The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-07-29

De two honest and impartial Judges on su0" .
committee.
The majority of the committee was unfair, ana
| bent on the rare qualification of party malice !
| II was only the gentleman from Virginia and
| the gentleman from Kentucky, as they have been
| pleased to subscribe TO the fact at the end OF
| their report who sienalized themselves for their
| impartiality and judgment Mr.. Speaker, Prov
| idence in its mysterious system OF compensa-
| tons has kindly lent to some men the pleasing
self-delusion that they only are wise and good,
and that they have been sent upon the earth to
observe the errors and follies and faults of 9TH
ers. The distinguished gentleman from Virginia
is an illustrious example of this innocent hallu-
cination. he is pleased to have two eyes, one
of which, jaundiced to all others but himcelf,
sees only their poor human frailties, while the
other, always kept on duty, looks admiringly
forever on the wisdom, integrity, and conse-
quence, of himself Such is the self made heaven,
high above our common infrmties, where pride
and vanity dwell.
Now, have been compelled to mention this
matter, because it has been thrown in my way,
and have not felt at liberty to go round it; but
yet | will do the gentleman from Virginia the
justice of expressing my honest judgment, and If
do him wrong, | shall take pleasure in correct
ing it: that his complaint Of the party action OF
the committee has not been meant so much 10
wound his late colleagues of the committee, as to
make it trumpet-note to rally political friends
to his support scorn, utterly, the paltry con-
siderations that will allow matter of grave in
quiry like this to be treated as a simple patty
transaction When there lie imbecility in Office,
when there is crime in Office, the weakness, or
the offence, loses party quality, and becomes
immense public calamity. Parties cut loose
from it, and their contentious forgotten in the
sense of the public disgrace or the public danger.
Besides, may | respectfully be allowed to ask
the gentleman from Virginia, if he has been
pleased to consider that il a majority of COM
mttee could be induced, from party considera-
tons, to take improper action against persons in
Office merely because they were political oppo-
nents, whether upon his part and on the part of
his friends, similar motives may not exist for de-
Tending them.
| wish, in short, here to say another thing
The gentleman from Virginia, who is the author
of the minority report, has, in the language al
ready quoted, alluded to this committee as being
organized with majority against the leading
policy of the Administration. 1t is not so. /
am not now speaking for myself | proudly
confess to no marked admiration of its policy,
and think am only just to my colleague from
Vermont, Mr.. MORRILL, in saying that his
measure Of admiration is no more than mine.
But while the gentleman from Illinois has been
compelled to be silent, it is but just to him to
mention to the gentleman from Virginia that he
owes it that he is now permitted to support this
Administration, and load it with his praises, TO
those who, like the gentleman from Illinois, in
the days of ripe October, 1856, when a steady
tide of victory had been sweeping from the At
lantic westward, and yet knew no ebb, lifted up
the standard which had been beaten down in
this succession of conhicts-and | regret that
such brave men did so for so poor a cause-and
raised on the political battle fields of Indiana
and Illinois, won by themselves, the first shouts
of victory in that memorable campaign that gave
the administration Of the Government into its
present hands. Those States were the firm
shore against which the tide rolled, and first
broke, and then fell back.
Against the leading policy of the Admins
tration " The gentleman from Illinois, it is we'll
known, has not sympathized with the Eecomp-
ton policy of the President but does not the
gentleman from Virginia confess that he has been
faithful in everything but this 1t is less than
a year since the President himself was against
it. Is this Lecompton policy on which he dared
to differ, and kept his virtue when it was crush
ed out of other men, its only leading policy, and
the sum of its policy2 Has the Administration
nothing else to stand upon Is this poor, crook
ed, deformed Lecompton brat the only thing it
loves2 Policy belongs to the people What
right has the Administration TO have a policy 2
What is the Administration but the Executive
and his subordinates When turn to the Con-
stitutiOn of the United States, to find how the
powers of Government are shared out, find that
the people make policy. II is done by Congress,
after all, only so many multiplied agents of the
people, and representing its sovereignty, will,
and policy. find that Congress may do certain
things by grant of agency derived from the
people; and that the prescription of all acts is
with Congress, the legislative power and that
the Executive is only the dumb right hand by
which the people executes its purposes. 1t is
usurpation of functions for the President to at
tempt policy which is not the peoples policy,
or to have policy separate from the people
He has exhausted his duties when he has taken
care that the laws are faithfully executed. 1t
will be sad day for the liberties of this dear
land of ours when the President has a policy,
but the people have no longer policy. We shall
then have passed the eliminating point of the
national glory, and steadily hasten down, through
decline, to the decrepitude and old age of ma
TONS and history, writing with its iron pen
will teach the lesson that we have Justly deserv-
ed the doom, for our inidelity to the trust of
popular government our fathers left u.s. and
which we have allowed tyrants to rob from our
unfaithful keeping.
But am bestowing too much time on such a
subject. 1t would be uncivil to the gentleman
from Virginia, who is quick at observing the
errors OF others, TO suppose that he could be
guilty of any. make no such imputation against
him but content myself with saying that be-
tween us there is singular Misrepresentation of
terms. | shall have occasion to refer to other
differences but allude to one now, because it
will not occur fifty anywhere else. Every call
upon the War Department" says the minority
report, "nO matter how irrelevant Implying
that irrelevant calls were made, when, in fact,
the matters obtained in every instance have been
incorporated in the report" every call upon the
War Department, no matter how irrelevant was
promptly acceded to-" If gentlemen having the
report in their hands will be kind enough>to turn
to page 81, they will find that the committee
asked certain information from the Secretary of
War on the 18th day of February. If they will
again turn to page SO, they will find that the
Secretary of War, not having furnished that in
formation, was again applied to on the 18th day
"a March. Between the two ends of the avenue,
1t required more than month to enable the
Secretary of War to be prompt If, again. gen.
tlemen will turn to pages 81, they will find that on
the 18th day of March the same call for informa-
ton was again pressed on that Department, and,
on page 452, that the information was commu-
nicated on the goth of March. This last was
immediately before the final adjournment of the
committee. So much deliberations and caution,
in order to be prompt, is unusual, even in pub
lie offices. This is a difference of terms simply
Mr.. FAULKNER. The gentleman msappre-
hends my remarks. l said promptly acceded to
by the minority of the committee.
Mr.. PETIT. The language have quoted is
the very language of the report, and there is no
more of it.
Mr.. FAULKNER. There is a material differ
ence between what the Secretary of War did and
what the minority of the committee did.
Mr.. PETIT. l have no time or wish to en-
ter into controversy of that subject.
The gentleman from Virginia, in his argument
yerterday, fiippantly treated the action of the
committee as secret and inquisitorial. He is
even unwilling to allow proper consideration
to the generous motives Of NV coIleapue on the