttttcfth ~ WS ~ -. fitUSe " fAtHftN tNt''U
tires, Feb. 2ist, in Committee of he Whole
on lie Presidents Message.
do not rise, Mr.. Chairman, to enter cla6
orateIy into the general discussion 10 which
the annual Message of the President of the
United States has given occasion. But find
ing myself under an unexpected necessity
Of leaving my seat for week or two have
been unwilling 20 90 without making few
remarks, which feel TO be due to my own
position and character.
| have abstained thus far from any ex
preston of opinion. or declaration of pur-
pose, in regard TO the unfortunate sectional
controversies by which our country is now
agitated. ! have done SO designedly, and for
many reasons satisfactory to my self, if to no
body else.
In the first place, sir, desired to wait,
until the excitement growing out of that
protracted struggle for the Speak akcrship,-to
which, by the unmeritcd favor of my friends,
| was so prominent party,-had passed a.
way fl ON the minds Of all who were engaged
in it and until | could express myself fully
and lcarlessly upon these controyeried topics,
without the suspicion of being influenced by
anything Of private resentment or personal
disappointment
In the second place, sir, desired to wait.
until something OF that iervent and flaming
heat, which had been so evidently brought
here from what may well be termed the
warm and sunny South" had abaicd :--un-
til the angry passions, which seemed pent up
within so many bosomS at the outset Of the
session, hai found vent through the safe and
| wholesome channel of debate and until
there could be a chance, that a calm and
| dspassionatc voice from " the cold and cal.
cuating North might be listened 10, with
| some degree Of patient attention.
In the third place, sir, desired TO wait,
until matters should be rather more clearly
and fully developed until all the circum-
stances Of the case should be before us =
until we should have been able 10 take an
| observation Of the precise position Of the
| precious vessel in which we are all embarked;
until we covli ascertain, if possible, what
is the real length ana breadth, and height
and depth, Of that fearful chasm, that yawn-
ing abyss, upon the dizzy brink of which,
we arc told ,lhc Ship of State is even now pois-
ing herself until we could learn, too. what
course might be proposed by older and ADLER
and more experienced hands, for extlicaling
her from peril and until, especially, we
might hear distinctly, above the roar of the
elements and the rattling Of the shrouds, the
voice of the responsible man at the helm,--
the man, who has been placed at the helm
by majority OF the crew, with my own cor
dial concurrence, and who, by the blessing
Of God, hope and trust, and believe, is dcS-
tined to be hailed by us all hereafter, as "lhe
pilot who has wea;hered the storm 7"
! These, Mr.. Chairman, are some Of the
views with which have thus far abstaned,
and would gladly have still longer abstained,
from any participation in that strife OF
tongues which has so long been raging around
us,-a strife, let me say, which has seemed
to me likely to have no more important or
practical issue, than that which was chroni-
clel by one Of the sacred historians in re-
gard to a quarrel among the Hebrew tribes,
when he summed up the matter by saying
and the words of the men of Judah were
| forctT than the words Of the men of Israel. -
But, sir, have not been permitted to pur-
sue this erpcctdm system, as an honorable
member OF the medical faculty near me,
(Nlr. Nenable,) would probably call it;
have not, say, been permitted to pursue
this course Of silent observation, without in
terruption. 1t appears TO have been the stu
dlous policy Of few members of this House
TO drag me into the debate, whether | would
or no. Not satisfied with having accomplish
ed my defeat as a candidate for reelection
to the Speakers Char,-a defeat, sir which,
IN all Its personal incidents and consequences,
l have ever regarded as the most fortunate
OF trlumphs, and over which nc Que oi my
enemies has rejoiced more heartily than my
sclt,--not satisfied with the accomplishment
OF this result, they have made il their spe-
clal business TO provoke aud taunt me by un.
worthy reflections upon my political and Off
! clal conduct; and more than one Of them has
not scrupled to assal me with the coarscst
and most unwarrantable personalities.
1t is my purpose, sir, at this moment, 10
notice some Of these unmannerlv assaults,
and no one will be surprised, .hink, if |
should be found doing SO in no very mincng
or measured terms
Indeed, Mr.. Chairman, both the House
and the country will bear wtaess, that
have been placed in some what extTaordi-
nary position during the present session of
Congress. Hardly had reached the Capi-
tai, before ! found myself held up. at the
length Of three or four columns, in the Dem
ocraiic organ of this city, as desperate Alb
olitionist. The Abolition papers, in reply,
| exhibited me at equal length, as indeed, they
hetA bAANi hOut DtlOIt, rs u ENllh TO- slavery
man. Tho honorable member from Tennes-
sec. (Nlr. Andrew Johnson,l coming next to
the onslaught and doing me the favor to re-
hearse before my face a speech which he
had delivered behind my back at the last
session, and arraigned me in the most fero-
cious terms as having prosiituied the pre-.
negatives OF the Chair TO sectional purposes,
and as having framed all my Committees in
manner and with n view to do injustice to
the South. The honorable member from
Ohio, MIR. Giddings,) following him after
due delay, denounced me, with equal vio-
lence, as having packed the most important
oi those Committees for the purpose of be-
iraying :he North. The one proclaimed me
TO be the very author and originator of the
Nilmot Iroyso. The other reproached me
as being downright, or, al best, disguised,
enemy to that ProyiSo, The one exclaimed.
rs the very climax of his condemnation, Z"
would sooner vota for Joshua X. Giddings
himself than for Robert &. Winthrop The
other responded with an equally indignant
emphasis, " and | would sooner vote for
Howell Cobb, than for Robert c. Winthrop;
he cannot do worse, he may do better
Nay, presume il is safe 10 say, that the hon
orable member is now Of opinion, that he
has done 6etter since, not only has the hon
orable member secured for himselfa place
on the Territorial Committee, but the Report
OF the Anll'Slayery Convention, at their
late meeting in Boston, has remarked upon
It as curious and instructive fact, that, in
the composition Of Committees, Mr.. Cobb
has given more weight to the Anti Slavery
element of the House, than was done by his |
Northern predecessor" How far this is true,
! leave others TO pronounce.
But the honorable members from Tennes- |
500 an1 nbi, (nar poL;Io ,ratrr,r n have |