Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1856-01-30


in calming the wild tumultuous passions; could not
| glorious "Old Hundred" or mcfuous Bray"
thrown off by the tuneful and stentorous Davie at
the top of his voice. in that modern bear garden, the
House of Representatives, effect "a contamination
| SO devoutly to be wished? ?"
| But should melody fail, might not the valiantand
great-souled captain marshall hihoss ofInvncibles,
march them bodily to the seat Of war, and hang up
under the I'd, any other section Of the articles OF
war, score so of Congressional reprobates, to
the great cdification of the country? In of his
mimic battles, he attacked with great science and
SKILL the Town Pump of the village, and carried it
! by cschalons, with scarcely struggle Might he
| not in real battle, with song and scymeter-wth
ballads and broad.swords-wth music and muskets,
belcaguer the Capitol and either reduce those dis
cordant spirits to harmony, put them to rout p
Let him muster his heroes, raise his banner, and
grid himself to the work. The vcxed country will
sustain him and bid him God speed!
BENTON'S SENATORIAL "REMINISCENCES.
AMMO lS3S-MAKrIN VAN buren,, PRESIDENT
De5ate bet,ceen Mr.. Guy and Mr.. Calhoun, Person.
al and Political, and kending to Expeditions and
indications Of Public Conduct @hich belong to
History.
from the Second Volume of The Thirty Years View"
in the press of Mcssrs. D. Appleton Co.
For seven years past, MIR. Cath 1un, Willie dsclaim
ing connection with any party, had acted on leading
measures with the opposition, headed by Mcssrs
Clay and Webster. Stil dsclaimng any such con-
ncction, he found at the extra session cooper
atng with the administration. His cooperation
with the opposition had given it the victory in many
cvcntu contests in that long period; his co-opera
| ton with the Van Buren, administration might turn
the tide of victory. The loss gain of chief whO
in nearly balanced state Of parties could carry
victory to the side which he espoused. was event
not to be viewed without vexation by the party
which he left. Resentment was natural on
side as qualification was OH the other. The demo-
had H. .nf
the debates in Congress).when Mr. Calhoun left
| them they debated questions with him as if there
| had been cause for personal complaint
| Not with the opposition now, when the course
of his transit reversed, and the same event
Cured to themselves. They took deeply to heart
this withdrawal OF Of their leaders, and his APP
pcarancc on the other side. 1t created feeling Of
personal resentment against Mr.. Calhoun, which had
manifested itself in several small sdebows at the
extra session and it broke out into systematic at
tack at the regular Some sharp passages took
place between himself and Mr.. Webster, but not of
a kind to lead to anything historical. lie Mr. Web
ster) but slightly inclined towards that kind of
speaking which mingles personality with argument,
and lessons the weight of the adversary argument
by reducing the weight of the speakers character.
Mr.. Clay had a turn that way; and, certainly,
great ability for it. Invective mingled with sarcasm
was one of the phases Of his oratory. He was SUI
preme at philippe (taken in the sense of Demos
themes and Cicero,) where the political attack on
public man measure was to be enforced and height
ened by personal attack on his conduct. He owed
much of his fascinating power over his hearers to
the exercise Of this talcnt-always SO captivating
in popular assembly, and in the galleries of the
Senate not so much so in the Senate itself; and to
him it naturally fell to become the organ of the
| feelings of his party towards Mr.. Calhoun. And
very cordially, and carefully, and amply did he
make preparation for 1t.
The storm had been gathering since September
it burst in February. 1t had been evidently waiting
for an OCCASION and found it in the first speech Of
Mr. Calhoun, of that session. in favor OF Mr.. Van
BurenS Recommendation for all independent treasury
and a federal hard-money currency This speech
was delivered the 10Th Of February, and was strict
ly argumentatlvc and parliamentary, and wholly
confined to its subject. Four days thereafter Mr..
Clay answered it; and although ready at extern
poraneous speech, he had the merit, when time per-
mitted, of considering well both the matter and the
words of what he intended to deliver.
On this occasion he had had ample time; for the
speech of Mr.. Calhoun could not be essentially diff.
ferent from the he delivered the same subject
at the extra session; and the personal act which
cited his resentment was Of the same date. There
had been six months for preparation, and fully had
preparation been made The whole speech bore the
impress of careful elaboration, and especially the
last part for it consisted of two distinct parts-the
first argumentative, and addressed to the measure
before the Senate: and was in fact, as we'll as in
name, a reply. The second part attack, un-
der the name of reply, and was addressed to the
personal conduct of Mr.. Calhoun, reproaching him
with his desertion (as it was called) and haunting
him with the company he had got into-taking care
to remind him of his former sad account of that
company: and then, launching into wider field,
he threw up to him all the imputed political delin-
quencies of his life for near twenty ycars-skipping
from 1871 down to the extra session although
he himself had been in close political friendship with
this alleged delinquent during the greater part of
that long time.
Mr.. Calhoun saw at once the advantage which
this general and sweeping assault put into his hands,
Had the attack been confined to the mere circum.
stance of quitting side and joining the other, it
might have been treated personality land,
either left unEotced, the account settled at once
with some ready words of retort and justification
But in going beyond the act which gave the offence
beyond the cause of resentment which was recent
and arraigning member on the events of almost
quarter of century of public life, he went beyond
the limits of the occasion, and gave Mr. Calhoun
the opportunity of explaining of justifying,
cusing all that had ever been objected to him and
that with the sympathy in the audience with which
attack forever invests tie rights Of defence. He saw
his advantage, and availed himselfof it. Though
prompt at reply, he chose to make in hurry.
A pause ensued Mr.. Clays conclusion, every one
deferring to Mr.. Calhoun's right of reply. He took
the floor but it was only to say that he would reply
at his leisure to the senator from Kentucky.
He did reply, and at his own good time, which
was at the end of twenty days; and in a way to
show that he had :" smelt the lamp" not of Dema-
dee, but Of Demosthenes, during that time. 1t was
profoundly meditated and deliberately composed: the
matter solid and condensed the style chaste tcrse
and vigorous; the narrative clears the logic close:
the sarcasm cutting: and every word bearing upon
the object in view. was mastery Grafton, and.
like Mr.. Clay's speech, divided into two parts but
the second part only seemed to occupy his feelings
hrin firth $40