Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1856-01-18
REM ARKS
Of Mr. Smith, Of TENNESSEE IN the House of Representa-
tues jan 9Th 1856.

of Mr. Smith, Of Tennessee IN the House Of Representa-
tsUes, Jan. 9Th, 1856.
Mr. SMITH, of Tennessee, rose 10 personal ex
PLANTATION. He said that there had been shrewd
ingenious, and deliberate attempt made here TO cast
upon the Democratic party and the administration
the responsibility fol the want OF organization in the
House. When the gentleman from Alabama MIR
Walker first ade this charge, the Democratic party
had said nothing and had not attempted to throw the
responsibility upon any one of the contendng parties
of this House. They were willing to SIT and vote,
and did So content to stand by their platform and
their candidate but after the struggle had progressed
for time, they found party which protessedIy
agreed with them in sentiment upon the great ques-
ton which agitaes and divides the country, IN
stead of making upon the Black Republicans, as
they call them, attempting most ingeniously to cast
odium upon the Democratic party for failure to or
ganiZe the House. If there was Democrat In the
House who lid not earnestly desire an organization
he did not know him. Ii had been publicly and
prominently charged in leading organ of the once
respectable but now defunct Wing party of this city
that the administration responsible for the dis
organization of the House. Although he Was not
authorized to speak in the premises, he could say
what he knew, and that that there was no man
in the House or in the country who more earnestly
desired organization of The House than the Presi-
dent of the United States. He could not understand,
them the attempt of the Know Nothing party hold
the administration and the Democratic party respon-
sble. When the present administration came into
pO"el IL louHu lOOSo ali
every department Of it either unorganized or dsor-
gained, and it had to re 'arrange lis machinery in
order to carry out lis proper purposes; and if lis
worst enemies would make the most rigid investga-
lions of its actions they would have to acknowledge
that the Democratic party the only party that has
shown any capacity to administer the government
While upon the subject he wished to say to those
gentlemen who took objection to of the appoint
ments to Office of the administration that it was un-
becoming in a Southern man 10 sickle upon an APP
pointment any office in this government. He
would stand here to day and say to the President
that he night reject every man for whose appoint
ment he had asked and he would never complain as
long he (the Presidency would sustain those consti-
tutional rights which he believed dear to the people
of his section of the country, and absolutely neces-
sary to the perpetuiy of the Union. He thought
that it not in keeping with the dignity or the
chivalry. so to speak, of Southern men TO sickle
about Offices with who, in the midst of all the
prejudices of his section of the country, stands by
The peculiar institutions of the South they had
been guaranteed by the Constitution; and if the
President of the United States had expressed
opposition 10 slavery, he was, that account emit
tied TO more credit for his fearless support of those
rights which the constitution had guaranteed TO thu
South.