The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-02-03

seo -and the batekigsne3 At IAngtA ada
THE spssch Of NJ. Calhoun set msuy days
before his death, the dying effort Of great and
tenacious spirit, was in stvain wisi6h could
hardly BE- accounted for BY any cause bat that
pressure of fell disease, under the inhueDee oI
which his lifs WAS rapidly drawing TO cless.---
There IRE, however, two or three passages in
that speech which alone would stamp it ns al
his own: that, for example, in which, in spesk-
ing Of tho memory Of Washington, be describes
him az "one u us, a STAKEHOLDER and planter -
that, again, wherein he speaks OF the connexion
Of The States in the Union as mere matter OF
interest OF inclination with the States respec-
lively: and that other, in which he proposes 10
substitute, by amendment of the Constitution,
for the admirably constituted Executive depart
ment OF this Government sort Of Trbunitian
check upon the Legislative department. dou-
ble-headed Cerberus-0ne Of its heads with a
Southern, the other with Northern aspect
The critical state of the health Of Mr.. Cal
houn gave TO his speech, throughout the South.
an influence 20 powerful and almost irresistible,
that, had the session Of Congress been short
one, ending on the 4th of March, instead of
seven months afterwards, no one can say what
might not have been the consequence"
twill be seen that The Intelligencer adopts and
reprodupes the pitifal imputation Of GENERAL
CAss, that the last speech Of Dir. CALHous was
disteupersd by his ilnesa- That speech con-
TIMED more ability sagacity, cohercncy and logic
than General CAss, and the editor Of the intel
hgencer ever did put together or ever had the
joint capability Of producing even in those days
Of intellectual yIsor Of which their sanguine
friends pretend, there Is u tradition. 1t contains
more wisdom than can BIZ extracted and con-
densed FROM all the dull prolixity Of tongue and
pen which both have inflicted on the country for
forty years.
But now let US consider one moment the eff
feet Of Mr.. CALHouS's ambition on his public con-
duet. 1t is not true that in 1897 the friends Of
Mr.. CALHOUN, or the principal part Of them, re-
nounced the hope of seeing him President. In
1887, or ather in 1886 it was when, Mr. VAK
buren, was elected, Mr.. CALHOUN was only
ffty-four years Of age, much younger than the
usual age Of Presidents elect. He was as young
rs any man then spoken Of as candidate, he
was much YOUNGER than Mr.. CLAY, who was a
candidate in 1874. But Mr. CLAY was defeated
in ls44, on all the great issues between him and
Mr.. CALHOUN, And at that time the Govern
ment and people adopted the great system OF
Mr.. CALHoUE, free trade, hard money and Texas
annexation. Ofall these Mr.. CALHOUN was the
great exponent, and champion, and by them ne
had oyerthrown oil his rivals, Messrs. Clay,
WEBSTER and Wax buren,. Mr., Polk had been
elected for single term. On the conclusion OF
that it was obvious that no man was a more
perfect embodimer I Of the then established policy
than Mr.. CALHoUs--nonc approached him in
that respect Never were his prospects better
never his friends more sanguine.
Such was Mr.. CALHoUS's position and pros
poets When the Mexican war occurred. Gen.
TAYLOR wrote TO the Secretary Of War, we
think, in Scpte nber lS45, that if the Rio Grande
was the boundary we intended to assert as an
ultimatum, it was expedient for the army to take
position on its banks. This was an extraor-
binary and understandable letter for military
officer to write. MIR. Polk tnereupon ordered
the army to the Rio Grande. AS soon as this
order became known, Mr.. CALHOUN said at once,
that its execution would result in hostilities--
ard he went to Mr. Polk and told him so. But
was answered that there was no danger-the
Mescans would not fight. The Mexicans did
fight The news arrived, and for the Arst time
in our history, VIC attempted to evade formal
declaration Of war by Congress, the only body
authorized to make it, by prefxng to the bill Of
supply preamble, asserting that war already
existed by the act Of Mexico.
Mr. CALHOUN opposed the war itself, as well as
the manner of making it--frst, by sending the
army to the Rio Grande, and thenby declaring That
the war existed by the act of Mexico--a process
by which President could always make war at
pleasure, instead of Congress, to whom the war
making power belonged.
But the popularity Of war in this country
vas as regardless of the Constitution as of the
lights of Mexico, and when the measures came
before the Senate, Mr.. CALHoUN was the only
man of that grave and dignifed body, who had
the moral courage to oppose it. And yet he
was the man who knowingly sacrificed more in
making that opposition, than any other man in
the Senate could have done. When it was
known that the measure would be proposed, he
announced his determination to resjst 1t. He
was called on by large portion of his friends
Eve MOI incuded) to acquiesce in it, He was
urged and entreated not to ruin his political
prospects BY opposing it. He replied that his
conviction of duty impelled him to resist it, and
he ,rould resist it, whatever might he the conse-
quence to himself And he did. The measure
came before the Senate--ths measure which
the InhAigencer says originated with the South,
and was opposed by tho North, and Mr.. CALHour,
the author and incarnation Of (" the evil of the
day." was the only man, the only senator, that
had the moral courage to rise In the Senate and
resist 1.-THE only senator who had the moral
courage to call on that body to pause even one
dam In consider IT, The entire Northern dele