Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-01-26
AMERICAN ORGAN.
speech of Hon. w. n. smith.
ttUtfa ah 1890 or ALABAMA. 9N
IN the House Of Representatives, Jan. 15, 1866
Concluded

speech Of Hon. w. IL. Smith,
- A OF ALABAMA.
In the House Of Representatives, Jan. is, 1866
/soa.J,,,ys,y = :, '' -
oo"'' "''a
the WAN BETWEEN THOMAS A BECKETT AND HENRY II.
The memorable history of this struggle cannot
Investigation. Henry had anno;ntnd Rsckat Archs
hishon ~ ran.a.t,,.,, T af,tsa ass 80
e.rn,;. Ia nau nlnuc hilisen
"''n 'ne nng as wen as with the people;
The pomp OF his retinue, the sumptuousnsss Of
his furniture, the luxury Of his table, the municence
q his presents, exceeded anything that England
had eyer before seen in amy. subject.
But no sooner was Beckett installed In this high
dignity which rendered him, for life the second per
son in the kingdom, with some pretensons Of aspir-
ing TO be the first, than he totally altered his decan-
or and conduct and endeavored to acquire the char
acter Of sanctity He wore sackcloth next his skin,
sary Ie more rsapl vars 2 y was neces
Changed 90 seJone 1hat 4. ~ asi an uo Woria a. he
vermin IJ;s nsai at ,vn asd ms iga ~; WIN ant and
ia tora III hac sa;.h ~, mas s arink wafer.
he inieted IN Il Ia da;I ~ p;a usuPne whcn
;.a.;an ~ ~ ~ on ms Knees, washed ID
,yho, ba ~ ~ Ie iee. oi Inirteen peggnrs,
gained IA ata"tnas ~ %ssseu sh WIN presents ne
shar;s;ss u - sha n u e monks ms frequent
If nens,st;om oo 'iap and ana Al men
sc s. p.s'ny saw tnas ne WAS meditating
tSnns ~ NJ ana .na' me ampinon ana osienr
os ~ y, s nad turned itseii towards
=" ~ .a.'ap 49, u,. oDlect' . m
projects against the power %ScS
he hnsw, naa Deen formed by that prince He was
n.se he a8gressor ana endeavored 70 overawe the
rsss ~ 'n0 ana Doldness Of MS enter
i1e ecclesiaslcs, 10 that age, had renowned all
lmmcdiate subordlnatlon to the magistrate. They
openly Pretended % an exemption in criminal accu-
sasSns rom ai before courts Of ustice and were
gradually Ike exemption in civil causes;
spiritual penalties alone could be inflicted on their
offences; and as the clergy had extremely multiplied
ar I'm "a mAny =. n's M Mere
ders robhar;as adnar;es r, 80 - n ~ ,,.;. !,
ted with impunity, by ecclesiastics' II had been
found, for instance on inquiry, that no less than
hundred murders had, since the Kings accession,
been Perpetraed by mon Of that profession who had
never Dsen caleo 70 account ior these ofences ana
m;tas S B",S iu ior aii eiioi-
Sncb was IN cond;.on ,e .h,n,.. !. ~. .;,.
a. - - ~ = 'l,e9 ,-t = s''as ,,' '.,Au
.n.lass.n - I..,..s w ~. iAs:k ucpuuneu
murder the fathes and the ers;nst
this crime, moved the King 10 attemp the remedy Of
an abuse which was become 30 palpable, and to re-
qure that the clerk should be delivered up and
ceve condign punishment from the magistrate. Bee
M nes insisted On me Prteleqes q lae eAureA confined
sazed hu .hs K;nD pssvn ,es. nc h ne
grantar ynsbmant conIJ ho na;cted n bn, as sa,, 0
deoradation and when the King demanded that i'm
medately after be was degraded he should be tried
BY the civil power, the prinate asserted that il
niquitoas TO try man twice upon the same accusa.
ton, ana for the same offence. Henry, laying hold
- ; ~ push tne clergy
,aisad ~ an enorors hsaht apS 4 dsaary .nSy naa
once those controversies, which daily mnItpied be-
tween the civil and ecclesiastical jurisdictions He
summoned IN assembly 81 all the pTeates OF England,
aJu - Pus as concse % Ant '
ss L,..s !. .,~SS,s ,,sS ~ ~ gy mn, u h;sIs
nnanimousIv renlied t6at thew were willing ] sarl1
their oaon order HuDao. : , VI
Henry. however perseyered until he procured
the enactment of the constitutions of Clarendon In
which he gained signal victory over all the Eng
Iish eccesiastics except the inyiucibe Beckett who
ree,aad obadanca ~ tba const;tutions of CIaren-
aon mill abandonod hv ali tha war,d he sas
obl;yeJ do 10 snbmit and ~ nrom;sa I" "lsa,v" ..;s5
oohSee " SUBMIT anu Pronlse 'eg4'y' VIZ m
good Jam, and WITHOUT fraud or reverse. But
Henry was still baffied. He sent his constitutions
Of Clarendon TO Pope Alexander "and required
that Pontifrs ratification of them; but Alexander
oondomnaJ tha,, n tha strongaot ,arn,s--oh,.,-
so.aS a,.,.,,,.J , III a. .a;ae.aS 49,
gated, anhuiieo, ana relec.eo them.
becke. tnen repented Oh ms consent; and en-
deavored TO engage all the other Bishops in con-
federacy to adhere to their ecclesiastical privileges
Henry, Informed of Beckets present dispositions
applied To the Pope that he sbould grant the corn
mission az Iepate IN bis dom;nions. Rnt Alexander
- I.,a - Io sLh - .. !, az - : - 49,
as pon1' as ne, he eri,'eu Tue cohllnss'on,
anneAeu ciause ulA1 y snouiu not empower 'ne
s.s,' ,ssho ~ ,o..n s IN M 70 sne Aron-
.'s,, sss, - ..;.,had - q, psi
49, ,.'.' ~ .'l ~ Ia.pI ~ oS ~ n'o W.
E.ass 80 a.D.,.'. :; - s.s,. 49,. y, ',,e
has oou %.sa;. - nh. ile ,ea't ",en nc
.ass "' 'nu
es "e,e oon'o
But TINS war sun ragged between the King and
beckct. Inc fnmate dened the hng ne
put himself ana ms See under the profession OF the
supreme pontin About TINS tune Beckett ned
from the Kingdom, ana was received by the rope
W,tn tue Breatest narhs VI ussuicuon' ne was NOT