Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-01-11
MORNING LEADER.
of the Old senate Chamber
+ 1COaelu1ed.1 I


severe phillipics against 1t. Webster read a
solemn protest against it. Other Senators pro.
tracted the heated discussion far into the nig ght.
The lobbies, galleries, and floor were crowded
with excited spectators. The question was put
the resolution was adopted. The manuscript
journal OF the Senate was produced. The Sec
retary proceeded to draw black lines around the
obnoxious resolutions of Clay. A storm of
Kisses, grOans, and execrations burst forth from
the galleries. Benton, shouting ike bedlam-
lite, demanded that the Bank ruffians" be
brought to the bar. Order was finally restored
The Secretary finished the work by writing the
word "Expunged" across the resolutions
And there it stands to this day, a memento of
the fanaticism of party and the persistency of
Benton. The world knows the sequel Jack
son triumphed over the Bank, for the people
on that question went with him.
This renowned Bank War" is still familiar
to the general recollection So deeply craven
on the public memory are its chief incidents,
that they seem as fresh as the events of yester-
day. The chamber that witnessed them wears
the same unique air that it wore when the as
sault upon the Executive, led by the naughty
Clay, was resisted BY the indomitable Benton
Greek meeting Greek in the arena. As the eye
falls on the ia nilar scene of the combat, with
ASS pGAis~up NdiiS1 4tS ul-us LdAAOW uOlA4Cy lbS
slender, circular gallery, its curiouslv Yariega-
ted pillars, one fancies he hears the sonorous
eloquence of the great Kentuckian, resounding
through the Chamber and reveTberating along
The passages leading to the forum; while the
vigorous logic and defiant tones of the bold
Missourian seem 10 smite upon the ear. The
field where the opposition forces were marshall
ed, and the attack made and repulsed-the very
spots where the leaders in the struggle stood
the seats on which they rested in the pauses Of
the fght-all these remain unchanged. But
the chief combatantsi Where are they? Clay,
Benton, Calhoun, Webster, Clayton, Grundy,
Wright, Woodbury., Forsyth, Southland, Holmes!
Gone mot from the Senate only but from
earth. And Jackson and Biddle, whose names
were rallying cries for hostile parties, wrangling
like Shylock and Antonio over ''the rates of
usancen-where are they nowl
In his Annual Message of 1885, the President
charged the Abolitionists with circulating pub
locations Calculated to stimulate the slaves to
insurrection, and produce all the horrors of
servile "war" a bill TO arrest the passage
through the mails of newspapers, letters, and
pictorials hostile to slavery was introduced by
Calhoun, and after debate ordered to third
reading by the casting vote of Van Buren. On
its final passage Buchanan, Tallmadge and
Wight voted for it; Clay, Crittenden, and Ben
ton against it. This attempt to legalize mail
robbery failed Signal retribution eventually
overlook the four Northern men who sustained
it. Tallmadge was discarded by his party
within two years; the Slave Power spurned
Van Buren in 1874, and decaPitated Wright in
1876 and Buchanan has been spared to wit
ness the Pennsylvania and Illinois elections of
1858.
A fierce financial struggle, not unlike the
=" Bank war;" convulsed the first session of Con
gress under Mr.. Van Buren's administration.
In this contest over the Independent Treasury,
the Senate was the principal scene of conflict,
and the leading combatantS were mainly the
same, as in the " Bank war" Sprague, Wood
bury. CLAYTON, Frelinghuysen .~EqEsE1h and
William Allen, R. II. Bayard, and o. II. Smith,
had entered. Calhoun had kissed hands with
his rival, and Tallmadge sat with the opPosl-
ton. In this debate-pTotracted into the regu-
lar session-Clay and Webster vigorously at
tackled Calhoun, charging him with desertlng
his allies. Calhoun admitted that he had ceased
to act with the Wings, but Tepelled with keen
severity the charge that he had either changed
his opinions or deserted his principles. The
INDEPENDENT Treasury, borne through four ses-
sions on the broad shoulders of Silas Wright,
finally became law in June, 1910. As to the
other proceedings of the Senate during Mr..
Van Buren's Administration, are they not
chronicled in the q" Thirty Years View" with
copious illustrations from the speeches OF the
author
Gen. Harrison summoned an extra session OF
Congress to give peace to the country. The
kindly old man had not learned that the great
est of all disturbers of the public peace is Con
gress itself When it met, Harrison was in his
grave, and Tyler sat in the White House
Webster, Preston, Davis and Grundy had re-
tired from the Senate; Woodbury., Msngum and
Berrien had re-entered it; and the most distin-
guished new members were Evans, Choate
Archer and Simmons
CIay led off with a series Of Old-fashioned
| Wing measures, including National Bank
The Bank bill passed. The Senate galleries
applauded The President vetoed it. The
reading Of the veto was hissed by the Senate
galleries A scene ensued, in the center o.
which figured Benton, shouting for the arrest Of
the Bank rufians." Clay was imPeriOus.-
TYLER was implacable. The Cabinet dissolved
Congress adjourned The country was in tur
moil The Wings quarreled with the President
all through his administration, and were only
able to coax out of him one genuine Wing
measure-the Tariff of ls42
Toward the close of his term, Tyler made
Calhoun Secretary of State, in order that hC
might annex Texas to the Union. He cOncu
ded treaty Of annexation in 1874 It's ratif
cation was resisted by the Senate. BentOr
spoke three days against it, and killed it stone
dead, Sir; yes, Sir, stone dead, Sir Neal
the heel of the next session, joint resolutions
of annexation were carried through both Houses
after gallant resistance. The fraudulent
scheme was consummated on the last day o.
Tyler's administration, by juggling collusior
between him and Polk worthy Of couple Of
Sixth Ward politicians. Thus this measure
full of calamities as Pandoras box, was opened
and closed-another settlement of the Slave
~ question, just quarter of century after the
first.
In the earlier wears Of Folks Administration
great changes occurred in the membership oi
the Senate. Crittenden-second only to Clay
in the predatory strife of eItemporaneous de
bate-flled his chair. Buchanan and Walker
took seats in the Cabinet Wright was called
to the GubernatoriaI chair of New York
Woodbury. ascended the bench made vacant by
the death of the learned Story Choate return
ed to the profession he loved so well, there to
scatter rhetorical Jewels with prOdigal hand
TaIlmadge, Rives, Archer, Mangum, McDuffie,
Berrien, King and Linn, also retired from the
Chamber where they had so often displayed
their stores of learning and eloquence. But
the great void thus created was filed during
Folks term, partly by the return Of Webster,
Calhoun and Clayton to the field of their great
est achievements; and partly by the entrance
into the Chamber of several new members,
some of whom have since occupied large space
in the public eye. We give in this connection
the names of Cass, Dickinson, Corwin, Douglas,
Dix, Hale, Reverdy johnson, JEFF. Davis, H.
s. Foote, Hunter, Rusk, Houston, Cameron,
Hamlin, Mason, Bell, Badger, Butler, Bright
and Atchison .--
We mention the debates in the Senate on the
Mexican War only to note the bold, brilliant
NJ al zraacb of NJ 6yor-