The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-03-11

MONDAY, March 10, 1851.

EXTRA SESSION OF THE SENATE.
MONDAY, March 10, 1851.
PERSONAL ExpLAsATIoN-eEN. cAse-RwER AND
HARBoa BILL--rHE +" REPUBLIC"
Mr. CASS. There il personal explanation con.
nected with myself which wish to make this morn
ing. have not often troubled the Senate in that
way-never, indeed, believe-but must trespass
on its indulgence at this time Before doing SO, l
will read editorial from the "Rsp,ibic" Of this
morning. headed General Cass on the River and
Har Dor bill"
As il is somewhat difficult to ascertain, from the
course OF General CAss in the Senate, whether or
not he Is in favor of appropriations for the improve
ment OF rivers and harbors, and we desire to
throw all the light we on the subject. we copy
the following letter addressed to the editor of the
Allegan Record which appears in the western pa
pers:
"vAsHINGroN, Jan. IS, 1851.
"NIY Dean SIR: have just received your letter,
and hasten to reply to it. ] think the appropria-
ton bill for the inprov ement of rivers and harbors
will pass; and if ii does, the appropriation for
friends the Holanders, will certainly succced there
is no doubt of that. OF coursc it will receive my
vote and support heartily, my Chicago letter" to
the contrary Notwithstanding. know of no improve
ment more just and necessary, and you may de-
pend upon it that it will receive the entire support
OF our delegation. am Gear sir, truly yours.
"JoHs r.. KELLoGc, esq.,
the West. and may, therefore, be presumed to
come to declaration in favor of the bill
the General thought it entirely cafe to go. II
might fairly enough be considered as a pledge to
support the bill and yet there ia an ambiguity
about it which, after the exhibition of senatorial
lodging which the General has recently given US
it is easy to believe designed.
The "noise and confusion which prevented
General CAss from being heard at Cleveland, the
{" circumstances" which prevented him from at
tending the Chicago convention, the religious scru
Piles which prevented him from voting at one time,
the constitutional scruples which prevented him
from voting at another and the strange lack of per-
spicuity which characerizes all that he has said
written in regard to internal improvements, have
placed the country in glorious state of uncertain
ty as to his opinions on this subject, from which
we hope that It will some day be relieved.
MIR. President, the late Senator from Ohio, (NIr
EWING whom have in my eye at this moment,
is somewhat in the same situation myself He
has almost sanctioned as classical the word " soil
tude;'' and have almost sanctioned as classical
the words "n0isc and confusion" Laughter
received private letter from respectable citi-
of Michigan inquiring about certain i'm
provement in Black river, on Lake Michigan to
which sat down at my desk and wrote q hasty
answer, and which has been published in the
newspapers. So be it. have objection to
it. This paper quotes that letter of mine to show
my Inconsistency, in which cay that will vote
for the improvement Of Black river, notwithstand-
ing my Chicago letter, and these words under
scored, apparently TO call public attention espe-
cialy TO their importance, as thoughthe writer did
not know it was but a sportiye nlfuson of mine
mere joke. These words are UNDERSIGNED, and thus
sent out to the world, though my Chicago letter
which never said word on the subject Of internal
improvements, was declaration on my part that
would never support bill for the Improvement
of rivers and harbors.
The writer of this article says that was pledged
to support the bill which was before q few days
ago. Why, he knew very well that the bill which
came here was not in existence when wrote this
iet Of Ia Of hat artic Ia
knows, and every Senator knows perfectly well,
that the bill we had before substituted for
that in tine House Of Representatives on thevery eve
of its passage within three or four days, believe,
OF the action of the House. A half million Of
dollars, including seven or eight objects, was
added to the amount originally proposed to be ap
propriated, and without one word from the Depart
ment on the subject. II was pledged TO support
the original bill, which utterly deny, was
pledged Is support this BILL which Contained many
enormous appropriations, unknown in their mode
of introduction without saying any thing OF their
principle' suppose the writer would contend
that ii L appropriated all the revenues of the Gov
eminent, would be likewise pledged to Snpp9rt it..
There was not the slightest pledge on the subject
What said in this letter was that would vote for
the improvement Of Black river, and that the dele
CATION from Michigan would do the game. No
man with particle of candor and fairness can
doubt that that is the whole purport Of the letter.
Certainly believed moderate bill would have
passed. hoped it would. Like my friend from
Illinois, iNr. pouaLAss,) fkept within reasonable
bounds-if kept, as he sAys, within the estimates
of the Departments--Is should have been willing to
take it, unless there are Objectionable itsms which
have not accurately examined But 350, 900
were added fer old improvements, and $500 900
for new improvements-(I speak from recollection,
and therefore not accurately; half million
was also added for which the Department never
estimated-which they never saw. Who is to be
responsible for this! The Executive, knowing
what the probable receipts will be, make esti.
mates that we afford so much for fertilization,
30 much for this, co much for that, &c. But if
you go on doubling and trebling these appropra
lions, what security have you that you win not
throw the country in debt! So much for my
pledges.
Mr. President, said the other day that it was
hard to oyertake falsehood II travels faster and
further than its rcfutation. Mr.. Jefferson said it
was better to live it down than write it down. Per-
haps it is Here is the old charge that sheltered
myself behind "noise and contusion;" and, by the
by, l cannot use the words without laughing. Not
wthstandng my solemn contradiction in my place
here, Notwithstanding the solemn contradiction of
Gov. Wood, who was the chairman who put the ques-
ton to mo out of which this story arose, here a
prominent Administration paper comes out and
in the faco Of these facts repeats this old story with
no other view in the world but to injure me. Here
let me do justice to distinguished man who is not
in his scat to- day, and whose name will go down
with honor upon the page of history. (Mr. CLAv.)
After had concluded my speech on this subject
he came up to me and said, with that spirit which
belongs to him: "Well, you have cleared yourself
from the charge Oh lnCOD5lstcuCy. NOW, ask
any Senator on this floor if he believes ever shell
tered myself under the words "nose and confu-
son," to prevent giving my opinions ut Cleveland,
or If he secs any Inconsistency between my decla-
rations and votes on this subject? II he does, he
will oblige me by stating it, that may remove
the impression. Ipausc for reply
No reply being made, take it for granted that,
in the opinion OF the Senate, these charges are un
founded, and hereafter shall leave them to their
fate, to be believed not, az fAlsehood or truth
may prevail.
This writer alludes to me as having religious and
constitutional scruples; and he does sneeringly,
as though there were no such thing, or though.
could not possess the feeling. Let him speak Tor
himself. For myself, have some of both. make
professions of moral obligation. have no ex
elusive claim to be better than other people; but
trust that, bad as may be, may have religious
and constitutional scruples without subjecting my
self to such attaks these from every party paper
little or big, in the Union.
l believer in the divine institution of the
Sabbath, and believe it is Wise in civil as in
a religious point of view. never will, in time of
peace, sit in this Senate on that day. The State
Legislatures, and perhaps ourselves in the District
oil Columbia, are passing laws whenever necessary
for the strict Observance of the Sabbath. What
kind of an example setting in this high
nj Gods holv rav hv hi.