Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-03-17
The L;lfe CONGRESS.

eohc I'idCt Ut liisii tltiic us any
The L;lte Congress.
We intended to review, in to-day's pa
per, some of the prominent acts of the late
Congress, and especially to expose some
of the means that We're resorted to, and
the influences that We're brought to bear
upon the course of members, to defeat leg
lslahon; but we find we shall be compel
ed to defer the subject for future conside-
ration. Gen. Cass especially comes in for
a large share ofresponsibihty, particularly
for the defeat of the River and Harbour
bill. The General, by the way, is getting
| to boone of the most unfortunate men alive
from having heretofore been one of the
most fortunate. He has sadly experienced
the truth that he cannot sit on two stools AT
once, for in his attempt to perform that feat
he has fallen between them. He was anx-
ious to create the impression in the SouM
that he was opposed to the Riverand Har-
bour Bill, whistle wished his course to have
an entirely opposite Interpretation in the
North and West but, unfortunate man
he has failed in both designs.
But we have not time to pursue this
subject now: our simple purpose is to in
troducc the following extract of letter "a
the Richmond Wing from II Secretario
| rb,,, Ia h, a. Ga, r Al.
per. tits certainly racy commentary up
on the action of that association of trick
| STEERS
To a series of political letters lust whc,
Congress has nd journed will seem To many very lik,
| beginning at the end. But there might, YOU know
| be Congresses that were mere marpots of all coun
sci and mnke-bclevcrs oflcgslation that in real
ity, they would only be in the way of any proper
view of public affairs Were there such Congress,
good and sound Politics could hardly begin until t.
Ind ended. Now, much such Congress as that
was the one which had just closed its amiablc Gle.
CANT and, above ALL useful and tnciiurn existence.
Heavens. what convocaion ofbl les il ha been,-
Its sitting have begun on the feast Of st. Swift,
tren, that patron of drzzc and drivc on whose day
II rains (tfl being the anniversary of Noals Flood
for ferty days and forty nights afterwards. Never
there such deuge of words before; nor cnn The
Patriarch have hailed with more joy Gods Sign in
the clouds that the drcnching done than did We
here the dawning Of that 18th Of March which was To
end our long Soaking, An occasional speech filling
upon public business ike reasonable showers upon
corn or tobacco, makes il grow; but IL all the slui-
ccs OF the sky are set and kept running what crop
VIII not be drowned-oui or washed awnyl Weeds
only flourish in such wet weather; and accordingly.
almost the only public measures (exccpt ill-grown,
al'ow-ooking appropriation bs) that have co pc to
| maturity under this lymphniic Congress have been
mere legislative branble, like the great Land-boun-
y law Of last scssion-thc common work, the com.
mon shame Of Wing and Locofoco. All gooI mea.
sures nearly have boo. either killed outright by the
confcndi!r- gnbble of friend and foe or hnye come
INTO existence half-stihcd vactudnarcs on the sta
| tute book poor qucsy, whcezy, phthy sica ashmni-
ica things, that will never draw ahrahy breath tho
| longest day Of their short lives. The River and
ilarbor bill chartered dcaih so was the law
Tor at last cancelling that ongsanding shame Of in
justice to our fellow citizens, first plundered by
France, and then by their country. nllude Of
course, To the French Sponton Bill, the sad histo-
y ofwhich you know; for the tale is as old ms it i.
f,ithless and cruel Then the Board for the settle
| ment Of claims against the Govcrrment--onc Of the
most needful pieces of public mechanism asked
by expcrencc-perished Of wordincss. The wide
and wild regions which we have $50 little TO the hon
or ola tho Republican principles which have beer
our humane and our pcculia glpry) lately wrung from
aneiglbor whose feeblcness shoald have commanded
our ioTbearanre her unfortunate attemps at libcr
ty did not command oar national sympathy, were
now that they are gotten, to be guarded. The iatl
OF solemn treaty pledges to control the many
savage tribes Of this domain-tribes the scourge
alike Of ighboring Mexico and Of population now
| our own. We are bound To bride those rowing and
merciiess hbrdes of Indian bnnditti, as numerous
and daring ms they are fnr-scattcred The duty il
one we cannot escape from; not though, in order ia
perform 1t, we should have TO double Public Ex-
penditures. What! shall we, vain glorious us the
bloodcst conquerors and still more inhnan, seize
upon the dominion of wide realms, and then leave
them TO the butchery Of Apaches and btahs and Ca
| manches, children Of rupinc and revenge greedicr
and more Piiless than the very wolves that follow
IN then ,saok Of slanghteH Even Aaric and Atia,
| Tamurlane and Ghcngis Khan progressed to protect
the countries which they had ensaved, from all bar
barites but THEN ouu; and if not too Just, were too
proud to let their nc.-nnde subjects be- nassacrcd
or dragged away into captivity for life, The peas-
ure OF ierocious and predatory Sep,s fl only 10 be
crushed into instant submission by any people res
pecting themselves their duties, whose dorninions
they hardly be said iulabit but only 20 infest
" ell such was situation as to great part Of
Texas all New Mexico and California, Utah, all the
unsettled plain Of the Upper Missouri and Arkan.as
and Oregon entire. Much Of this wide tract is the
constant theatre Of the most ruthless havoc upon
the lives snd property Of our people by weak but
| unnamed race, among whom to rob and to murder
all they overpower is almost the whole socinl
condition. Are we 10 be the masters or are we %
be the victims of this people Of irceboo,er1 Whnt
can be shameful or more shocking than to
leave our newly-acqured domains, over nearly
seveneights u their surface, almost al the mercy OF
these horrid cui-thronts and born vagabonds There
Is but way 10 deal with them ms all know; and
that way is after giving all the lain tribes Il sud-
den and sharp taste Of our irresistible superioriry
10 awe them everywhere by u force within reach 10
punish every outrage. Really effect this ndi--
penssbie object, IT is e1aggerBtion TO say ihaf
The entsye Regaiar army tehiok ire nOr hare on foot
'coutd be hayDy sg6fcsont, u turncd into Mounted
Rylaea. Ii was tirnidly proposed in view &c this
necessity, TO raise only tro additional regiments;
and even that humble for human preser-
walton persisted OF the inordinateness Of Congress
sionnl eloquencc. Such the effects land name
but few Of the many sins Of legislative omission
| in the gross, Of this dcmagogue rage of rhetoric
In the detail Of individual wrong to private CHIN
ants before Congress there has been like cruel dis
regard of every thing but the dear delight Of pratne
Congress has sat almost continuously for the last
| months; and has most glorionsy defeated, by the
force of gsb nearly every thing private "a well
| as every thing public that ca ne before il.
| Believe me. dolefnl as are the well described
woes in Hoods ''Song Of shrt"-the woe Of
| "stiteh stitch"-they have their Congressional
parody
Talk, talk. talk.
| From weary chime 20 chime;
| And talk, talk! talk
| As il silence crimci
d