Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-01-26

Congress TO take charge OF tne hppIoPtr
atoms made for the construction OF the
new Senate chamber and hall OF represen-
tatives, and Of those also to locate Inc
meet the Mississippi Valley with the Pac'ho
Coast. 80. NJ.
closed in 1851, and it had presented tne
only instance in our history OF Capinet
unchanged for four years in the indlyidnais
which composed It,. Mono have filed tne
Executive chair with moro fidelity 10 pup
lie interests than Franklin Pierce. ana VIZ rne
words with which his Secretary OK war
eulogized him were worthily spoken, by
one TO whom they were equally appnca.
BILE: "Chiyalrous, generous, amiahie, true
TO his friends and his faith, frank anu
bold in his opinions, he never deceived any
one. And if treachery had ever come near
him it would have stood abashed III .n9
presence OF his truth, has manlIneSs' ahu
his coniding simplicity"
FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE N PoLIT1cs--lN THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, IN lo4o.
In his first public appearance In 1913 MI
Davis had uttered the keysnote OF MS po-
litical faith by moving to instruct the ueie-
gates from Mississippi to vote for John y.
Calhoun as a presidential nominee IN
National Democratic Convention.
Calhoun was. rs he regarded, the most
trnatad leader of the South and the great
est and nurest statesman of the Senate"
and while he did not concur III bis doc
trines of notification. he adopted other
wise his constitutional views, ana IN tne
most part the politics winch he adVocateu'
Taking his seat in the House OF Represen-
tatives in December, 1s45, he at once
launched into the work and debates of that
body. and with his first address made tnat
impression of eloquence and power when
he maintained throughout his parliament
tary career. John Quincy Adams IS SAID 10
have predicted ON hearing 1t that lie wouiu
make his mark, and his prophecy was very
soon fulfilled. tie advocateo IN resolu-
tion offered by himself the very first month
OF his service the conversion OF some OF
the military posts into schools OF IN
struction, and the substitution OF detach-
ments furnished proportlonately by the
States for the garrisons OF enhsteu men;
and on the goth of the same month made
forcible speech against overwhelmingly,
which was then becoming popular. ne
had barely risen into distinguished view
by his positions and speeches on these and
other subjects, such as the Mexican war
and the Oregon question, ere he resigned
10 take the field IN Mexico, and when he
returned to public life after the Mexican
war il was as q member of the United States
Senate.
N THE SENATE.
r. was in that body that his rich learn
inc. his ready information on current
topics. and his shining abilities as an ora
tor aud debater were displayed 10 most
striking advantage. The great triumylrate
CLAY, Webster, aud Calhoun were IN the
Senate then. as were also Cass, Douglass,
Bright. Dickinson. King, and others OF re-
nown. and when Calhoun ere long depart
ed this life the leadership Of the States
Rights party fell upon jefferson DAVIS.
The COMPROMISE measures OF Mr.. Clay or
| 1850 he opposed and insisted on adherlng
TO the line of the Missouri compromise OF
| 1920. on the ground that "pacitication had
been the fruit borne by that tree and u
should not have been ruthlessly heWn
down and cast into the fire." Meeting Mr..
| CLAW and Mr. Berrien, of Georgia, together
| in the Capitol-Grounds one day MIR. Clay
urged him in friendly way to support his
| bill. saving be thought IL would give peace
| To the country for thirty years, and then
! he added 10 Alr. Berrien, "YOu and Will
| be under ground before that time, but our
young friend here may have trouble to
meet"
to transfer TO posterity an issue that IS as
much ours az theirs. whenit is evident that
| the sectional inequality will be greater than
now and render hopeless the attainment or
justice"
or shift responsibility, and that he did
meet it is the reason why the Issue IS now
settled. and that ourselves, not our chill
dren, were involved i'll civil war.
When CLAY on one occasion bantered nm
TO future discussion, now Is the mo-
ment," was his prompt rejoinder. But
these collisions of debate did not chill the
personal relations of these two great lead
ers. Henry Clay was full Of that generosity
which recognized the foeman worthy
Of his steel. and frequently eyineed
his admiration and friendship for JET
ferson Davis. Besides, there was tie
between them that breathed peace over
all political antagonism. Lieutenant-Col
onef CLAY, the son Of the Wing. leader,
had been slain in the battle OF Buena
Vista. My poor boy" said he to
Senator Davis, usually occupied about
one half of his letters home IN praislng
YOU" and his eyes filed with tears. When
turning to him once in debate. he said:
My friend from Mississippi. and | trust
that he will permit me to call him my
friend, for between US there is tie the
nature of which we both understand"
Without following. as indeed / could
not in this brief hour. the bearings OF
questions that came before the Senate
| during his service, or portraying thescenes
of digladiation in which they were dealt
| with, but pronounce the general verdict
when / say that his great parliamentary
Gifts ranked him easily with the foremost
men Of that body. He was measured by
the side of the giants of his time and in
nothing found unequal.
TWO SPEECHES IN CONGRESS ABOUT THE ;IExI-
CAN wAR-DAyIs AND LINCOLN. AGAIN.
In connection with the Mexican war two
! speeches were made in tho House of Repre-
sentatiyes, which were filed with the doc
trlnes which all Americans have inherited
from the fathers of the republic.
Tho ono of them was made by man
who with mind a. broad as the continent
advocated the railroad to connect the Mis-
sissippi Valley with the West. and who
poured out from heart thrilling with tho
great traditions Of his country inspiring
appeals for fraternity and union.
-" We turn" said he, from present hostil-
ity to former friendship, from recent defec-
ton TO the time when Massachusetts, and
Virginia, the stronger brothers Of our fam
ily. stood foremost and united to defend
our common rights. From sire TO son has
descended the love of our Union III our
hearts, az in our history are mingled the
names of Concord and Camden, of York
town and Saratoga. of Monetrio and Platts-
burgh, of Chippewa and Erie. of Bowyer
and Guilford, and New Orleans and Bunker
Hill. Grouped together tuey form u uOu-
ument to the common glory OF our COM
mon country; and where Is the southern
man who would wish that monument even
less by one of the northern names that con-
stitute the mass? Who, standing on the
ground made sacred by the blood of War
rem, could allow sectional feeling to curb
his enthusiasm as he looked upon that obe-
lisk which rises monument to freedoms
and his country's triumph. and stands a
type of the time, the men, and event it
commentaries; built of material that
mocks the waves OF time, without niche or
moulding for parasite or creeping thing to
rest on, aud pointing like finger 10 the
sky, TO raise mans thoughts TO philan-
thropic and noble deeds"
Scarce had these words died upon the
cir when there arose another in the House
of Representatives on February u, 1875
one who had just voted that the war with
Mexico was unnecessary and unconstitu-
tional, aud who now based his views OF the
rights attaching by tho conquest on the
rights Of revolution. He said:
Amy people anywhere being inclined
and having the power. have the right 10
rise No aud shake of the existing govern