The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1873-09-18
Crittenden's Compliments 60
-l rEl Allen.

The debate in the United States
Senate on the famous Oregon bound
ary question, led to personal rencon-
tire between the Hon. John J. Crit
tenden, of Kentucky, and the Hon.
William Allen, of Ohio. Mr.. Allen,
as Chairman of the committee on
Foreign Affairs, had introduced ares
olution providing that notice should
be given to the British Government
of our withdrawal from the Conven-
ton of 1927. Crittenden offered a
substitute more diplomatic in tone,
which was adopted by a vote of 80 to
"a, and the resolution, as amended,
was reported for its adoption or re-
lection. Wecontinue in the language
of the Cincinnati Times:
Mr. Allen was first upon the floor,
and opened against it's adoption in
his characteristic style of denuncia-
ton, of roaring voice and excited
gesticulation. He informed the Sen
ate that they had no business tender
ing advice to the President in refer
ence to the manner in which he shall
exercise the treaty-making power;
that its tone toward Great Britain
was humiliation to our people; and,
in conclusion, charged the Senate
with improperly opposing itself to
the will of the House of Representa-
tives, with shrinking from response
bility, and with faltering and beat
ing about the bush.
We regret that our space will not
enable us to give In full Mr. Critten-
den's whitening reply. We extract,
however, its leading portions, from
the Congressional Globe of that date:
Mr. Crittenden rose in reply, and
said he would not suffer imputations
such as those the gentleman had
made against the action and eharae-
ter of the Senate, to pass altogether
without notice. What, asked Mr.. c.,
is his commission? and whence is it
derived? and who authorizes him to
assume here the air and tone of pre-
eminence which so strongly marks
his air when addressing the Senate?
''On what meat does this, our Caesar,
feed" that he is to rise here and lee
ture US for decisions to which We
have deemed it our duty to come?
Where did he come from? Is it the
little petty Office of Chairman of the
committee of Foreign Relations which
warrants him, in his own opinion, to
put on the airs of authority? to as
sumo this performance? and to
lecture US as to our official duty as he
has now done? The Senate has
just adopted a resolution proposed to
it by the Senator from Maryland,
when the gentleman from Ohio gets
up and says in his place that the
Senate has huniliated itself; that it
has adopted a miserable, feeble, fall
tering, contracted, and (as he aoOltId
have said) abject and slayish resOlu-
ton. Let me tell him that he does not
know this body, nor how to estimate
the material of which it is composed.
And let me add, that there is anOth-
Ell and more difficult lesson which, l
fear, the Senator has yet to learn, aud
that is to know himself
Does it belong to this body to
submit to the remarks, no matter
with what force or vehemence OF
gestlculation and loudness of tone
they may be delivered, which convey
injurious imputations on its official
course and public acts? If the force
of the gentleman's argument was to
be measured by the extent and vigor
of his manipulations, it might be
difficult to answer it. ], for one,
shall not stand here to be rebuked,
nor to hear this Senate schooled, or
called to account by any such author
ity. The gentleman undertakes to
make himself the advocate and de-
fender of the House of Represents
tives. Why, sir, what is the House
of Representatives of the United
States that it stands in need of such
an advocate? The gentleman's ad-
vocacy of one House of Congress is
equally an act of supererogation
(shall 1 say of assumptiOn?) with his
rebuke of the other.
Mr.. President, l have no pleasure
in this sort of animadversion-it
gives me no satisfaction whatever
but 1 cannot and will not sit here and
allow such language, and see such
airs of superiority and superciious
arrogance, without reply. We
have had quite enough of it, and to
spare, from the same quarter. The
gentleman seeks, by vehemence Of
gesticulation and volume of sound,
to give effect to what he is pleased to
say; and really, sir, in spite OF some
of his gestures, the gentleman is not
only offensive, but really alarming.
Notwithstanding some reasonable
measure of natural courage, gen.
tlemen not accustomed to arms, and
whose training has only been in bod
les of political character, might suf-
fer some personal apprehension. Sir,
the gentleman may get up a panic
here, and there is no telling what
may be the effect of panic. 1 have
heard of panics in armies producing
an effect the most terrible; 1 have
heard of stampedes, and other things
equally terrible; but here, sir, we have
been told that the resolution we have
adopted is miserable, paltry thing;
IL IL