The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-03-22
[. EftkfMuInnr

i
allowed to ask the gedtemah question. ask
he gentleman from E4anisiana 10 say whether,
In any casual conversation he may have had
With me before maS my speech, there was
any iatimation on the past of either of us, that
my speech was intended to be either an assam t
upon anybody, or combination Of other candi-
dates against one!
Mr. PENN. There was nothing Of the kind.
Mr.. BRECKENRIDGE. That Is all.
Mr.. MARSHALL. Well, have had the for
tune
Mr.. PENN. Will the gentleman allow me to
ask him u question!
Mr.. MARSHALL. Not now. will answer
the question after awhile, voluntarily. | am
going to take up the point it involves, though it
IL very unimportant one; but will say in ad
vance, that never sought 10 injure Dir. Bnch-
anan, because | really do not think he is in the
race. Laughter. If any part of the Demo.
cratic party were trying Gin the language Of Mr..
BREcKINRIDGE) "to fight out of trouble by at
tempting to mount up on the PROSTATE bodies
Of all the best men in the party" in such con-
dict Mr.. Buchanan would escape, as not being
worth the killing. Laughter,]
Mr.. PENN. If you talk of old fogies, want
to ask, if you did not with the Wing papers. at
tack Mr.. Buchanan; if you did not furnish the
article against Mr.. Bachtnan which appeared in
the Republic Of last Monday
X Mr. MARSHALL Yes, sir did Just that
thing. Laughterl had in my possesson--
Mr. PENN. You admit that you called upon
the Wings to assist you!
Mr. MARSHALL. wish had more copies
OF 1t, for in the present juDcturc it is likely to
DC useful document Laughter. ! had
democratic paper in my possession, known to
"a no Arfr f.f FL d..
paper which knew had been franked, broad
cast all over the country by a Pennsylva.
MIA Democrat form the other end of this
Capitol, who lived in Pennsylvania, and
who was, consequently, better Judge of the
propriety of its circulation than | could be-.
This Democratic paper contained a number of
charges against Mr.. Buchanan, Il catalogue
abundantlY long enough to have occupied any
stump speaker in answering, the two hours
that any crowd would listen. Mr. Buchanans
public life has been a long one; there were
many curious passages, particularly scattered
along the early part of it. Laughter 1t
was Democratic paper, and have every rea-
son to presume, was circulated with the appro
baton OF General Cass--at least have as
much reason to think SO, as you have to presume
that Mr.. douglas was connected with the Re
uiew under these circumstances, felt that i
had perfect riglAto circulate that document
But had more cnprlcious reason, more inhu-
entail with me than any other. The Republc
had taken the trouble to collect and collate the
various attacks made by various organs Of the
various Democratic candidates for the Presi-
dency upon each other. This document was
wanting to complete the record and to make
perfect exhibition Of the state into which the
party had got itself; [laughterl and so put
it on record. | did not want to hurt DIR. Buch.
anan. | had no malice against him. | haze
none now, but desired to be able to show, that
the sensitiveness of the friends Of the old
fogy" candidate for the Presidency took no
alarm from newspaper attacks, till the reply to
newspaper article gave them the opportunity to
unite for the destruction of that individual who
was the most formidable to them ALL do not
believe that the paper republished at my in
stance, will ever do Mr. Buchanan any harm
The charges it contains have all been before.
the country for years; the effect of them has
been, and | trust will continue To be, that it is
not a nominee of the Democratic party for the
Presidency against whom they are urged that
is what hope.
AS intended to say when was interrupted,
it is impossible for any man to prove positively
charge like that which have brought against
these gentlemen-of combining their interests
to crush their strongest opponent. 1t rests
simply upon probability. 1t is natural The
gentleman from Kentucky has achieved that re-
suit. The friends of all the &c old fogy" party
are now distributing, in unexampled numbers,
the speech, which every man who reads it
knows is the most formidable attack that could
be made upon Judge Douglas. The gentleman
from louisiana will venture to say, is n large
onh oprih md hoc bad do
and left, not because it is vindication of But
Ter, but for its attack upon the man who is re-
cognized and feared as the natural nominee of
the Democratic convention. That is what gave
to the speech of the gentleman from Kentucky
its value. do not know what other gentlemen
may think, and, as | said BEFORE no man is com
mitted to my own views; but it appears to me
as if the battle had now to be fought between
the sections of the party upon principles that
we can scarcely avoid an open, but, hope,
fair war between young America, with its pro.
crossing doctrines, and :" old fogysm," and
beaten candidates with retrogression as their
motto | do not apprehend disaster or defeat
in such conflict; and |, for ono, am willing to
make and meet the issue. 1t is barely possible
that some one OF the representatives of former
age may be nominated-perhaps the favorite of
the gentleman from Kentucky. say nothing
here now, nor do propose ever to say anything
which may make it Inconsistent in me to follow
banner with either of the names Inscribed upon
it, which we followed once before to signal and
glorious--de(eat! If it be raised again with
the additional inscription extracted from the
gentleman's speech, and containing its whole
spirit in two words retrogression, anti-pro
gress" some of the Democracy (and among
them) will follow even those coors, but it will
be with muliled drums, by the left flank, in great
confusion, and to the melancholy wall of the
dead march.
1t was my design, but it is one which shall
not have time to execute under this unfortunate
one hour rule, to have examined carefully and
thoughtfully the sneering insinuations Of the
gentleman in regard to this doctrine ofprogress,
and to explain and defend the true Democratic
doctrine. Every one who heard that speech
knows, and all who read it will find, that tt ere
is in il no statement of the gentleman's concep.
ton of progress. lie says-and makes it lu
dicrous by the art of the rhetorcian, combined
with stage trick and great knowledge of stage