Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-10-24

he whig side of the great question then
pending namely, the admission of Texas, the
Mexican war, and the Oregon boundary quss-
ton.
On the oh of February, 1916, he made an
elaborate speech on the latter topic, charac
.erized by logical clearness of statement and
conclusion, and by high rhetorical taste. In
the course of it he eloQuenty vlndicated the
people of Vermont from the aspersions of Mr..
Chipmsn of Michigan, who WAS himself Ver-
monter by birth, and admiaiss cred the follow
ing castigation to his opponent " trust, Mr.
Chairman, that | have an ample apology for
this digression, in abiding to my native State,
and briefly vindicating the character of her
people, in the attempt which was made some
days ago to cast a. sneer-an aspersiOn-upon
her by one Of her own sons upon this floor. |
have only to say IN reply to that attempt, that
he who has the taste and he heart TO illegiti-
mizs his own birth, so far IS TO repudiate his
parentage, cOmmends himself less to the re
buke than to the commiseration of his frie nds
and while | trust that Vermont has but one
son who would make it virtue publicly to
avow it misfortune to him, that he was born
upon her soil, am quite sure she has but one
who could utter the unnatural sentiment
without mortihca :ion or reproach 10 her."
On the l6.h of July, 1896 in addressing the
House on the Mexican war, replying to the al
guments of the friends of the President, that
Congress ought not to bring into judgment the
acts of the Executive, he defended the consti-
tutionalr lights OF the representatives of the peo
pie in this fine specimen of genuine, earnest
American eloquence
=" have" be sa d, )" no sympathy with the
sen ntiment which has been uttered on this floor,
that ought not to condemn the acts of the
administration relative to the war, for the
son assigned by It's defenders that its tendency
will be 10 paralyze the arm of the executive
government Sir, | repudiate and reject this
vile and infamous sentiment, as an atte npt to
revive here the anui-republican and odious doc
trine of monarchists that the king can do no
arong.' If the President of the United States
shall transcend his constitutional suthority,
and causelessly involve his country in the c.
iamiIy of war, are we 10 be told that no voice
Of warning or rebuke is to be heard ? When
the great high priest of our political church
shall be rushing to the temple of liberty with
blazing torch in his hand 10 fire its sacred al
tars, are to oe told that no arms must be
raised 10 stay the Impending dcsecration &c
with such doctrines these, to the crawling
and crpgng seTts OF the rotten and crumblng
despotisms of the Old World. Tney are unts
to be uttered in the legislative halls of free
Republic. They unfit to be addressed TO
American, Gaining the right, and e1ercis-
ing Tue priNlcScs, huU IN the Dear
ing and dgnity o: American freeman.
Aud again on the 10th of February, 1S47,
speaking OF an lntImatlOu in a message of
former Tennessee President, MIR. Polk, that
those members of Congress VINO censured the
conduct of the Executive in carrying on the
war were guilty of Constructive treason, be
said, "Where does he find authority or prece-
den for sending into these legislative halls
bulletin of denunclailon against any portion of
the American people or tnsir representatives.
who may have formed and expressed opinions
not IN conformity with such as be processes
to entertain.h
"Wnen the chief magistrate Of this Repub-
lie shall become so far unmindful of the dgn-
~ and prop leties OF his station to assume
the character OF volunteer aecuser of his tel
low citizens for no other cause than
that they have the in; diligence to form, and
the independence to speak their opinions
how shall the audacious insult be met
Shall it be received with silent, trembling SUD-
mission Snail 1t be received with acQuIesence,
or even :" ito gracious words OF remoustrsncs
Or shall it not rather be met with that prompt
and bold reouke, With that scornful defiance
which alone becomes The action and the char
acter of free born men -
These sentiments are not without their ap-
pllcation TO affairs at the present day, when
the constitutional rights and even the regular
existence of Congress are assailed and ques-
toned by the party who then, as now,
upheld executive usurpatlOn, and whose pres
ent head and leader was then member OF
Congress from Tennessee, and voting in opposi
ton to Mr. Foot.
Thus history renews itself" swinging around
the circle " OF events, but leaving still, We
sure. the spirit of the constitution, the spirit of
universal justice. security, and civil and poiti-
cal equality, wi.h the people.
Time does not permit me here to review the
history OF those mOmentous events. Iae dig
orders OF the present period are their logical
con sequents, and teach US now 10 90 TO ths
bottom OF the evil before "e fancy that cure
is effected.
la these congresses the oontemporarie. of
MIR. Foot were Ham.ln, Winthrop, Adams,
Hale, King, WISE, Rhett, Stephens, Garrett,
Davis, Ninton, G.ddings, Douglas, Jacob
thompson, Toombs, ana Andrew Johnson Of
Tennessee.
Among such associates and rivals, he &C ed
with honor to himself and to his State, and
all hough not endowed with all the qualities Of
| great leader he had none oi the vices which
too often dlsfgure the characters of such men.
Always courte Gus, patient and industrious, he
| far excelled IN usefulness and solid merit,
many who bore parts more conspicuous and
| commanding
| He declined an election to the 80 h Con-
! gress, and resumed the practice of his profess
sion at Rutland. In the same year ne wa.
again member of the legislature, and was
again the Speaker of the House, bringing 20
tie discharge OF the delicate and onerous du-
ties of that important station, the same pre-.
eminent qualities that afterwards distinguished
HIM president pro tenn of the Senate of the
| United States.
From that time un Ill he was elected a sena-
tor in Congress in the fall of 1850, be success
fully pursued the practice of the law, strength
ening his hold upon the good will of the people
by tue diligence and integrity of his profes-
sional career, and by the purity of his private
| life.
He took hi. seat as a senator from Vermont
in the 32d Congress, IN December, 1851 bis
colleague being, then, tie late Hon. MIR U D.
ham while on the roll of the Senate were the
now famous names of Clay, Douglas, Cass
, Houston, Sumner, Wade, and Seward, and
another name not famous, J. Davis of Missis-
sipp During this session OF Congress L find
no record of his entering into debate, but he
| appears to have served industrousiy on the
Committee on Pensions and with his constant
fidelity to principle, and faithfulness to the SEN
tments of his constituents, on the 29th o
March, 1852, he voted with the small band o
disciples OF liberty and progress, Dodge oi
Wisconsin, Hale. Seward, Sumner, and Wade
against the ntolerant and tyranncal democrat.
io majority, which determined to lay upon the
table without reference or debate, a respectful
petition of American citizens, praying tina,
some measure might be inaugurated looking II
the extinction of slavery.
During the second session of tha! Congress,
he served on the Committee on Post Offices
and Post Roads, and also on that on Revolu
tionary Claims.