Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-01-10
CLEVELAND MONDAY MORNING. JANUARY 10, 1859

SANFORD, OlckerSOn, OrunOy, fOfSytn, w nlte,
and W. R. King; while Webster, Clayton, No
Bile, Frelinghuysen, Sprague and Robbins were
the chiefs of the Opposition.
After sharp skirmish over the power of the
President to remove from office without special
cause Qhe heads were falling by scores into the
basket, they entered upon contest which is
still known as ''the great debate in the Senate"
In January, $780, Mr. Foot introduced resolu-
ton, as harmless as himself, about the public
lands. The d" battle of the giants" that follow
ed almost uninterruptedly for four months, will
always rescue the name of the author from oh.
livion. This grand oratoTicai contest will ever
be known. and quoted, and commented upon, as
the debate "on Foot's resolution" The young
academicians who, in coming generations, will
declaim brilliant extracts from Haynes speech,
or majestic passages from Webster's, will re-
member that they were delivered " on Foot's
resolution" The statesmen and jursts who, in
times remote, will quote the fiery logic of Hayne,
the ponderous argument of Benton, the profound
of Webster, the discriminating pre-
lection Of Livingston, to sustain fovorite theories
of government, will cite them as from the debate
son Foot's resolution"
1t is unnecessary to say that the discussion
soon drified out of sight of the public lands, and,
like Columbus, pushed boldly out into wide sea,
in search of new worlds The Hotspur of the
South was sustained by Benton, Grundy, Rowan
and Woodbury.. The Richmond of the North
rallied around him Holmes, Clayton, Robbins
and Sprague. Livingston pursued middle line
of argument in regard to the respective powers
of the Federal and Stale Governments, sustain
ing it with more than his usual acumen, and
justifying the opinion that he was the author of
Jackson's nti-Nullifcation Proclamation of a
later day.
Webster's principal speech is generally re-
garded as the great forensic effort of his life
1t undoubtedly sent his fame as constitutional
lawyer and parliamentary orator higher and
wider than it had ever gone before His clos
ing allusion to the gorgeous ensign of the Re
public" which from the spot where he stood,
could be seen floating over the dome of the
chamber, ranks among the best-sustained pas
sages of ornate eloquenee in the language.
We must omit all notice of many questions
that excited Congress and the country about
this time-such as the Maysville Road veto, the
removal of the Indians across the Mississippi
nor can we dwell but n moment on the bitter
struggle, in the session of 1872, over the con-
firmation of Mr.. Van Buren as Minister to Eng
land. During running fire of some days be
was numerically seathed by Clay, Poindexter,
Holmes, Hayne and Webster, and heartily, but
inadequately, defended by Marcy, Forsyth and
Smith. A breach had been made in the Dem
oeratic party. Calhoun, then Vice President,
and four of his friends, joined the Opposition,
and Van Buren, was rejected by the casting vote
Calhoun Marcy's colleague was G. Z. Dud-
ley, a wealthy gentleman of Albany, whose ami
able widow has in our day contributed her mo-
ney and her name to Observatory which seems
quite spIovocative of strife asVanBuren' s nom
nation. Marcy was a poor debater; Dudley
was no debater at all. MaTcy's extraordinary
administrative talents did not enable him to cope
with the great orators in the Senate; and he
gladly assumed the gubernatOrial chair of New
York, surrendering his Senatorial seat to Silas
Wright.
We must also pass over, with the faintest al
lusions, the South Carolina multiplying ordi-
nance, which never was intended to be put in
force, and Gen. Jackson's counter proclamation,
not one line of which he was ever suspected of
writing; and those twin Congressional mea-
mise; desfg gneu 10 compel tar6fliff ft rlier
sugar duti, 8, and to sweeten the compulsion by
the prospective ruin of New England manufac
turers:-aI of which questions kindled cont1o-
versies whose fires yet burn.
The passage of bill rechartering the United
States Bank and its veto by the President, and
the tumult which followed, and the reelection
of jackson, and the brawl soon after on the floor
of the Scnate between Clay and Benton, when
each gave the other the lie, and used language
which would disgrace q pot -house-are not all
these things written in the '' Thirty Years
View ln
During these stormy times many renowned
party chiefs gathered in the Senate. Though
Hayne, Holmes and Livingston had left the
Chamber, the coming in of Clay, Calhoun,
Grundy, Dallas, Buchanan, John Davis, Wright,
TalImadge, Leigh, Rives, Southland, Mangum,
Preston, Forsyth, Poindexter, Crittenden, Ew-
ing, Walker and Hill, enabled the Senate to still
more imperiously dominate Congressional pro-
eeedings during Jackson's last term. By the
by, it was Hill that introduced into Congress
that worst of nuisances, the reading of manu-
script essays nuisance which continues un
abated and grows more noxious with every ses-
sion.
In the Autumn of 1888 Jackson removed
Duane because Duane would not remove the
deposits" from the United States Bank; and he
appointed fancy in his place because he would.
This was the boldest act ever ventured upon
even by Jackson. The Secretary who did his
bidding was, two years afterward, rewarded
with the ermine so long worn by the illustrious
Marshall
The "Bank War" now ragged furiously on all
sides, the Senate Chamber being the principal
field of combat. Calhoun had descended to the
floor, and Van Buren presided in bis place
The union of Clay, Calhoun and Webster, was
likened to the conspiracy of Cesar, Pompey
and Crassus. They were called the "Triumvi-
rate" Clay offered his famous resolutions de-
nouncing the removal ofth deposits. The de-
bate was of surprising interest. Infammatory
public meetings, held even on Sunday, there
being 'sno Sabbaths in revolutionary times
long rolls of memorials-the visit of numerous
committees to Washington-thc fulminations Of
the Press-the resolutions of State Legisla-
lures, stimulated the Senatorial combatants.-
Clay's proud crest lowered high over the field,
like the plume Of Henry of Navarro at the bat
tie of Ivry. As usual. he was imperious and
brilliant, while Webster was srgumentative
and majestic, Benton learned and dogmatic,
Wright logical and digni6ed, Woodbury. statis-
teal and respectful. But Calhoun, stung by
Jackson's preference for Var Buren, and driv-
en- to the opposition by his Proclamation,
hissed out through compressed lips his seathing
anathemas of the President and his protege.-
After three months debate the resolutions were
adopted, Then followed the celebrated 'Pro-
test of Jackson against the Senatorial proceed
iugs No sooner was the paper laid on the
Secretary's desk, than "0ld Poins," las the gal
leries used to call Poindexter,) made motion
that it be not received. The debate now broke
forth afresh; and, after raging with rare viru
lence three weeks, resolutions strongly con-
demning the Protest were adopted. 1t Is Web
ster's speech against the Protest that contains
the graphic figure where he speaks -four reyo-
lutionary fathers contending against "a power
which had dotted over the surface of the whole
globe with her possessions and military posts,
whose morning drum-beat, following the sun,
and keeping company with the hours, circles
the earth with one continuous and unbroken
strain of the marshal airs of England" !"
During these turbulent months, the Hero OF
the Hermitage coursed up and down the White
House. roaring and chafinp like caged lion: