The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-03-05

tion-dppIIudtlg, cheering, ana encouraging
him. All this was nothing new to US, however
: strange II may appear to the plain and honest
yeomanry of the country. Nor was it, when
calmly considered, at all unnatural
| A fellow feeling makes US wondrous kind.
There is sympathy IN treason as weH as
IN knausry; and those who are earnestly strv-
| ing to accomplish the same end need not quar-
, rel about the separate means employed"
Now, here the Senator charges that there is a
sympathy between these Senators and myself
upon the matter of disunion and he then OBJ
serves, that there is sympathy in treason az
well rs in knayery. Is not that plainly charging
US with treason and knavery! will leave the
Senator from Alabama to explain if that is not
his meaning Of his words.
Mr.. CLEMENS. There is not senator on
this floor who does not understand it precisely
as do. There is no more charge of knavery
against him than there is against the Senator
from Massachusetts, or the Senator from Ohio
against whom never meant to make such a
charge There is charge of disunion and he
had himself avowed that he was a dsunionist.
Mr. RHETT. If that is all the Senator has
to say, his words stand unexplained. ask him
to explicate from his aoords quote, another
meaning than that put upon them. He does
not attempt to do so. lie says that they do not
contain the charge | allege they do contain.
That ia denial; but it is no proof In his failure
to show that they contain any other meaning
than that put upon them, he virtually admits
that he cannot make his disclaimer consistent
with his words. His words mention persons
declares that they in concert to accomplish
certain end, and then asserts that " there is SYM
patty in treason as well as knavery." The
Senator take his choice between two alter
natives. He was either using words without
meaning anything by them, and thus talking
nonsense to the Senate, or he did, by his words,
make the charge | deduced from them No
man of sense can draw any other meaning from
his words
Now, Mr.. President, | admit that this was
gross and wanton insult, and admit, too that
acting upon" the &C lie of honor" ought not to
have waited a month, or day, or moment, be-
fore had required him to retract or fight This
is the course we are accustomed to pursue in
the State represent was perfectly aware of
my position. did not require the Senator from
Alabama to tell me what ought to have done,
as man of the world and man of honor
But, sir, | am q professor of the religion Of
Christ. did not think it proper to challenge
the Senator for. two very important reasons
The first was, because had another object in
view and still lave it, far above the vindication
of myself from any personalities or insults that
the Senator may have offered, Whilst vindica-
ting myself on this floor, would also vindicate
the great cause with which am identified.
have very teebly indicated my purposes in my
defence, if the Senate has not perceived that I
have used the Senator from Alabama, if not for
my scorn or laughter, to bring up again the
wrongs perpetrated by this government upon
the South and the consequent dangers which
surround her; and again to place forward for
public consideration those great conservative
principles arising from State-Rights and State
sovereignty, which alone can give her peace or
safety.
Sir, without sovereignty in the States-with-
out the right of secession in the States-we live
under a consolidated despotsm and | am in
favor of the exercise of the right of secession if
for no other purpose, for the purpose Gas init
mated in the speech delivered the other day.
of testing the form Of government under which
we live.
But my second ,ason for not calling the Sem
ator from Alabama to the field was of still
higher and more controlling nature. For twenty
years | have been member of the church of
Christ. The Senator knows it-everybody
knows it. cannot, and will not, dishonor my
rels ous profession. If he, or any one else,
supposes that nm so much afraid of his insults,
or the opinion which requires them to be re-
dressed in the field, as to be driven by them to
abandon the profession of twenty years, he is
entirely mistaken. | frankly admit that fear
God and that | fear him more than man. AL
though DESTROYS of the good opinion of all men
I-OOr our usefulness is very largely dependent
on the good opinion of our fellows)-we can
never obtain it by an abandonment of the prin.
ciples we profess. True courage is best evinced
by the firm maintenance of our principles amidst
all temptations and all trials. | did not assail
the Senator from Alabama. He assaulted me.
have defended myself; and in doing so, if he
has seen any fear of him indicated by me- he is
welcome to all the pride and qualification it can
impart. If tirmness in maintaining even worldly
principles or a course of worldly policy be any
indication of courage, might not suffer from a
comparison with even the Senator from Alaba-
ma. have not here threatened and tried to
bully the North; and when the North will not
be bulied, and puts upon me the outrages and
dishonors to which had declared resistance,
have not quietly submitted, and then begged
the humble privilege" of supporting them
have not afterwards turned round upon one of
those who was battling with me, and who would
not YIELD and accused him of fear, of cowardce.
Sir, profess the possession of no extraordinary
courage; but trust have the courage to sup
port the right and defy the wrong, although
backed by an overwhelming public opinion,
North and South. am here. here alone but,
trust, alone without fear Have quaed be-
fore any of You? Senator's answer, if have
ever done So
The Senator from Alabama said that he did
not mean to say that the senators he speaks Of
in his speech made any noise in cheering, APP
plauding, and encouraging me. He says, he
supposed everybody understood him to mean
that they did not make any noise Those who
were present here, and knew that there was no
noise by applause and cheering, might have
known that the fact was not 80. | will not say
they could have known his construction of the
words he uses, for the words themselves are too
plain for misunderstanding. What is the mean
ing of applauding and cheering? If the gentle
man will turn to the dictionary, he will find that
to applaud is to clap with the hands. strike with
the feet, or make some noise to indicate appro-
baton. And what is cheering in popular assem-
bly, or dcliberative body? Why, intimating by
the voice appreciation of what is said The
Senator says that these gentlemen not only
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