The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-04-24


his advisers in the vocative, for the Democracy
of numbers had gone over TO the other side.
Still Mr.. WRIGHr adhered with fatal tenacity
to his whole system of "bamboozling" and
humbuggery. Still he would play the chara-
tan and the experimentalist. He would not
abandon his hard-money schemes, though they
were condemned by the people. To the last
he was determined to defy the popular will,
and to carry out the policy of the administration
to the last extremity.
This disposition he evinced in his course with
regard to the Specie Circular. That edict of Exc
cutive absoutism was originally uttered in def
ance of large majorities in both branches Of Con-
gress. TWAS once repealed by Congress, buta plan
was devised for evading the will of the people,
expressed by their constitutional organ, and in
this movement Mr.. WRIGHT was the great
champion Of resistance to the popular will.
When Mr.. CLAY proposed resolution to abol-
ish all discrimination in the money receivable
obligatory on the Government to receive the
notes Of specie paying banks, he was met by Mr..
WRIGHT, and report three hours in length
was inflicted by that gentleman on the Senate,
to show cause why the will of the people in
this respect should not be obeyed-why the ex-
pertinent and expedient should still be pur-
sued-and why the only rational mode Of ef-
fective relief to the country which had been
proposed should not be adopted.
1t is now very much the fashion to eulogize
Mr.. WRIGHT; but we believe the truth to have
been that he was a philosophical Locofoco-a
heartless, pulseless, calculating, cold blooded
politician-who looked upon men as Falstaff re-
garded the ragged regimentat Coventry-"food
for powder, food for POWDER who carried
out his political game with as little real refer
ence to the interests and feelings of the people
as if he were all the while handling the pa wns
of a chess board. He looked at every measure
with single eye. One question only suggest
ed itself to his mind. How is this question
politically to affect the country? How will
it affect the po,cer Of the administration,
and my own power in that connection? 1t was
on this principle that he opposed the system of
internal Improvements in the State of New
York, and kept her back at least ten years in
the march of progress; and impressed this poll
cy on his adherents and followers, till we see
dozen Democratic Senators resgning their seats,
and seeking to revolutionize the government Of
the State, rather than submit to an improve
ment policy which a majority of both branches
of the Legislature believed to be both constitu-
tionalan expedient. Mr.. WRIGHT's ideas were
all behind the age and the spirit of the age He
was born for the black broth and iron money davis
ofSparta He would check progress, retard the
development of our national resources, break
down the institutions under which we had SO
prospered, make the rich poor and
The poor poorer, annihilate our canals and rail
roads; and all on merely political inducements,
because, as manager and doctrinaire, he be-
ieved that men were more easily controlled
ind governed by politicians when they were
and because the power and pat
-onage which had been accumulated in the
General Government could be made to answer
4 better purpose to the party in adverse than in
prosperous times.
Mr.. Clemens and the River and Harbor Bill.
HUETsvILx, (ALA.) April IL, 1851.
GENTLEMEN: Other engagements prevented me.
before leaving Washington, from looking over the
'eporter's notes of the debate on the River and
iarbor bill. Since my return / have read the de-
'ate, as published in your paper, and find many
and some important omissions in the
.emarks made by myself AS il is now too late to
correct them, hope you will publish this note,
% relieve me from the necessity of explanations
hereafter.
impute no blame to the reporters. The debate,
or the most part, was of such charactera to rem
Ter an exact report of it almost impossible.
am, very respectfully, your ob't servant,
JERE. CLEMENS.
Mcssrs. CALLS & SEAroN, Washington.
We copy the above letter, addressed by Mr.. |
CLEMENS to the late official reporters of the
senate, for the purpose Of expressing our salts
action at this proof that the honorable Senator
5 not pleased with his appearance on paper in
he debate on the River and Harbor bill. We |
re gratifed, and not surprised at this mani
estatlon by the honorable Senator of DISPOSE
ION not to appear worse than he really did on
hat memorable occasion. But we must say,
hat in our judgment Mr.. CLEMENS can hardly
ucceed, by his wholesale reputation of the Of
cial report, to relieve himself from all respon-
Utility of what stands on the record, and all |
ecessity of further explanation. This, we APP
rehend, is asking altogether too much. 1t
would have been more satisfactory if Mr.. GLEN
ms had pointed out the particulars wherein
ne report in question was inaccurate, and
ad supplied the alleged important omissions
n the remarks made by himself'' There was
'othing that we remember Mr.. CLEMENS to
ave said on that occasion, the omission of
which could Justly be considered important;
hough we did not hear the whole of the de-
'atc. While we were in the Senate Mr..
CLEMENS was entirely occupied with reading
rom one of Mr.. PoLK's veto messages, in an
naudible tone, for the purpose of killing time.
Perhaps the official reports have done him in
ustice in emitting to preserve this part of his
peech.
What Mr.. CLEMENS did during the memo
able debate in question, and not what Mr..