The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-02-23

TO a subject of which, by his own acknowledr
/ meut, he knew nothing.
/ Now, it is rule of universal application, thai
| we should never condemn that about which we ar
not informed; for. if you act upon this principle
what cannot you condemn You may con-
! denim the best system of government the world
| has ever seen. You may condemn, if you choose
! the very light which comes from God out of hea
ven. repeat, there is nothing you may not CON
denim, if you condemn everything you do not un
derstand.
There was another fancy touch in the speech Of
the gentleman from North Carolina, and that is
the foul monster majority. do not know that
the gentleman meant TO leave the impression upon
the public mind that our Government our list
OF rules, which can be controlled by majority, ia
the fearful tyrant of which he spoke. But do not
hesitate TO say, i he means to create the impress
slon that our Government, where the will of q
majority rules, is oppressive and tyranncal, that
he knows as little about the Government as he
does about our rules. ILaughter.] Every man in
our government Is conscious that such is not the
fact We know that our limbs are unfettered
our minds are free, and that we never have, and
never will call any man master. The gentleman
refers to the oneman power and to the will of the
majority But is it not a notorious fact that the
very rules upon which this assault has been made
were designed to protect the rights of the mino
rity? And has not that gentleman himself re
sorted to the privilege given by the rules to stave
OH what are believed to be unwholesome mea-
sures-to call for the yeas and NAYS, motions 10
adjourn, and to the various other stratagems known
to the rules by which you may stave off unwhole.
some measures? have no doubt the gentleman
himself has often resorted to those means that are
called revolutionary, for the purpose of defeatino
measures to which he is opposed, and, when the
gentleman succeeds, he puts on complacent an
air as any gentleman | ever had the pleasure Of
meeting; lLaughter.] All right. All perfectly
IN accordance with law, the rules, and the Consti-
tutlon-provIded that the particular taste of the
gentleman from North Carolina is satisfied, but if
not It is all tyranny and oppression
presume the whole country will understand
now-not from any thing have said, but from the
speech OF the gentleman from North Carolina and
the replies of other gentlemen-the true cause
which has retarded the progress of business in this
body. 'Ai'
am as deeply solicitous to have the public and
private business disposed of as the gentleman from
North Carolina can be. may venture to saw that
am even more So, and think the Journal of the
a house VIII prove that up to this morning, while
the gentleman from North Carolina has consumed
more than two hours in debate, have not con-
sumed more than five minutes The Journal will
show that from the beginning of Congress up to
the present time that gentleman has consumed
Two oozen minutes to my one And what claim
for myself is than true in regard to the great
mass OF members upon this floor Most of them
have never uttered syllable upon any subject
lhey have not even soughtto obtain the floor; have
not even said SO much as ssMr Speaker with the
modest wish of participating in the debates of the
House. - ING
If the responsibility of delay is to rest anywhere
let 1t rest In the proper place, and let not gentle
men VINO gointo these lengthy Buncombe speeches
to shift the responsibility upon the shout
ders OF others who sit here from day to day and
cast their votes upon the legitimate business before
th H. BODY say let it rest where it belongs.
The true rule, as insisted upon Yesterday ia not
to take up the time of the House in war 1non the
rules, but by strict and faithful application of
them. BY that means, and no other upon the face
OF the earth, can the public business be advanced
u,oo obs L. -
Georgia (Mr SrEpHENs) Yesterday that we have
put one or two rules which have been made during
the last twenty five years. That have no doubt.
is true; and, although do not pretend to under,
silu .ae rules OF TINS House as thoroughly de.
sire, yet am satisfied that they have been made.
from time to time, by the most intelligent BODY of
men that ever assembled in this city. Those rules
have been adopted from the necessities of the
ana presume there are but very few rules that
have not been suggested by some particular CON
dltlon OF business before the BODY which made
them. AA-'oe
1t Is folly, therefore, to talk about the rules re-
;;arolng Dusiness So long as gentlemen unwill
ing to abide by and executethose rules Ia il not |
,alrly within the range of probabilities that the
FAULT lies with US, and not with the rules?
| was astonished that the gentleman from North |
Caronna s. should have acknowledged that there
was any thing which he did not understand and
especially the rules of this House, He has been |
here six years Could not hundred and FORTY
or hundred and fifty rules be understood in that |
.lm ;n Il ls certainly very strange position.
will venture the assertion that in his scbooIbov
days his teacher compelled him to learn donhj. |
lhat quantity IN less than twelve months Useems |
that generous and confding constituency have
gwen nm seat upon this floor for six years. and
which govern this body. Now great many peo-
pie, who are unsophisticated, would say that if |
the gentleman had applied himself with any de- |
gree 0. industry for Six years to the study Of
uies' ana could not understand them, il would be
IT,.
come to the conclusion that if hundred and fiftv
rules could not be mastered in six wears, it Is |
1atner failure. Renewed laughter That would
o oga only twenty hve rules year. Now what an
suect Is THIS announcement of the gentleman from I
North Carolina calculated to have upon youne |
aspiring gentlemen like myself? Laughter Il |
would be as much as to say: "Give it up at once.
ana do not try to master these rules. We are to
ook on the understanding of them as hopeless
ask - But am, however, willing to give them
one more trial. Laughter believe mvseIf
hat any member of this body who sincerely desires
% De acquainted with the rules can do so, least
% dne 70 De enabled to keep himself in order
and allow me to say that, when each member is
well acquainted with the rules to keen
himself in order, there wilt be no danger of a re-.
sorrence OF those disorganizing scenes which now
Happen almost every day on the floor of this House
promise to keep myself in order from this lime
lll the adlournment. It'll only fourteen DAYS. and
during that time think can behave mysef 7
presume that every member can keep good beha-
~ al leaSC, II SUNDAYS be *
,epted. Laughter
Inc session must soon terminate. and a small |
question will be submitted to good many of our
constituents before again return here as to- our
'aPablllty OF understanding the ru,ee and DOING a
great great many other genteei things. [Laughter.1
!" nat viii be the result of the decision I'M not
prepared to say; but it is the nature of men, the
gentleman from North Carolina and myself esne-
Tally, as we have the bump of hopelargelv de-
'eioped, to believe that every thing will be most
'ropitious [Laughter.1 We do not desire the
aext congress thrown into gloom by the ascer.
aimed fact that we are not to be here, No. sir;
We love the country too well for any thing of that
ort. Laughter. And have not a particle of
ioubt that we will go home and tell our neonle
nat we are, to the best of our knowled ore and h.
lei, among the cleverest of men,
would ask the chairman how MANY minutes
'emaln before the expiration of the time fred for
me closing OF the debate on this biIls
The CHAIRMAN. About two minutes.
Mr. NABERs. Twill now follow the examnle of
my distinguished friend from North Carolina. who.
'noug h ne gives what are called down in NV conn.
try SCISSORS" never fails to wind IN Nv anoIo. |
gizng: No matter how severely he may have az.
'aulted an antagonist, he generally closes nv
bland smile, and tells him that no harm was In.
.ended. ! mean no harm to the gentleman from
North Carolina. The first speech desired to male
was intended to be in reply to one of that gentle
MANS q but did not get an opportunity to make |
Il. trust there never will be any occasion in the
future Tor the slightest conflict between that wor.