Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-01-26
@ailg 8utelliqrutFr.
sREnGn OF Tmn !
HON. EMERSON ETHRRIDGE.

-. tSREECE1tO OF TE1E
HON. EMERSON EFHBRIDGE.
tAmsFiean Member of Congress from the State Of Ten
nessee delivered in the House Of Representatives,
on Wednesday last. sTrss
.tlolalityl and PRtRIOtilml OF the RE-
RublteRn Party--He Compares their.
EElnelpIeS with the Misrepresenta.
t1ons Of their Opponents. 80 -5+--
Nt. ETHERID6E said that in contest
like this which nOwfngitates the country.
he must not be found taking sides aguinst
his country. But, unfortunately for all, It
mattered not now upon what side man
arrayed' himself, the crime Of treason WAS
sure to he charged against him. He
would declare, nevertheless, In advance,
that in whatever he might say hewould
avoid no responsibility of that sort. He
would speak openly and frankly; seeking
neither to avoid CcnEUre nor to elicit COM
mendation. lnwhateyerhe said he would
be guided, he hoped, by strict regard to
truth, and only inter such sentiments as
were sanctioned BY his own Judgment md
approved by his own heart: and so fur as.
he alluded to facts, would advance moth
ing but what was strengthened ny truth.
II ii jury of twelve honest men, sworn to
well and truly try the issues Joined be-
= w
longed to no political party, having no
motives so suhserve but the interests of
the country-if such a jury was found to
try the pending issues, he would submit
the whole case to them without one word
of argument, and he would have, lie felt
convinced, II prompt and unanimous vor-
dict on all the questions. But, untor-
tunately, they would not get lisiu-
tcrested jury in that house; and, more
unfortunately, the people themselves were
silly enough to trust their cause and
to appeal to the justice of this tri-
bnnal for the settlement of this question of
the graVest Importance to themselves and
to postcrity, hoping that they would give
repose to a distracted people. For the last
SIX weeks the eyes of every man, woman
and child in the country had been resting
| upouthIs body, in hopes that something
would be done. But if the people conld
only see them as they were-if they
could mark their deliberations as they had
been. aud what little hope there was of
redress at their hOnds-lhe knowledge
thus acquired would have at once been
used to arrest the tide of revolution, and
would have been successfully directed to
the salvation of the country. The inter-
ests OF thirty millions Of people were in
volved in this qnnrreI; and here they h1d
two hundred and thirly-six members, some
OF whom had reached their places on this
floor by accident, but amongst whom there
was not one who did not represent an
equal, if not a superior, body of states
men among his constituents, and yet they
were told, in this precipitate age, that
they could not or would not interfere to
stay this tide of revolution, and that,
therefore, there was no hope for this free
people. Had it come to this, that these
gentlemen whom he saw around him.
could not meet the question in q spirit of
patriotism2 n their Constituents could
see them before they had thrown of their
gowns of n morning, fresh from the inspir-
atious drawn from the perusAl of the New
York Herald and Tribune, aud see them
afterwards come into this hail, with II
siitEeuing of the backbone, ready to COM
promise nothing or concilinte nothing
could they be seen with all their hopes and
fears-could their constituents see them
then, they would scorn the hazard of
intrusting in such hands their glo-
rious and priceless treasures of liberty
and peace. They were told that they for
sooth, held the destinies of the country in
their hands. As well might three hum
dred hnckmen of New York city, in con-
vcntion assembled, say that they held the
destiniGs of the country in their hands,
They were sworn TO support the Constitu-
tton, and yet they were upheld with an
unusnl confidence or torn with ienlousies.
The fathers of the republic knew that men
were wicked aud corrupt, and that was
the reason they were swOrnto observe and
uphold the principles of the Constitution.
Even the Father Of his Country was COM
PEELED to swear to support the Constitution
which he had helped to raise, and tho
I TINT l,uH iOA a .
Constitution to make short the term of
office, was that people who elected men 10
rule over tbem might have au opportunity
OF removing them and electing better men
in their places. And it was said now, that
\ If they did not decide the issnes which
distracted the country, the country must
so to ruin, and public liberty would be
Ovcrthrown. he protested against such
nh idea. He demanded delay for tho men,
women and children of the country. In
their name he demanded an Adjournment
of this quarrel from Jealous aud maddeued
politicians. If they did not adjourn the
quarrel to the people, on that floor It could
never be settled, and they wonld be re-
spohsible for whatever evils might follow.
What right had they to assume that they;
alone conld settle the question of peace !?
Not that alone, but the question in
volving the existencesof the government.
They had not the right TO assume it :. aud
he had here dunouuced in his place that
if the two houses of Congress should fail
to come to "a proper settlement of The
question, before be should see them over
turn the temple Of liberty, and crush out
| the last hopes of tue people, and burying
them beneath tue ruins, be would move an
Adjournment of the quarrel from them to
the people of the country., But be would
address them on the assumption that they
were an honest jury, aud that they would
look ou the question with the eye of rea-
son, and deal with it by the right of au-
thOrity, Revolution vas threatening to
subvert the institutions of the couutry-a
revolution most unauthorized, the most
unjustifiiabls and unpardOnable the world
ever looked upon-a revolution Of the
most fearful conseuuencas to the yvb,,Ia