The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1854-05-05
SPEECH OF HON. WIN. CULLOM.

1t differs very much from the majority Of
Congressional speeches, inasmuch as every
sentence has point, freshness and vitality;
and it is bound to tell upon the country up
on the questions and issues it 80 ably dis
cusses. Cullom sustains his character Of
bold and fearless debater, always marching
square up to the issue, ind going to work in
way that at once carries conviction of his sin.
certify and earnesthess Some of the demo.
cratic papers, with characteristic candor and
fair dealing, are endeavoring to destroy the
force and effect of the honorable members
speech, by pronouncing it lame affair, made
up of cant phrases and slang borrowed from
the newspapers. Thisis wiful and deliberate
Justification, rs there has been no ADLER effort
made upon the Kansas.Nebraska question
since it was unfortunately sprung to distract
the country and open and renew agitation,
nor one that will excite more attention or be
more generally read. There are no party
orators who draw SO largely upon the news
papers as the democrats, and,per consequence,
there is no set Of men who furnish the coun-
try with more STALE. flat and improbable
speeches. Mr.. Cullom is very happy in show.
ing up the inconsistency Of Judge Douglass,
tho rcputed father Of the Bill, by quoting
from one of his speeches, made year or two
since, in which that gentleman pronounced
high eulogy upon Mr.. Clay for his efforts in
behalf of the Missouri Compromise, which
he is now seeking to have abrogated and re.
pealcd. Mr.. Douglass at that time believed
in the finality of the Compromise, and regard
ed its adoption as having been essential to
the preservation of the Union from dissolu.
ton and all the evils and horrors that would
follow so dcplorble m event. lie now af.
fects to regard it as n great imposition upon
the South, and its adoption having been eff.
fected in violation of the provisions of the
Constitution. According to Mr.. Cullom's
showing, "thc Giant of Illinois," rs he is
sometimes called, is man of very small pro.
portions, with large pretensions. Mr.. Dou.
glass has a good many admirers among the
editors of his party, who have exhausted
Of ink and untold reams of paper
in mngnifying his claims and abilities. But
It wont do-in his anxiety to reach theWhite
House, his vaulting ambition has o'erleaped
Itself, and before the assembling of the next
Democratic Convention no will be "dead
[njun," and none so poor as to do him rev.
,rence.
Mr.. Douglass got wrong when in his
'peech he attempted to detract from the me.
nory, merits and character of Henry Clay,
md all the putting, blowing and bellows.
work of his adhcrcnts will not suffice to set
lin right before tho country, or wipe out
he odium which his late attempt Mt selfag.
,randizement has brought upon him. Mole
Hills cannot be magniicd into mountains, nor
,onest men and patriots made out Of polit.
cal d.magogues. The efforts ofall the Lit.
10 Giants" in Congress cannot affect the
tamo Of the great man, who now sleeps |
,mong the shades Of Ashland, nor weaken |
he affections which cluster around his Nom.
Dry:
Pigmies are pigmes though pcrched on Alps,
And pyramids are pyramids in wales.
Mr.. Cullom also happily hits off Hon. Mr.. |
Breckenridge the gentleman who misreprc.
scnts the Ashland district, and who recently
rose in his place in the House of Represcn.
tatives and denied that Mr.. Clay was the au.
thor of the Missouri Compromise. We copy
the closing paragraph of Mr.. Cullom' speech,
md regret that our space will not admit of
its publication entire:
Sir, I was one of those who were permitted
to stand by the bier of Henry Clay. The
scene is fresh in my mind, when we followed
The slow and mournful procession which bore
his lifelcss corpse to this Capitol. All nature
seemed clad in the weeds of mourning rs far
rs the eye could penetrate. This temple was
yelled in the habiIments of woe. The sun of
heaven seemed MS if it shone dimly. Every
,cart was wrung with the most poignant
yrief. That scene never shall forget. Upon
he honorable gentleman from the Ashland
district Mr.. breckenridge devolved the sol.
mn duty of announcing Mr.. Clay's death to
his House, which he did in most eloquent
,ration, highly creditable both to his head
md to his heart. What he said made deep
upon me. II has been said that
leath makes towards Of us ALL 1t may be said
With equal truth that death makes us all hon.
st for the time being. We are all honest
when standing by the icy form Of the illustri-
Jus dead. Party feeling and all schemes Of
political ambition are then put far away from
ls. We then, above all other times, speak
he truth. The eloquent Kentuckian, stand.
NC rs it were in the presence of the mortal
cinains of the illustrious sage of Ashland,
hus spoke his eulogy:'
"1nseparably associated, as his name has
,een for fifty years, with..eyery great event
lfiectins the fortunes Of our country, it is
liiiicult to realize that he is indeed gone for
ever. 1t is difficult to feel that we shall see
10 more his noble form within these walls;
that we shall hear no more his patriot tones,
now rousing his countrymen to vindicate
their rights against n foreign foe, now i'm
poring them TO preserve concord among
themselves. We shall see him no more
The memory and the fruits of his services
llOne remain to us. Amidst the general
gloom, the Capitol itself looks dcsolate, as il
he genius of the place had Departed
."I'ut the supremacy Of Mr.. Clay as party
eader was not his only, nor his highest, title
% rcnown. That titicf Is TO he found in the
purely patriotic spirit which on great occn-
lions always signalized his conduct. We
rave had no statesman who, in periods Of
cal and imminent public peril. has exhibited