Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1857-12-24


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Who would not wish to have stood in
the gallery of the Senate Chamber, on
Wednesday, Dec. 9th?
For hours before the opening Of the
session, crowds of ladies of rank and FASH
ion, and men--the collected wisdom and
genius of our country-might have been
seen hocking to the Capitol with the eager
ness of intense excitement.
The galleries, the lobby chamber. were
soon so densely packed that there was not
room for one more.
Even the grave Senators seem to share
in the general excitement. Every man is
in his seat, with a countenance betraying
unusual emotion. What is the sequel to
all this?
DoueLAs---the giant of the North. the
leading spirit of the American Congress
IS to be heard from on the Kansas troub-
les. One writer, speaking of the scene
says it reminded him of Macaulay's de-
scription of the celebrated impeachment of
Warren Hastings before the British Par
Lament. And well he might; since it was
an occasion of not Jess moment, and at
tended b. circumstances calculated to in
spire emotions not less grandly sublime.
Every whisper was hushed when the
speaker arose in his seat, and for hours
that vast throng hung in breathless silence
Oh the magic of his matchless eloquence.
We publish in to-day's issue, the speech
delivered on that occasion. 1t is truly the
master effort of that master spirit, and ex.
hibits, in clear and explicit manner, the
doctrines to which the Democracy, as a
party. stand pledged. His expositions of
the Lecompton fraud, and his defense of
the principles contained in the Kansas
Nebraska Bill, are invulnerable to every
attack of his opponents. He annihilates,
with single blow, every charge by which
his enemies have sought to impeach his
faith in these great principles. He exone
rated the President from having, in any
way, given coun.enance to this fraud, and
shows conclusively that the whole tenor of
his meaning on this point is a disapprova
of this measure. and the deepest regret at
the course of the Lecompton convention.
He only takes issue with the President
as TO the understanding of domestic in
stiturions, and in the discussions on this
point, his positions are sound and conclu-
sive. With great respect for the Chief
Magistrate, he explains now it was that he
was led into this fundamental error, and
then, while he holds up to men its fallacy,
knocks the weak structure that sustains it
to the ground.
AS regards the legality of the measures
of the Kansas convention, he shows, by
the precedent instructions of the Jackson
Administration at the time of the admis-
sion of Arkansas, that it had no foundation
in our political history. In word, that
the action Of that convention is contrary
to the organic law of the government that
directs the admission of new States into
the Union.
We make no further comments. The
speech itself we lay Before our readers,
and trust that all will carefully peruse it.
1t is the apotheosis of sound democratic
doctrine, set forth in the language of eogent,
irresistible logic. and sparkling with the
spirit Of truth and patriotism.
The .few '' Fire eating" journals of the
South have already opened their trade Of
ungenerous and ungentlemanly epithets
upon him, charging him "black republic
an proelivities, "traitorism to the de-
mocraey," &C., DC. But what avais all
this? 1t has no more effect on the gallant
defender of peoples rights. than the idle
wind on the giant oak.
Truly, we live in the days of strange
things. 1t is but few short months ago
that the republicans sent up the one uni
.versal cry:" CRucrFY HIM CRuCIFY HrMH'
No term of villainy was too vile TO attach
to his name. They searched the catalogue
of billingate for language to vent their in
dignation. Everything, that the bitterness
and hatred of base souls could invent, was
called into requisition; among other things
a certain Niger Institution" of Ohio
called College, which. by the way. is
far more Of disgrace than an honor to oul
country, turned out en- nasse, Professors
Niggers, &C., to burn this Senator in eff.
gy. And, yet, amid all these denuncia-
tons and insults, he stood unmoved 1