Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-03-15
DEFENCE OF JUDGE DOUGLAS.
kn thc House Of Ercnrcscr,,,,ves
THURSDAY. March IL 10

| Tho House resolved itself into Committea
OF the whole on the state Of the Union (Mr.
Hibbard In the chair) and took up the bill gran
ting to every man, the head of a family. and
citizen Of the United States n homestead of
one hundred and sixty acres of land, on the
conditions of occupancy and cultivation of the
same for five years.
I Mr.. MAsHALL, of California. sfter a fey nre.
liminary remarks said that he was bound bv
many circumstances to make some response
to the speech recently delivered by Mr.. Breck-
enrldge, although there was no member moro
unwilling than himself to consume the time of
tne committee. He was compelled to controyert
the doctrines md sentiments which had been
/ advanced.
| 1t was prophesied by one of the most learned,
acute, and sasacious Of all foreign commentators
Oh the American Constitution and it's institu-
lions that tho very thing which is now happen
ing would happen, and that, instead of dischar-
| ging the constitutional functions of the lepisla
tive power of the country, Congress, womb be.
come, which it has not become, but which be
feared 1t was approaching, a nero Earring of
discordant factions, an Unbalanced caucus of
Presidential electors.
/ He regretted this controversy, and the share
| which he had taken in it.. The State of CaIi
fornla is the great result of Democratic princi-
pies, and the very incarnation of American pro-
gross. Ihey owe their existence to the doc
trines at which the gentleman from kentucky
sneers, and which he did not meet in q
clear and manly manner. There has couuy nm
from the people of California a response to the
general expression In favor of Judge Douglas AZ
candidate for the Presidency, and he should
not represent his people If he did allow
the attack to pass unnoticed-an attack in
spirit and tendency. The nomination i'm Chill
fornia was a most significant fact Look Mt the
institutions the origin and progress of tina. State.
Iherc IS scarcely village or hamlet of her
| sisters i'll the confederacy that is not reproson-
ted there Therefore, the best and truest ex-
preston OF national sentiment comes from the
people whom no in part represents. They are
as 1t were, a great, unprejudiced, dislnterested
| national convention. They are not bargaining
with any one for the premiership tho army,
tho navy, the patronage of the country, have 20
effect upon them. Being great national con
vention, and dlsinterested he claimed for their
expression in favor of Judge Douglas, and the
warmand feryent feelings which he knew to exist
with the Democracy there, u high authority,
infinitely TRANSFORMING that Of any ether express
sion OF opinion in any other State
The speech of the gentleman commenced
with nn affected defence of General Butler;
and it he Ind ceased when, with polished and
powerful hand, he drew tho portrait everybody
not rs perfect as the artist could have made un-
der other circumstances If the gentleman
had here stopped, he mfr ny would now
have nothing to say. But in noticing the articles
III the Democratic RcUicac, the gentleman, nj.
though he had denounced them, had not denied
any TACT, direct Or by implication, contained
therein.
MIR. BsEcKENRIpGE replied that he had
pronounced the statements in the February
number untrue, and he now substituted gen
eral for any particular denial
Mr.. MARSHALL remarked that that was pre-
cisely what he had laid down; nor did the cen
tleman controvert the reasons of the Reyieu. nor
did he disprove any of the facts, but said that
the article generally was untrue In his con-
demnation of the Reuie1c and his dem,nciation
OF the author, he adrnitly connected the name
ofJude Douglas, whom he held by insinuation,
responsible for the course Of the magazine
This charge has been met and refuted by fle
gentleman from Illinois, (Mr Richardson; ;,
whether its effect has been tlone AWAY with re-
mains to be seen.
The gehtleman's motives Nero as clear ns
daylight Eyerynlan can SEQ the precise course,
ei consultation and agreement which that speech
carried out.
The article in the magazine attacked the
principles OF all those candidates whom the GEN.
tieman had characterized as the tried and stand
ard mon oil the Democratic party. Ii was a
doctfina! article, eminently 50, which attacked
the principles of those who hava boon denon,i.
mated, and correctly, so, cold Egies.' There
are lots of "old fog ies, candidates for the presi
dency, too, in the Democratic party, augl.ter;l
and he was obliged to admit what he wished to
heaven he could deny, that these ssold iooies"
nave active, energetic friends, drawn to their
support by State pride, the patronage of the
Preai(ancv. md nil no IVA, m 90. -.
not particularly strong individually; yet collec-
tively' there is quite number of them Yet
the gentleman from Kentucky, who from his
instincts and age, ought to BIO fliond ofprogress
and sympathize with the great national feeling,
ana whose enthusiasm would be becoming in
this connexion, is selected to make this attack
and carry out the '.old fogy'' notions.
Mi. BREcKKNBRIDGE. Tho gentleman IL
mistaken In point Of fact
MIR. MARSHALL remarked that everybody
could see how the thing occurred. These ..oid
logles' are as much ut war with one anotheras
they aro with Judge Douglas. They considered
the attack upon their principles as fatal to the
whole system of told fogyism," and he hoped
that the design would DO carried out to full and
complete triumph. 1t is n bond of union among
these gentlemen, and, stealing that which oueht
to be the legitimate thunder Of Young America,
bring forward the gentleman from Kentucky to
break down and crush the hopes Of Young
America, and distract the whole Democratic
party. There il in this House q gentleman
from Kentucky, friend and messmate of Gem
eral Butler, who, although IN alderman, is not
an older fogy than tho young gentleman from
Kentucky. Laughter.
What tribute, then it is to Young Ameri-
ca when something had to BIO done-bolI, alyen-
turous and dashing, and mortal assault made
the 'old fogies," standing in the background.
but Young America forward to make tho at
tack; 1t Is high tribute to young blood when
IN old and rotton cause leans upon it for sup
port.
Mr' BREcKENNpaE desired to say, tho gon-
tiom"n mlstook when he supposed that his ro-
marks wore tho result of any arraneo,nent oe
consultation with the friends of any body. Ho
mad not been thrust forward; and, if he knew