Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1856-03-01


delinquent during the greater partof that long
| time ~ s57 ~-@a $3.50 sFes2s rs $50
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 circumstance of quitting one side
and joining the other, it might have been treat
ed as mere personality ; and either left url-
noticed or 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 a quarter of century of
public life, he went beyond the limits of the
occasion, and gave Mr.. Calhoun the opportu-
nifty of explaining or justifying, or eXcusing
all that had ever been objected to him ; and
that with the sympathy in the audience with
which attack for ever invests the rights of de-
fence. He saw his advantage, and availed
himself of it, Though prompt at reply, he
chose to make none in a hurry. A pause en-
sued Mr.. Clay's conclusion, every one deferring
to Mr. Calhoun's right of reply. He took the
floor, but it was only to say that he would re-
ply at his leisure to the senator from Ken
lucky ... -..-.
He did reply, and at his own good time,
which was at the end of twenty days and i'll
way to show that he had smclt the lamp"
not of Demades, but of Demosthenes, during
that time. 1t was profoundly meditated and
elaborately composed the matter solid and
condensed the style chaSte terse and vigor
Gus the narrative clear the logic close the
sarcasm cutting and every word bearing up
on the object in view. 1t was a mastery ora
ton, and, like Mr.. Clay'S speech, divided into
two parts but the second part only seemed
to occupy his feelings, and bring forth words
from the heart as well as from the head. And
we'll it might He was speaking, not for life,
but for character and defending public char
acter, in the conduct which makes it, and Oh
high points of policy, which belonged to his
tory-defendng it before posterity and the
present age, impersonated in the American
Senate, before which he STOOL and TO whom
he appealed as judges while invoking as wit
nesses He had a high occasion, and he felt
it high tribunal to plead before, and he re-
joiced ia it; high accnsser, and he defed him;
a high stake to contend for, his own reputa-
ton and manfully, earnestly, and powerfully
did he defend it. He had high example
both in oratory, and the anal0gieS of the oc-
casion, before him; and well had he looked
into that example happened to know that
in this time he refreshed his reading of the
Oration on the Crown and, as the delivery
Of his speech showed, not without profit. Be
sides its general cast, which was a good imita
tion, there were passages of vigor and tcr>e-
ness-of power and simplicity-which would
recall the recollection of that masterpiece of
the oratory of the world There were points
of analogy in the cases as well as in the
speeches, each case being that of one eminent
statesman accusing another, and before ma
tional tribunal, and npOn the events OF pub
lie life. More happy than the Athenlan ora
tor, the American statesman had 10 foul lm
putations to repcl Different from -Eschnes
and Demosthenes, both himself and Mr.. Clay
stood above the imputation of corrupt action.
or motive. If they had faults-and what pub
lie man is without them they were the faults
of lofty natures-not of sordid souls aud
they looked to the honors Of their cOantry-
not its pIundcr-for their fair reward
When Mr.. Calhoun flashed, Mr. Clay in
stantly arose, aud rejoned-his rejOinder al
most entirely directed to the personal part of
the discussion, which, from its beginning, had
been the absorbing part, Much stung by Mr..
Calhoun'S reply, who used the sword as well
as the buckler, and with keen edge upon it,
he was more animated and sarcastic in the
reioinder than in the first attack. Mr.. Cal
houn also rejoined instantly. A succession OF
brief and rapid rejoindeTs took place between
them (chieny omitted in this work. which
seemed running to infnity, when Mr.. Calhoun,
satisfied with what he had done, pleasantly put
an end to it by saying, he saw the senator
from Kentucky was determined to have the
last word aud he would yield it 10 him Mr..
Clay, in the same spirit, diSclailncd that desire,
and said no more And thus the exciting de-
bate terminated with more courtesy than that
with which it had been conducted
In all contests of this kind there is feeling
of violated decorum, which makes each party
solicitious to appear on the defensive ana Tor
that purpose to throw the blame of commenc-
inc on the opposite side Even the one that
nalnabIy throws the first stone is yet anxious
to Show that it was defensive throw; or at
least provoked by previous wrong. Mr.. Clay
had this feeling upon him, and knew that the
onus of making out q defensive case fell upon
him and he lost no time IN endeaForlhg 10
establish it. He placed his defence IN the
forepart of the attack At the very outset OF
the personal part of his speech he attended to
this essential preliminary, and found the justi-
fcation as he believed, in some expressions OF
Mr.. Calhoun in his sub-treasnry speech and
in a couple of passages in a letter he had writ
ten on a public occasion. after his return from
the extra session-commonly called the Edge
field letter.
In the speech, he believed he found re-
proach anon the patriotism of himself and
friends in not following his Mr. Calhoun's)
" leadn in support of the administration finan-
cial and currency measures ana In the letter,
an impeachment of the integrity and patriot
ism of himself and friends if they got into
mower and also an avowal that his change
of sides was for selfish considerations. The
first reproach, that of lack OF patriotism In
not following Mr.. Calhonn's lead, he FOUND IL
hard to locate in auv definite part of the