Daily national Democrat., 1859-02-04
sPEECH OF HON. E. d. WHEELER.
DELIVERED IN THE SENATE CHAMDFR FER. 1sr.

Senator from StanlsaUs. 1t is, sir within the
last hour that have made up my mind to speak
at all upon the subject | had concluded to be
silent listener to the remarks of others. | have
Maid the strespectful attention I have listen
ed with all of that respect that the studied and
nremeditated argument Of the honorable Senator
from Stanisiaus (Hulden) ALWAYS commands from
his colleagues on this HOOr. And whilst have
listened with the greatest care in hopes that some
argument IN ght be adduced to strengthen the re-
soiutions now before the house. am sorry to saw
that, in my humble opinion, in my perhaps weak
and uncu utivated Judgment, have failed to per-
ceve single reason going to show that these res
olutiorrs should be adopted by this body. Mr.
President, would not have eucroached upon the
time ofths Senate one moment it not that
believed that these resolutions not only involved
men, but that they involved grjacipkes dear to
every Democratic heart-to every patriot and cit.
zen. The resolutions, as | understand them, pro
nose to censure Mr.. Broderick-the Hon, David
C. Broderck, United States Senator from the State
of California 1t has been my peculiar fortune
Mr. President, for years past 10 be what is STYLED
an "Auti- Br0derick Democrat" | was not favor.
able to Mr.. Brodericks election, | have been
member of that wing of the Democracy that has
warred against BrOderick. and therefore, have
no personal preference for the man. But when
see a false principle assumed upon this floor,
deem it my duty as a Senator, and my privilege
as o citizen, to speak my mind upon that princ
ple fairly and squarely. l believe, sir that the
resolution is wrong in principle. | believe that
the political doctrine asserted there is political
heresy, and that there is no truth in it. While
have been both amused and entertained with the
reading of a preamble of some Virginia resou
tions passed half u century ago, | nave also been
amused and entertained at the reading (at the
Secretary's desk) Of accounts Of the members of
the House Of Commons of Great Britain being in
structed by their constituents In answer tO the
first, say that the views Of men-the views of
political rights, and the views Of constitutional
.,I.,
ciples are introduced into the Government As
new theories Of Government are started men
change their views to the propriety of this or
that measure. | ask the honorable Senator from
Stanisaus, is this not so? 1t was but few We MS
npo that the United States Bank was declared to
be constitutional measure; it was indOrsed by
the Supreme Court of the United States, and BY
Democratic Presidents, the most illustrous of the
whole list of Presidents who have ever presided
over the Government of the United States. But
that view of it has now become entirely changed.
1t has been repudiated by the Democratic masses
"The hero and patriot Of the Hermitage" placed
his foot upon it and denounced it--and il has,
since that time, become cardinal feature in De-
mOcratic principles, that the Bank of the United
States was both impolitic an unconstitutional
But are there other instances of change OfOpin-
ion? | will cite the gentleman (Mr. HOlden) to
one that have no doubt he is perfectly familiar
with. 1t is only few years ago that James Bu
chanan, the great prototype and leader of the De-
mocracy-the great expounder of Lecompt0nlsm
it was but few years ago that he hugged to
his bosom, with an undying and convulsive hug,
the 'Missourl Compromise" He actually wOr-
shipped at the shrine of the Missouri Compromise.
He said, II am inclined to stick to it, to-day. with
greater tenaclty than ever" Yes, sir-James
Buchanan then was in favor oft upon principle, |
and he held, virtually, that if territory north OF
&c deg 80 min. was settled by an entire slave
population, each man with his slaves, that it was
contrary to law for that was the doctrine of the
Missouri Compromise, that slavery should not ex-
ist north of SO deg. so min. And James Bucha-
enan-this embodiment of Lecompton PERFECTION
swure by that doctrine. He stuck by it through
thick and thin. He loved it-he proclaimed it
he glored in principle that but few months
since, was declared by the Supreme Court of the
United States to be unconstitutional! So much
about the right to change views on this question,
'even1fitwas the view of the Virginia Legislature
thalf century ago. Yes, sir, Mr.. Buchanan loved
the IN ssouri Compromise" unconstitutional as
it was, and as every national man now admits it
to have been. But, sir, who is the man that
struck the first blow at its unc0nstitutionality
Who is the man that knocked off the shackles of
restriction and permitted slavery to go where the
voice of the people should declare it might go?
1t was Stephen A. Douglas, the intr0ducer OF the
Kansas-N ebraska, Bill Of 1854. And, sir, it is for
standlug-by his side in the late Lecompton strug
gle that to-day we are called upon to censure Dd-
yid C. BrOderck. That Is the crime for which
s1J "
the bar Of this Senate; that he stood by the side
of Stephen A. Douglas; that he stood up in the
United States Senate and voted cOnscientOusly
upon thatqueston. He was unawed by Federal
power; he was unawed by the patronage of the
Federal power he was unawed by its taunts
and he stood there with the eye of an eagle and
the nerve of a lion, aud denounced the Lecompton
Constitution ,Es an Infamous swndle. Sensation
Ave and denounced it with whom? Who was
the man that stood side by side with David c.
Broderick in that denunciatiOn? 1t was Stephen
A. Dou Ilas, a man to-day who Commands the
warm throb of more hearts in the American
Union than any other living being Stephen A.
Douglas was the man that he stOud by, and yet,
to-day, upOnthe antquated principles of some
Virginia Convention, we are to denounce him
MIR. President, am astOnished at the lntrOducer
oi these resolutions. was ast0nished on account
OF the tact-the supposed fact.-that | understood
the politicians of California were tired of hound
ing on the track Of Mr.. Brnderick. do not know
anything about the personal relations Of the Seu-
ator from Stanisaus with Air. Br0derick. Neither
do care. But Mr.. President, il is a notorious
fact that David G. Broderick since his residence
In California, has been the object of the most bit
ter, unrelenting hateful and wicked persecution
of any man that has ever stepped foot upon
these shores When he came here, he was appa-
rently obscure. He dared to aspire to II seat in
the United States Senate! For that piece of dar.
ing he was assailed from every quartz, of the
State. 1t was considered in some quarters, to be
the very hight Of political virtue to oppose I'D I've
Broderick, as he was called, or "King David, US
he has beeu very facetiously termed to-day upon
this HOur. Well, sir, the stranger to our politics
asks what has this David G.. Broderick done p
What has this evil animal that you call "B oder
ick" been guilty Of? Is he drunkark? Oh no
he is temperate man. Is he gambler? No.
sir; believe he is a moral man. so far as that is
concerned. Well, is he lOafer? No he is a
man of good habits-a business man-an indus.
triOus man. Well the man stops; seems puZ-
zled and, at length, asks, Well, what is the crime
against Broderick? Why, he is New Yorker
He was fireman-and be was poor! l am sor-
ry for the sake Of California, that am obliged to
reterate upon this floor the arguments that have
been used against BrOderick that he used tn be
a fireman that he was born poor, or, IN the hack
neyed terms 0fbiognphical writer's, che was born
OF poor, but honest parents believe he has
pleaded guilty to that impeachment. believe he
has never denied that his origin was humble
thatihe was born in p0verty-that wealth. with
all its gildngs; with all its allurements with all
Its opportunities and advantages, were denied
him. lie admits that the doors of the UNIVERSE
ties of learning the colleges and the noble insttu
tions that were probably open to the honorable
Senator from Stanslaus Mr. Holdenl, who has
introduced these resolutions, were shut in his
face. His was life of sorrow. He was child
ofindgence of poverty and N suffering. But
sir, ask is this d reason WHY the learned and the
ChivarOus and the wealthy Of California should
make this incessant war upon hun Is thls
reason for it? Why, would remind the h0nora
BILE Senator that many Of the greatest men of
whom history has given any account sprung
from humble origin. would remind him that
Shakespeare, the man who has enriched the ;tera
ry world more than any other man, was the son
of poor butcher. Oliver Cromwell the greatest
man ia England in the days of the Common
wealth, was the son OF miller; and Benjamin
e "A. ,af.0Id