The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-04-22

Mr.. Rhett and the Laws
two paragraphs from the Republic, charging Mr.
Rhett with having said that no law could be exc
cuted to which any portion of the people of
State were opposed, or Gas our reporter recorded
him) that !" no law could be executed unless
there was concurrent feeling in favor of the
law in the people among whom it was to be en-
forced" To these paragraphs the Press ap-
pended the following comments:
"The Republic has made this assertion at
other tines We say that it is utterly unbound
ed, and defy the Republic to produce any pas
sage in Mr.. Rhetts speeches that would furnish
even respectable pretext for ascribing such a
declaration to him."
The next day after the appearance of this
paragraph we published the proof of our as
sertion. We have since looked in vain
through the columns Of the Press to find any ac-
acknowledgements of its error or any rekaction of
its charge.-Republic.
No, and it would be quite in vain to look in
this paper for retraction Of that charge The
Republic, in commenting on our denial of its
statement concerning Mr.. RHErr's remarks,
quoted in its defence the sketch of its own re-
porter as to Mr.. RHETT's speech-a sketch not
pretending to verbal accuracy, or even to be a
full account And the Republic also referred
to some other report, we forget what-but re-
quested us to send it copy Of Mr.. RHETr's
speech, for the purpose, as we expected, Of doing
him justice. We complied with the request,
and sent the speech to that Office several days
ago. with the passage in question marked But
the Republic either has not seen it, or has sup.
pressed it.
Mr. RHErT's words we're, that the execution
of a law could be defeated by " a formidable mi
nority;" an assertion whose truth is indisputable
Why a man in possession of a freehold, with al
indefeasible title, can be harrassed by formda
bic minority in State or neighborhood so nue.
that his property would be of no value, nue.
less when he appears as stranger to claim per
sonal property not in possession, like fugitive
slave.
This il so obvious to the common sense Of
every body that none can be found to dispute
Mr. RHETr's position And as it cannot be dis
puted, and is fatal to all the cackling of the CON-
promisers in favor the Fugitive slave law it has
been found expedent to impute to Mr. RHETT
not the language he uttered, but an absurdity
he never expressed nor imagined, namely, that
"no law could be executed to which ann portion
of the people of State were opposed" This is
done by the Republic-and the manner is re-
markable The Republics reporter, or rather
sketcher of debates, (for he did not pretend to
report them, but to condense in half column
speech that would fill four columnsJ re-
presented that Mr. RHETr said that "no law
could be executed unless there was a concurrent
feeling in favor of the law in the people among
whom it was to be enforced" Well this, al
though it changed Mr.. RHErT's remarks essen.
tally, was not sufficient perversion. So the
Republic changes it edit ORALLY to the phrase
that, mo law would be executed to which any
portion of the people of State were opposed
We did not expose the perversion when we frs
saw it, because we thought it too obvious to re
quire exposure. But the Republic persisted, re
peated the imputation several times afterwards
and at length we did expose it.
The motive for imputing an absurdty, to Mr.
RHETT was obvious enough. He is an able ant
eminent advocate of the South. His talent
have never been questioned When membe
of the House of Representatives, he was one o
four or five members only, to whom that nois
club would voluntarily listen. In the Senate
Mr.. CLAY had trick of expatia,ng on irrele
want topics, In which he was often INDUCED
partly on account of his age, partly from mer
favor, and partly because il could not always b
known, whether he would show the reevanc
of his digressons or not, before concluding.
But when he had succeeded in thus abusing
the rules and the time Of the Senate, if any on
rose TO reply to his episodes, some partisan
would promptly call to order. On one o
these occasions. last session. he began TO dis
cuss the doctrine Of secession Mr.. RHETT i'm
mediately rose. and interrupted him, and said
that il it was Understood that reply would b.
heard, he had no objection for Mr.. CLAY to pro
coed. Mr.. CLAY very promptly declined. snt
took his seat. We mention this fact because J
has been said by way Of sheer against Mr