The southern press., 1851-04-03

the popular administration OF MIR. Madison.
But no precedent or authority, however high
no party, however strong, has ever deferred MIR.
Calhoun from pursuing what he believed to be
the true interests of the country. Seeing clearly
| how much this system of restrictions was at war
with the genius of our people and of our gov
ernment, he opposed its continuance; and, ap-
precating the dangers Of the contest at hand, he
advocated policy in full sympathy with the
character of the people who were to sustain It,
The argument used by him, it may not be amss,
in part, to quote here, as specimen OF the
reasoning and lofty eloquence which then dis
tinguished him. Ii bears all the characteristics
of some of his most powerful senatorial efforts
--sententious, logical, full of compressed energy
Of thought, abounding in lofty sentiment, APP
pealing to and arousng the highest and nobest
passions. Said Mr. Calhoun:
"The difference is almost infinite between the
passive and the active state Of the mind. Tie
down n hero, and he feels the puncture of pin.
throw him into battle, and he is almost insensible
to vital gashes. SO in war; lmpelled alternately
by hope and fear, stimulated by revenge, depres-
sed by shame elevated by victory, the people
become invIncIble. No prvation can shake their
fortitude no calamity break their spirit Even
when equally successful, the contrast between the
two systems is striking War and restriction may
leave the country equally exhausted, but the lat
ter not only leaves you poor, but even when sue
cessfu, dispirted divided, discontented with di-
minished patriotism, and the morals of consd-
erable portion of your people corrupted Not so
| in war. In that state, the common danger unites
all, strengthens the bonds OF society, and feeds
the flame of patriotism. The national character
mounts to energy. In exchange for the expenses
and privations of war, you obtain military and
| naval SKILL and more perfect organization of
such parts of your administration are connect
ed with the science of national defence. Sir, are
1. n Al
present state of the world Can they be measured
by moneyed valuation would prefer single
victory over the enemy, by or land, to all the
good we shall ever derive from the continuation
of the non-importaton act. | know not that
victory would produce an equal pressure on the
enemy, but am certain of what is Of greater con-
| sequence, it would be accompanied by more sal
utary effects on ourselves. The memory Of Sar-
atoga, Princeton and Eutaw is immortal. 1t is
there you will find the country's boast and bride
the inexhaustbe source of great and ! eroic
sentiments. But what will history say of resric-
tion' What examples worthy Of imitation will it
furnish to poserty' What pride, what pleasure,
will our children find in the events of such times !?
Let me not be considered romantic. This nation
ought to be taught to rely on its courage, its for
titude, its skill and virtue, for protection. These
are the only safeguards in the hour of danger.
Man endowed with these great qualities for
his defence. There is nothing about him that in
is not ncrusted in shell. He is not laugh to
rely upon his insensblity, his passive suffering,
for defence. No, sir; II is on the invincible mind
on magnanImous nature, he ought to rely.
Here is the superiority Of our kind it is these
that render man the lord of the world; it is the
destiny of his condition that nations rise above
nations, as they are endowed in greater degree
with these brilliant qualities"
The course of Mr.. Calhoun upon the navy
question deserves particular notice. 1t had
been the policy of the republican party not to
increase the navy-to make no preparations for
offensive operations on the ocean. He gave n
cordial support, however, to a bill reported by
{ Mr.. Chevcs, placing the navy war footing
making it reliable arm of power. He saw
, that on the ocean, Great Britain, from the vast
extent of her possessions, must be vulnerable
y notwithstanding her fleets were so numerous
!, that she required n naval force Of greatly supe
. u rior numbers, while, owing to the compactness
y of our position and our distance from the seal
u Of her power, n much smaller number Of vessels
!. : Of war would answer our purposes, for both de
J tensive and offensive operations. He reasoned
correctly too, that we had all the elements to
constitute an effective navy, in commercial
marine that had grown and Aourished for many
years to an unprecedented extent. Our ships,
as consequence of the success of the BILL were
sent forth upon the ocean to contest the prize
of naval supremacy with the vaunted mistress
of the seas and what flood of glory was soon
shed over the stars and the stripes as the result! !
Who can estimate the influence which those re-
peated splendid naval victories had, in cheering
the dropping spirits of our armies--in keeping
alive the fire of patriotic resistance in the bosoms
of our countrymen-in nerving them for greater
endurance, and more heroic efforts, in their great
struggle with the naughty victors of Napoleon!
The sounds of the American guns, as they swept
in tones of victory over the wave to our shores,
not only cheered the great popular heart, but
their reverberation in the halls of Congress ma
terially aided the friends of the war in the un-
natural and unhappy struggles which they had
TO encounter with its opponents. In one of
those debates, taking advantage Of the tcrmina-
tion of the gigantic contestin Europe, by which
England had become free TO turn her undivided
strength against our country, armed in all that
terrible panoply of war with which she had led
the van in the attack and triumph over Napo-
leon, the opposition made renewed and reinvigo-
rated attacks upon the conductors of the war
in seemingly exultant tones pointed to the mp
parenty immense disparity of means possessed
by the two powers for war, and proclaimed it
hopeless longer TO contend in so unequal n con-
test Nothing daunted, full of cheering hope
and high courage, his eagle glance piercing the
lurid atmosphere of that dark moment, and see
ing and feeling the latent elements whi n were
at work in our favor Mr.. Calhoun replied at
length, with such power of argument, such glow
ing eloquence and fervid patriotism, as to kindc
anew the almost expiring fame ofhope. Tempt
ing as it is, must forego the pleasure of quoting
largely from that great effort, and content my
self with single extract, showing his appreca-
ton of those naval victories:
" Sir, | hear the future audibly announced in
the past--in the splendid victories over the Guer
riere, the Java and the Macedonian. We, and
all nations, by these victories, are taught lesson
never to be forgouen-Opinion is power. The
charm of British naval invincibility is gone!"
Those brilliant victories had breathed their
never-dying courage and hope into his bosom,
enabling him to arouse his own great heart to
the magnitude of the crisis to drive back an op-
position, encouraged by, if not exulting in the
dangers surrounding the government and TO
, struggle against the dependency which was
creeping over the country, overwhelming the