Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1865-09-01

by denying the right of petition, by torc'
ing the country into war for the annexa-
ton of Texas, (Which we could have got
without a war by waiting little,) by
bullying England about her opposition
to slavery, by repeated attempts to force
slavery into free territories, by opposing
the admission of California because she
excluded slavery, by the insufferable
haughtiness of his manner and the ar
rogance Of his pretensions, he kept our
few Northern abolitonists supplied with
abundant material for agitation. Then,
turning to the South, he would point TO
that very agitation, which he himself had
excited, as proof that the North was in
imical to the South, and would be soon
ready for an armed attempt to emanci-
pate the slaves. Along with this, he was
always harping upon bis peculiar notion
of State rights, State sovereignty, and
the right of a State to veto an act Of Con-
gress.
His ceaseIess efforts had, at length,
three great results. One was, the for
nation at the North of the Republican
Party. Another was, the conversion Of
the great majority of the younger men of
the South to bis way Of thinking. An
other was, the complete alienation ofthe
Southern people from the Northern in
feeling. He caused them to hate US, and
made them believe that we hated them.
To what an exteut all this was the work
of one man, Calhoun, can only be known
by those who will study minutely the
history Of the last fifteen years of his life.
jefferson Davis was one of his victims.
He imbibed his doctrines; he caught his
spirit; be continued his work; and he
has now rendered himself liable to the
penalty which General Jackson, TO his
last day, regretted he had not inflicted up
on the author Of all this transcendent
mischief
When the intrigues Of Calhoun had
forced the issue upon the country Of an~
nexation or no annexation, jefferson
Davis took the stump for James K Polk,
the candidate committed to annexation,
who was elected The same political
tide bore him to a seat in the House Of
Representatives. At the beginning of
the war with Mexico he resigned his seat,
to take command of a regiment of Mis-
sissippi volunteers. 1t has never been
questioned that he served his country
faithfully during the war. AT the battle
of Buena Vista he behaved with conspc-
uou5 gallantry, maintaining his ground
against superior force for long time,
and, though severely wounded, remaining
on the field till the day was won.
The Senate Of the United States was
the next scene Of his public labors from
which he was transferred by Franklin
Pierce to the post of Secretary of War,
where he did much to prepare the gov
ernment for the late contest. 1t was be
who revised the army regulations, intro>
duced the camel, armed some regiments
with the rife, introduced the Minnie ball.
caused four new regiments TO be added
TO the army, s:regthened our sea-coast
defences and the frontier posts, sent out
exploring parties to the South West, and
had the route of the Pacific Railroad sur
yeyed. He displayed considerable exe>
cutive ability and some very bad temper.
In his quarrel with General Winfield
Scott, bis conduct and his language were
exceedingly violent and, indeed out
rageous. Upon the whole, however, be
was a good AMI efficient Secretary OF
War. He was almost the only man who
has ever held that post who had seen SER
vice in the field, aud knew from expert
ence what the soldier wants.
Returning to the Senate in 1857, he
became the leader of Southern party
He was a small Calhoun. Many of US
remember how arrogantly he demeaned
himself in that body during the last few
years of his service though, like Cal
boun, be professed kind Of attachment
to the Union, and when he visited the
North he was full of expressions of re-
gard for the people of New England, and
expatiated upon the valne of the Union.
Nevertheless, be maintained in the Sen.
ate that his first allegiance was due to the
State he represented, and that in case of
collision between Mississippi and the
United States he was bound to stand by
Mississippi.
1t appears that be was not one of the
original conspirators to destroy his coun-
try. He seems rather to have held back
the hot-heads at the last moment than
urged them on. In retiring from t h e
Senate, in January, 1861, he said: