The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-06-20

W.T. OeWhTu Tepleu 10 MT. clay, reiterdtlnR
his positions, and remsrking that had he been on
the Committee Of Thirteen, he would have con-
sidered such union Of measures in the light of
conspiracy to coerce the votes Of members.
Mr.. Benton read an extract from q speech de-
hvered by Mr.. Clay in the Senate on the 10th Of
February last, in which he advocated the imme-
date admission Of California as a separate meas
ure, and denounced as wrong the attempt to COM
bine it with or make it dependent on other meas
ures
Mr.. Benton said the Senator ought to state
when he left the minority, and went over to the
majority, that in settling the account of delay
Of public business the minority might have the
benefit Of deduction Of the time when he acted
with it, He then rebuked Mr.. Clay for leoturing
the Senate
Mr.. Clay said he had no ambition TO take upon
himself the Office The business Of lecturing i'm
plies two qualities-the first, that the lecturer
should have the ability, and the lectured should
have the capacity TO understand the lecture, when
delivered. In both these qualities he and the
Senator were wanting. Laughter
Mr.. Clay admitted that he had changed his
opinions as to the best mode of seoevia~ th1
| speedy admission Of California, but the Senator
from Missouri ought TO be charitable to other
peoples changes He had heard it said that that
Senator, during the canvass last summer in the
State of Missouri, had taken the ground that the
admission of California would be unconstitutional
He did not know so, but was informed that it was
a fact The Senator had also once changed his
views in regard to the annexation of Texas.
Mr.. Houston addressed the Senate in favor Of
the rights of Texas
Mr.. Benton said that it was unfortunate that a
Senator should feel himself called upon to retail
in the Senate, and make a part of the parliament
airy history of the country, what had been said
of another Senator at home among his constitu-
| ents. He then read from a letter Of his to his
constituents, dated 2st of March, in which he
had unaualifedly denied the report repeated by
| the Senator from Kentucky.
Mr.. Clay said that he had only alluded to the
matter to show that if the fact were so, quite as
important change bad taken place In the Sena-
tors opinion as the Senator had imputed to him
He had stated that he did not know the Senator
had said that the admission of California was un-
constitutional but simply that he had been so in
| formed. The Senator's own denial was sufficient
for him. He wanted nothingmore than this
n Ss.4>as.- Eritsx, ~ 3 $40 a -. = ~ 500
stituents, and which he has just read, is dated
DIST March EIe mir. C held in his hand a let
ter dated in May, after that letter of the Senator
had been written. 1t had, with other papers, just
been given to him. IL was dated at Independence,
Missouri, addressed to member of the House,
and was signed by a Mr. - Reed Mr.. C.
then read the letter. The writer said that when
Col Benton was in that State, they had frequent
conversations on the subject of California and
Governments for the Territories; and in those
conversations Col. Benton, in speaking Of the
scheme of the President to establish State Gov
eminent in California, said that to form State
Government for the purpose of avoiding the Will
mot Proviso was cowardly policy; that Califor-
MIA was not fit to be admitted as a State that
such was in violation of all precedent, &c that
he was in favor of establishing Territorial Gov
ernments without the Wilmot Proviso, &c.
This letter said Mr.. c., was read simply as a
justification for having made the statement, and
he was perfectly satisfied, from the Senator's de-
NAL that there must be mistake about the mat
ter The Senator's denial was sufficient for him.
Mr.. Benton told the Senator he had better have
the letter entered on the Journal
Mr.. Clay said that he did not desire anything
Of the kind
Mr. Benton said that the Senator should not get
off in that way. N man should get off from him
in that way The Senator had charged the minor |
ity with having delayed the public business. In
reply to that charge he had read to the Senator
his own speech, for the purpose of showing that
in February last he stood upon the same ground
which that minority now occupied, and for main
tanning which they were denounced; also to show
that the very delay which was now charged on
the minority had been predicted by the Senator
Senator was now pursuing. That speech the SEN |
ator had not denied, he could not deny it, He
then turned round and charged him Mr.. B with
q distinct matter, having no connection with the
matter in question, and now, after repeating the
charge put it to him to deny it, He could not get
off in that way The Senator had placed the matter
in the Senate TO be recorded in the parliamentary
history of the Senate. He had, by reading that
letter made it charge of his own and, as such,
-
author does not come forward he would therefore
proceed against the publisher. The Senator was
the publisher of that letter. He had arraigned
him upon a charge before the Senate; where did
he get the right to arraign Senator? He had
presented this letter, and arraigned him before
the body; he might as well have prepared an in
dictment at once.
He denied the right of the Senator to arraign
him there on any such charge. He would say, as
he had before, that if any man desired to arraign
him, let it be done elsewhere than in the Senate,
and where the charge could be properly and suit
ably met This matter of arraigning Senator
before the American Senate was not proper. Let
it be done elsewhere. He would read now what
he had written when this charge was made before
he then held the publisher responsible. No man
who made such a charge against him could get off
by standing behind another. He would hold the
publisher responsible when the author was not
forthcoming. On that occasion he had written,
and he repeated it now: 81 have nothing to do
with his misunderstanding to say to the letter
he read, or to its writer. He is the publisher, and
that makes him the author, both legally and NOR
ally. He is the endorser, and that makes him the
same as the principal. He is the gratutous pub
Usher, and the gratuitous endorser, with gratui
tous epithets,o &C.
As in that case he had charged the publisher as
the author of the letter. so he did now. charged
the Senator from Kentucky with being the pub
Usher, and therefore he made himself the author
of that letter He considered the Senator as the
author of the letter; and, considering it as his
letter, he stamped it as an infamous calumny
IcriW of "Order order N and with that brand
upon it, deep as if made with burning iron, he
desired it to go into the parliamentary history of
the Senate.
The Vice President repeatedly called the Sena-
tor TO order.
Mr. Benton said that it appeared that no person
was out of order but him. Every person was al
lowed to get up and make charges against him,
and he was to be called to order for defending
himself
Mr. Clay said that he repealed with scorn and
indignation the charge of calumny, if intended
for him he threw it back upon the Senator,
and babe him place 1t in his oasket of other
calumnies.
Mr.. Benton. Oh, you may throw it back; but
you got il upon you first.
Mr.. Webster said that he regretted that the
two Senator'S should have permitted themselves to
be led into such q scene as this He thought the
Chair should always interfere and keep the debate
confined to the matter before the Senate. He did
not approve of this course of bringing into the
Senate charges of having changed opinions, and
reading them in the Senate; they had nothing to
do with the business before the Senate He re-
GREETED that the two distinguished Senators who
had so long occupied seats in this body should
have been the parties to such proceeding
The Vice President said that greater part Of
the debate had taken place during his temporary