Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1851-03-21

Ii was not the "noise and confusion
which prevented General Cass from do.
| ing his whole duty TO the country in
the matter of River and Harbor Improve
| mens, in the Senate, but it was his soon
scien'ious scrnples."
The phrase in which he declared his
intention Of taking no part in voting or
acting after l2 o'clock Monday night, is
likely to become quite as memorable as
his allusion to the "noise and confusion
al Cleveland.
"fM MERE LOCKER on" said Gener-
nj Cass, when his name was called after
! the nour we hare mentioned, and from
that moment he was as mute as an oyster.
His voice was weaker than il was al
Cleveland, for il was not heard at ALL
he General sets up for better con-
science than other people, and goes in
for the law as he understands it, without
regard to the understandings of his
brother Senators. This meter of the
termination OF the session Was pu, in its
true light in sl--s,e remark of Mr.. JEFF.
ferson Davis-" We have 10 do not with
| the calendar Sd of March, but The polit-
zeal Sd of March, and we have right
to say when it ends; but let us fr the
hour" This is SO in accordance with
the uniform usage of Congress, and is
so clear in itself, that we confess we are
surprised that General Cass should no,
have seen it in the same light. But he
is stricter construclionist than even so
straigh,-laced person as Mr.. Jefferson
Davis, and exhibits most tender con-
science On all his political as well as his
religious duties. On Saturday night, al
IL o'clock, he gave the go.by TO the Rlv-
err and Harbor Improvements on reii-
g iOus scruples. On Monday night he
withdrew himself from the contest on
The ground of his political scruples. 1t
is delightful TO witness this maiden SEN
sibility in man who has been so long
engaged in the soaring strifes of parli
sanship. A conscience like this is as
beautiful as rose in is morning fresh
ness; but we fear that it is something too
delicate for Baltimore Convention
They want a conscience Of "s:erner
stuff" a. '"
"I'm a mere looker.on," said the Gen
eral. when the fight waxed warmest over
the River and Harbor Bill, and when it
was doubtful whether the struggle would
not occasion the loss of all the appropri-
alton bills. 1t was no sort of conse.
quence what was going on, the General
was "only a passenger His whole
course on the bill has been precisely
that which we foreshadowed on Friday
morning last. If any body can tell
whether he was for or against the bill,
whether he desired its defea. or passage.
Or which side he was playing for. he is
better a, dividing than we pretend to be.
We watched all the proceedings Of the
day and night on this bill with the deep
est interest, and shall lay them before the
country in their minutest details.
The noble aud decided bearing Of Mr..
CLAY in this most important debate was
matter of universal observation. He
did everything that a gallant leader could
do to secure the passage of the bill; but
the rules OF the Senate threw too much
power into the hands of the minority,
and he failed to gain for the people Of
the Lakes and the Mississippi the tri0ing
boon which he solicited with so much
earnestness and zeal. And when the
whole matter was over, and the bill was
lost in spite of all his most strenuous
exerlions-and when. few minutes be-
fore the close of the session, Mr.. Ham.
lin, from the Committee of Commerce,
caused Lighthouse bill to be passed
through all lis stages by general consent,
no man who heard Mr.. Clay's emphatic
appeal can ever forget it. 81 wish the
country to take notice. said the Sena-
tor from Kentucky, sol the facility with
which Lighthouse bill for the Atlantic
coast is passed through all its stages
without objection, while bill for similar
purposes on the Western waters is OPP
posed and defeated by means the most
extraordinary" -Washington Rtpub.
ALIENS CHARGE AGAINST Mr.. WEI
sTra.-In the House of REPRESENTATIVES,