Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1854-06-17

An ELOQUENT TRIBUTE. The following eloquent
and truthful tribute to the message of President
Pierce vetoing to the Insane Bill, uttered by
Senator Hunter, of Virginia, Immediately after it
was read in the Senate:
"-Kr. President-I cannot permit the present oc-
casion to pass away, without expressing my profound
grathcaton at the which the president OF the
United States has pursued in regard to this BILL In
my opinion, the thanks of the people due to him
fer arresting measure which, as | am happy to be-
lieve has few parallels in the past history of leg
islation and for interposinS himself between the
Constitution of the country and blow, the mis-
chevous effects of which it would have been difficult
to oyer-eStmate, or even to measure. Sir, the man
who saves and preserves the barrier which the Con-
sttuton has lnterpoSed between the jurisdiction of
the General and the State Governments, renders a
service which entities him to the grateful appreca-
ton of the American people, for he makes good the
only conditions upon which the experiments of free
government, which We are now trying, can result
happily and successfully. Sir, it may be that it is
ideal barrier, abstraction if you will but l
venture to say that behind its boundaries lie,
ed and protected, more of human happiness and HUI
man prosperity than were ever defended by ramparts
of brick and stone And sir, he who succeeds in
successfully defending and protecting these, the mo-
raj defences of country, is entitled more to the
thanks of the people than the mere man of war who
holds and maintains its military lines
1t is in my opinion, the danger of the times that
in eager pursuit after wealth and all those ma
teIial objects in which take keen an interest
we are prone to forget the moral bases upon which
rest our happiness and our security l must be per-
United to say, that in the whole course of my expe-
rience in legislative life, 1 think have known
period in which less regard paid to the mita-
tons imposed by the Constitution upon the powers
of this Government. Nor need go further for
illustration of that proposition than to the very bill
which is now under consderation-G bill achich pro-
poses to make the States the agents Of the General
Government; which assumes to say upon what
dtons they shall execute their own local and NUM-
cipa powers, and those conditions to be prescribed
by this Federal Government bill, which is foun-
died. it upon any principle at all, upon the assump
ton that the right to dispose of the public lands is
an unlimited power vested in this Government,
that it is limited only by the positive prohibitions of
the Constitution. So far the public lands
cerned, this Government is supreme, and far as
they can afford the means, it may and
else any power which is not positively prohibited by
the Constitution
But, said before, it is not my purpose at pres
ent to enter at large upon the consideration of the
merits of this measure. I may do at another
tme when the whole question is fairly before us.
have felt however, that it due to the President
to make my public acknowledgment to him for the
manful discharge of duty upon this occasion l re-
joce that we have made issue upon principle, and
that something has been done to awaken the Amcri-
people to the consideration of the nature of the
title and tenure by which they may expect to
and perpetuate the happiness and the prosperity |
which they now enjoying. 1 glad that it is |
an issue of principle, great moral and political is
suc upon which the President and most if not ALL
of his friends may be willing and ready to stake |
themselves before the country"