The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1879-03-12

communication, that there never was auv set
tied doctrine on the question in either party
ana Certainly there can be none In the modern
| democrats of the South composed a. il L. in
discriminatory of old Wings, old Democrats
and those who were neither. / must confess
my surprise at your claim Of Webster and
calhoun on your side Of the question II il
can be shown that Mr.. Webster ever penned q
line or uttered a word to give countenance to
| such an idea 1 shall be greatly astonished.
! 1t Is opposed TO the whole current Of his polit-
zeal lie As for Mr. Calhoun / had supposed
that no fact In our political history was bet
| ter known than that he, in common with the
entire Democracy OF South Carolina, always
| denied the existence of any such doctrine In
| the very speech from which you quote he I'M
mIstakably indicates his views and declares
ms concurrence in the principles of Edmund
Burke.s great speech TO the electors of Bristol,
the ablest argument against the right even OF
popular instructions that ever was uttered
Mr.. Calhoun says that the Constitution of the
United States is his instructions and he i'm
pliedly declares that they will obey no
other-2 Calhoun Works 1859.
You have given some instances of Senatori-
al obedience. Let me give some on the other
side.
Two years ago, Senator Eaton of Connecti-
cut, the sternest Democrat in New England
was instructed by the Legislature of his State
TO vote for the Electoral Commission bill. He
publicly announced his intention to disobey
Was he wrong? The resolutions we're repealed
and he alone of all the Democratic Senators
voted against the bill.
In 1919, Lewis Cass was instructed to vote
for the Wilmot Proviso. He refused to obey.
He extolled to the skies by the Democrats
OF the South, and three years afterwards was
the favorite candidate of many of them for the
Presidential nomination at Baltimore. Again
in 1854, Senator Cass instructed to vote
against the Kansas Nebraska bill He refused
to obey. He was requested to resign. He
contemptuously and detiantly refused to do so
Afterwards he was, with the entire approval
of the Democracy throughout the Union, APP
pointed Secretary OF State by President
Buchanan.
In 1919, Thos H. Benton, Democrat, was
instructed to vote against the Wilmot Proviso.
He refused to obey and voted for it.
In 1850, Senators Geo. +. Pugh of Ohio,
and Jones of Iowa, both Democrats, were in
structed to vote for the exclusion of slavery
from the territories. They both refused to
obey and were greatly lauded by the Southern
Democracy Tor doing so.
In 1912, Henry Clay instructed by the
Legislature Of Kentucky to vote for the repeal
Of the Bankrupt law lie refused to obey.
claim all OF the illustrious trio, Clay Calhoun
and Webster being my side.
In 1858, John Bell was instructed by the
Legislature of Tennessee to vote for the adj
mission Of Kansas under the Lecomton Con-
stitution, and refused to obey.
In 1884, w. p. Mangum was instructed by
the Legislature of North Carolina as TO how to
vote some question of currency. He re-
fused to obey.
If / had the time and the books, / believe
that these examples might be greatly multi
piled. Enough have been given to demonstrate
what l asserted that there is no settled rule on
the subject and that upon this, upon all
other Subjects each Senator must obey the
dictates Of his conscientious convictions and
is responsible alone to God and his constituents.
No intermediate agents, no legislative assem-
bly, can stand between the master and the
servant A. BIC.