The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1875-03-25

speeches D! the DtStlnS ui>Heu OuestS,
I and Others---Patriotic Sentiments ofthe
/ Southern Congressman, etc.
United States Senator, j. b. Gordon,
of Georgia, and Congressman l.. q. G..
+ Lamar, of Mississippi, arrived in this
city yesterday. Both these gentlemen
have been in New Hampshire addressing
the people of that State on the political
issues of the day, and are now on their
way to Washington. BY invitation OF
members of the Marshtield Club they
were induced to remain in Boston for a
few hours, and accept the Inequalities of
| the Club, at the Somerset Club House,
on Beacon street. The invitation
was accepted, with the understand
ing that the gathering should be private
and informal, as both the honorable gen
/ tlemen were worn out with the labors in
| cident to the closing days Of the last Con
gress, and their subsequent efforts upo;.
the stump in the Granite State.
President Harvey rose and gave the
usual toast, which is always remembered
when members of the Marsbfield Club
meet: The Memory Of Daniel Webster,
the Defender and Expounder of the Con
stitdtion." Mr.. Harvey then briefly adj
dressed the guests, stating that the
Marshfeld Club was organized and sus-
| tanned by men who were disciples of
Webster and believed in the doctrines he
taught. Mr.. Harvey gave some pleas
ing and interesting "reminiscences of the
great statesman and closed by proposing
the health of their distinguished guest,
General Gordon, of the Empire State OF
the South. Senator Gordon was receiv-
ed with prolonged and hearty applause,
and, although so hoarse as hardly to be
able to speak aloud when he first rose, he
soon forgot his temporary illness in his
earnest enthusiasm, and for a half-hour
held all present spell bound by his elo-
quent and impressive statement of the
condition and feelings of the people of
his State.
The slavery question was only an Incl
dental that aggravated these differences
of opinion. And when the war ended the
people of the South recognized that the
triumphs were with the North, and that
the sacrifices were for them. Slavery and
all its connections were expunged forever.
The amendments TO the Constitution
cepted as final And now they ask that
they be allowed to share with the North
in liberty and union. The at empt to
spread throughout the North the idea
that there is any other sentiment
held by the masses of the South, is the
work of those who wish to foment strife
and prevent the coming of a reign of peace
and harmony between the States. Mr..
Lamar here stated, with an emphasis
that proved that he weighed words well,
that if the Northern States would now
propose a separation, the South would
not and could not accept. There were
now no men of influence in the South who
desired a Southern Confederacy. The
duty of the North was to unite with the
South in demanding that the General
Government keep within its constitutional
restrictions. Mr.. Lamar quoted the au-
thority of Republicans TO show that the
Executive had usurped the authority
vested in it, and showed that some OF the
governments established over Southern
States would have fallen long ago, had
they not been upheld by the power Of the
Federal Government. All the people of
the South ask is that they may have the
full benefit of the liberty guaranteed them
by the Constitution, aud that all its pro
visions be kept sacred. They desire that
this great Republic be preserved intact,
omnipotent for protect on, and pOwerless
for oppression The eloquent Congress
man was frequently interrupted during
his remarks ~ enthusiastic applause
Hon. Henry w. Paine, Ex-Governor
Gardner and Hon. Leverett Saltonsiall
spoke briefly in response to the sentiments
of their distinguished guests, and the pleas
ant gathering was broken up by the arri
val of the hour when Messrs. Gordon and
Lamar were to leave for New York.
The President then proposed the health
of Representative
LAMAR, OF MISSISSIPPI,
and that gentleman responded by speak
ing for half-hour in a strain Of earnest
and eloquent appeal for the wronged and
suffering South. He was glad to be the
guest Of men who aimed to follow the pre-
cepts taught by the immortal Webster.
In his boyhood he had imbibed the doe
trines ofJohn c.. Calhoun, but now that
the war had settled the issues upon which
Webster ard Calhoun most disagreed, he
could see that on all points bearing upon the
questions that agitate the country to-day,
the views of Webster and Calhoun were
substantially the same Each in his day
was considered the defender and ex-
FOUNDER ofthe Constitution. They were
both binding up the same sheaves III the
great field where the seeds of liberty had
been sown They both held to the SUI
premacy of the law and the Constitution
They simply differed rs to its interpreta-
ton. Were they alive now they would
stand hand in hand and shoulder to
shoulder in opposition to the usurpations
and violations Of the constitutional rights
of States that had been practiced during
the later years. All the teachings of
both these men were opposed to the idea
of Executive interferences with the do
mestic concerns Of TIE States. They
were opposed to every thing that bore a
semblance of absolutism in government.
They did not believe that the Constitu-
ton was a thing that could lightly be set
aside. Mr.. Lamar gave a number of in
cidents in the lives of the two great
statesmen, which proved how entirely
they were In accord on these points. IF
they had been living in 1860 they could
have settled the difficulties that provoked
the late war in a single hour had the
questions at issue been submitted to them.
There was no real difference in regard 10
the form Of government The people Of
the North and South were agreed on that
point 1t was a war for the vindication
of the Interpretation Of the Constitution
to which each side adhered, as represent
ed by Webster and Calhoun.