QQNGRESSIONAL.
Speech of, Mr." Brown.
NORTH CAROLINA.
-fn SctateJ
JFWrtmry 9 and 10-On Mr. Beh-
, ton's resolutions,
as modified by the mover
on the sbggeMioii; of Mr. Grundy, for setting
apart so much of the surplus revenue as may
be nece isary for the defence
security of the country.
and permanent
Mr. BROWN observed, that he harl tint in.
.tended to take any part in the debate which had
gr?wn ou of the resolution submitted by the
iiviwauiti genueman irom Missouri, (Mr. Ben
ton,) until a few days j since, When some re
marks had been made in the course of the de
fcate, which he considered it his duty to notice
t Stronger dimperative, however, as he felt this
Wy to b w he had been willing, on yesterday,
to -forego the discharge of it, in the hope that
the. discussion had approximated it, rU.-o i
'SSVwon Would-then have been taken.
wisapppintea as he hid been in that hope, and
renewed as the deba le Was on
; gewtlcmah from Virgrhia, (Mr.
to-day, by the
Leigh,) the cen
'otucraugns wmcn nad then i
!l jstaih froni asking the tridfulg;
nduced htm to ab
-jr " ," T T . 6 luuuigcutc ui wie oenaie.
miV Ihn 1 ml ii I n- n f . I. . ! .
,no , iong r - operated ; and he would proceed
Bjiefly to fitlfil wht had then teen his ' Atten
tion, whiYh, under the hope that a Vote would
have becri taken on yesterday,1 had been tem
porarily abandoned,
the observations of the Senator from
inta.Mr.Xeiffh.Vand the lnomv forehn
dings he liad expressed, Y which he trusted were
not wen frrouncJed.r that, in iho
1 ! m it ,11
the difficulties between the Government of the
United States and France, we might be final ly
lnyoivedln a wai : we are: Raid Iia nmrn;ch
by every;considerafion of prudence, of interest,
aim oi national pride, to make the most efiec
ll?.ai preparationsfdrahy contino-Pncir ihntmou
; h That gentleman had deprecated a war
. with France, more than with any of the other
nations oi the oW j world. He confessed that
ne entertained sonidthinglikcihe same feelings
, j ne coniessed thdt he had been taught from
.wiLue gajianiipeppie who aided us in our
glorious struggle for freed Om thai Pranpn moi
endeared to qs by t very .remembrance of that
contest; 1 e confessed too, that war was to- be
greatly dc precated between two nations bound
to each oi her like France and the Unitetl States
by such a reciprocity of powerful interests ; hut
when Frajnce forgot was due alike to justice,
ana, to our national honor, He, for, one," was
wepared to consider her people, if the crisis
..should de Tiand it, as "jenemies in war, ahd in
peace trie 1.: ' Tne gentleman from Virginia
deprecate I war: bee ius cf---W- bauefui influ
ence it wc uld have on free governments, and .
its tendency to arrest their progress.; Had ii
not sug'gented itself to the mind of the gentle
man that .he same effect would be produced in
a. much hi jher degteeif we? should succumb
to' ihe'dic tates Of a foreign power t Would it
n6tfiave i he effect to destroy the moral power
which oui free instjtiitibus possess at this peri
od,.'if we' iv ere to suffer our national honor to
be tai-nisbcd, and our rights to te violated ? '
Most assuredly it would, and he who was most
anxious tr benefit the world by the examples
of ofcr frie institutions, should be the most
cureiui io saowaiicir jnunence in .preservinj
us both: Worn injury 'ahd-indignity. " " ; L I 1
-; LThe erehtleman. in t referring . to the Presi
dent's; re Joramenddtion. at ta former session,
for the isKuing of letters of marque and reprisal
agaiii3t F -ance, said that he neer did believe
tnat tne trresiaent was serioussMi the recom-
mendattoh of such a measure, - and until thai
time no.i Government, in ancient or modern
times, l)a 1 ever gi vent preyipus warning to j. its
antagonist when it thought proper to resoit to
it. I tie would ask the gentleman if the distmc
tion between the constitution of this Govern
merit and those to whom he referred, had not
occurred to him ? How was it possible for the
President or the . United States to act in a mea
sure of the kind wiU.outthe cb-operatiph of
Congress ;"and hoW' was it possible for him to
(have obt lined ;that co-operation without ad
dressing limselfto the'mi a message? The
gentlema i could j eeno impropriety in . the
Presidenl 's ffivinff ;o ! France exDlanaiions : as
to the message sent by him in the performance
ofhisconilitutionalduty toaco-brdinatebranch
01 this Government.. ' JVowj almost every gen
tleman, who. had addressed the Senate on this
question had jepud ated the idea that the Chief
TV !i J i. . . . .
-uagistraie oi tnis country should make expla
nations tc a loreign uovernment touching the
communi nations made -by him to Congress:
and he confessed he was astonished at hearing
sucn sentiments uttered by the gentleman from
."6uua' e couiu not Deueve mat such con
cessions -ioiild be made without an utter sacri
fice i of ,eirery principle of honorwithout a
..-v- p. uu. mupwiiucucc wmcii we oi an
nihore cltJifitsl U.1 iu. . . . I
-"yum uuiu wic luusi precious.
-.-.in his opanipn, the ground on this point, so
apiy ano stwcessjlully maintained by Mr. JUiv-
ingston, in addressing the French, minister,
was tne niy true and tenable one. . When
any thing calculated to impeach the honor of
a natinn ife tuoA in iUa
. , usuu iii tuc uijjiuiuauc coinmunica-
tiens of ar other, it then had a right to demand
an. explanation ; but where the matter taken
exception to is found in a communication from
the Chief Magistrate of a nation to a co-ordinate
branch br his o!wn-government, expressly
C ri ' eli 5 "yrujaiion oi its own ahairs,
the Chief Magistrate cannot enter into a nv v.
planationi with a foreign Government, without
a surrender of, every, principle of iionbr and
inuejenaepce. ! oiJhief Alagislrale of this
country xiau ever done so. .. . . ;
fie tvMilirt' nnm . .
marks made by gentlemen at an early stace of
i Vm tVL . v gei,ienjan irom ventuckvi
(Mr. Cril enden,) 4 few idays ago, remarked
that we ha 1 not entered into extensive warlike
preparations. previous to our late contest with
Ureal Britain ; and he argued from it, that as
we came out of that contest wfih ,1
were now.jible to meet a Jess powerful enemy
With pur; increased boAnlAtin n.,.iZ
without placmsr the natim. ;a u.ii. - .ir
mo attitude, y yr a nation had bee taught
itr cAvl oirSon r.,n, r iTint dft. rtrobahir" have escaped Irom such executive
trine, ft tfcughl this nation had. i lo what . dotation, andTeiuseu io .voce, me m v
cause vJrefce to attribute thb disasters that
marked
eiommencementof Uiatconiesi, ou
t I - ' . l . ji.Ls.i.. i l --.,..- Tofnspfl
the wa
fequate preparation; but Tto the fact 6
iai notimade th nrenarations which; I
that we
wisdo
nAdence. and a sense of honor and: the
in teres
leiandedt Did not he gentleman fed
recolle
1 h4v the patriotic citizens of bis own f
State
a ral 011 mi Inriolanll nllr nnrillU'CS-aiCV
tern fin
;.frorr. iho incinncor th. enemv.
and df
I. .! - - i i. . L... .iiV.iil..
.. i .-; r- - -. .., ,, , j., ,
hft1 not recollect, the disasters ui us;
occasi
Jirepar
ever a
ence, t
best of all instructors, that in peace
ihv eUiiri nrpnarp fnr nrar.i was the neoDle i
of the Cited Stes. ! f j j J. i
The
lenator from Delaware had endeavored
tp justi
t hi vote as well as that oi ms irienu&,
on the
jeciion of the three million appropna
the ground of the constitutionality of
lion, oi
the amtidment of the House,1 . and
lialleriged
the friei
ds of tlie measure to p
any
!yiTa
?,en,uf
rant forit ii the constitution ; but t
e
man. urfiirtunately for his cause. ha
failed to
prove tie truth of his position.
tional. did ie iremleman sav ! -
nconstitu-
what au-
thority, iaid Mir. B., do weappropri
te money
for the public service ? Under th
consmu-
shall be
lion, witch provides that no mone
drawn fjom the Treaaurv. but in co
sequence
pf appropriations made by law. Tiicn, if the
Senate of I the United States had Ipassed this
amendnen.t of the House, would the money not '
have ben drawn froni the i f easur1' in virtue
of an a prbpriation made by 'law ? Undoubt
edly it .voiild have beeu drawn In pursuance
of the very words of the constitution. The
ouslitution has not pointed out whether gen eral
or tpicific appropriations should be made,
but very properly left that matter to the wis
dom of Congress io be -judged of by the pecui
liar circumstances of the case. Tj While ! the
gentleman! wasj endeavoring jt'o exti icate him
self and thbse who voted with him from j the
difficulties in which they hajd! invol ved tlvem
selves, it appeared to him that he was plung
himselfar.d them still deepej than jhey were,
into insmmouptable difficulties. By a comf
parisi'n" cf j the report agreed on by the corn
mittee of conference of the last session in ref
erence to this amendment of the House with
the amendment itself, it would be 'found that
the constitutional obiections I of the! gentleman
applied much stronger to that than . to ihe a
mendment proposed by the House ! Permit
me, said Mr. B
., to can tne alien ion oi tne
triking; difference bjtweejn j tjhi'
the House of Representatives,
oenate to me s
amendment of
and the report of the committee of conference,
the latter of wlich met the concurrence ofthe
;uiiciiJttu onu ins lnenas. , l tie amenament
ad e the appropriation contingent! in the first
instance, cad did not call for the expenditure of
the money unless such-expendiiurfes. became
necessary to place the country in a posture of
defence. It was limited to tile ncxl session of
Congress, arid permit me, said Mr.B. to observe
maw iv was actually iuuic blJCUlllC 111 IIS 1
lan-
guae.than the isubsutuieprxriTOatir
nnttee' 01 conreiemve- iln definmsr
the objects
of the expenditures; it went ion to
say
that it
was . for fortifications, for ordnance, and for
the naval service ; while the substitute propo
sed to appropriate the money for foitifications,
and for the naval service only, leav ng out the
word . ordnance." The one was limited and
the other was unlimited, possessirigj; o jqua'lil
fication whatever, by which the Executive was
to be bound. Therefore, whilst honorable
gentlemen were endeavoring to shield them
selves from the consequences of havine reiec
ted the, amendment of the House ofRbpresen
tatiyesunder the wide panoply of , jth consti tution,
k appeared to him that they themselves
had bea inflicting a severer blow onthat in
strumeiit than that which they had professed so
much anxiety ,to avert. . l: j-1. mj. - ; j--'j'r
Gentlemen had very suddenly tliscoveret
that, appropriations to be properly niade bv
Congre should first be reccommenlled by the
Executive. 1 Many had said that i tha three
million ahropriaiion was unconstitutional, be
cause theExecutivc did not . step forward, an
3ay to vongress, that this sum ot money
wanted fir the exigencies of ihe countrv.
was
He
should lie to know in I what part ofthe
Cbnj
stitution,'gentemen found the clause den ving
vjuiigiBs iiie power to appropriate: money
without tnat recommendation. Tlie practice
of making specific appropriations, lad often
been depa-ted from ; if there was one right
cieany pa Jnging to Uongres, it wa i the.righ
to appropriate money of their own! I free wil
and discretion, and to tell the Executive how
he should jpply it for the public serf ice, with-!
out waitinr tor his application or rfecomrnen
dation. TSie Executive could control this dis
cretion, inho way. but bv withnldin 4hU io-na
ture to bill making such appropriation?. It
appearea tiat npnoraDiegent emen I had fallen
into this error, by looking at the rnrtnarchica
institutions mo old worldl "In thenBritish
rarjiamentpe Ring's Minister produces the
annual budjetknd asks the, appropriations it
calls for,; ndy when 'these are grinted, the
King returns thanks to his faithful Commons
for their littral supply. There wa; a wide
difference bjtwein this practice, and that ofour
repuDiican luofernment. a he Congress of
the Unitedi St4es appropriates rdbriey for
the public 4rviie, to be expende l under the
direction oth President; but they did not
graut it to hVn, is the British Commons did to
wicir iuig. i ouppose, noweyer, that the Pfes
ident at inetasvsesion of Congress had com-
Jied withithdwishes of gentlemen, as now ci
pressed, anAad stated that the public service
required adtttic
tat appropriations, and had
make them. Is itri H proba
, if : the Presideht h id made
idation to Con cress that we
asitea uongnss
bid, said Mk
sucn a recortmi
should haveheald rung in our cari the cry of
dicjlalion ; trit le wanted this moneV, not for
the; public sefvicL but for electioneerino- nr-
poses; or thtt tfe appropriation would result
irt war, into fhioY the Executive wa? anxious
to plunge thescouitry f If those- i n onnnsitinn
hadi not donisoi they would have denarted
from theirusBal cc irse in reference to the meas
ures of this A mihstraiioit. GentlemJn would'
c
uce
i v"
L
u
a
resorting to the dexterous logic oi a ceieur..cy
khikuh wnowiicu uiesptu iu. iMwuBi
give them At on combulsion. . "
The gentleman froni Delaware had said that
friends of.Mr. Jefflrsori here had abandon-
all the lessons inculfcated by that statesmaii
ith regard to the expenditure ot tne puDiic nip.
lie, LllltUftCU lllll w .u M.
atiM
Voiced that he had iqeniinec ine irienus u
uic auuiiuisnouuu .T -r
tJn:.:Ji..:. n fh ho ru.l man Kilt
, . h. ii t, Hni
Appropriations should be made mail leases.
where, it was possioie to ao so ; ouvn was
practice of his administration to relax that rej
uoiicaa rule, wnen tne pumic service tHV1!
ed it. In'tbe case adverted to by the I Sena
ors from Tennessee and Pennsylvania, in ths
dministratibn of MrJs Jefferson, when an ap.
irooriation of two millions was made, havipg
n view the nurrKase Sf Louisiana, that apprO-
jiriatipri -was made jin terms as general as it
was possible to imagined and the i discretion
gran ted. to. the Executive vsas far beydnd that
contemn ated in the amendment of the House
f Keenteti.e, of ihe lt session. In the
ii. t v , ' :..tA ;j
i - ; r - -1 r:. 1 ' .
. - .1 j i.iz n: ....I h b'.nn.A
and the expenditure iwas limited te the next
session nf Cnnwrees ' L'hhnin aeeount was ito
be exhibited for everv dollar exnended. i
; He would not, said j Mr. B., pursue the re-j
marks of the gentleman from Delaware fur-;
ther: with the controversy between an honor-;
able member of the oher House and another;
gentleman of this body, to whose assisstance
the Senator from Delaware had so gallantly
come, neither him or 'his political friends had
any thing to do. One: of the heroes renowned
in Urecian story was esteemed loriunate in
having the devoted and faithful Patroclus as
his friend : equally so was the gentleman whose
cause, had been so well defended here, but he
trusted that the gentleman from Delaware
would not, like the frie'nd of the Grecian hero,
become the victim: of 1
iy. y v 1 :!
Here Mr. BROWN
lis own generous fideli-
yielded the floor at the
instance of Mrl GRUJf D.Y;' who moved an ad
journment; but before; the question wai taken
at the request of Mr. CHITTENDEN, of Ken
tucky, it vas for a moment' withdrawn,1 whien
he entered into an explanation of some of his
views which had been 'remarked on by Mr. B.,
after which, on motion of Mr. GRUNDY, i
) . . " ' 1 - -I: -Mi . . ' H;
The Senate adjourned. h
The Senate havingresumedtheconsideration
of the subject on the following day, ; j
; Mr. BROWN, in continuation, said, he had
tqexpres the obligations he felt under to the
Senate, for the indulgence that hadjjeen gran
ted hTm by" m Adjournment on the list evening.
He would endeafn'r lotrtoqpite it,- by disposing
of the remaining topics vet to be noticed, as
r,emiy .-r- l. ..tuV?! rt-' justice to mmseTiT
The, charge had i been I repeatedly made on
that flpor, and echoed; elsewhere, that a great
effort was making to prostrate! that branch of
vv v uiiJi'iiii ,7ciiac ,i uiata hui was
ivacrinir ao-ainstiit. and that war mta Kir
the . President j of the United States, and the
party; wbe supported him. If war had been
made against the Senate, it had npt been made
by the Chief magistrate, Pr by the paity whe
suppprljed him k bnU in his ppininn it had been
made ujpbn the.Senatei by itself. The ceurse
pf measuics pursued by that bpdy, had prpdu
ced mureinjuripus eppscquences, sp far as it
self is concerned!, than cpuld possibly result
from any action ofthe Executive, however hos
tile .to -it. Who commenced that course of
hostility, gaid to be existing between the Pres
vdent and his constitutional advisers? Let the
journals ot that body answer. Let the ever to
be remembered session of 1834, explain, who
were tne nrst aggressors J
The Chief Magistrate had been arraigned
tried, and condemned, without 'a hearing, for
having done that which he believed to be his
duty, by a resolution passed by a decided ma
jority ; and this, in his opinion, and in the o
pinion pi a vast majority of the people pf the
United States, was don directly in violation of
the constitution, which gives to the House of
Kepresentatives only the power of impeach
ment. I his was, a manifest usurpation , of
power, anq a war, waged by the Senate a
gainst the President. Jf the Senate had lost
moral power in the nation ; if it had lost that
salutary influence in the councils pf the coun
try itpughli rightfully ftp pbssess, such luss
had resulted from anntner circumstance than
the one supposed by gentlemen who had ad
verted tb. it, ; It " had resulted from the fact.
that it had array ed itself against public opinion
na nad not yet yielded to it that respect which
t was entitled to under our form of Govern.
ent. Hei: admitted that this body was con-
tiluted to check those 'ebullitions of popular
eeling whi(h;niust at times arise in all gevern-
nents, but; a 'never was cnnslituted io stand
jp againStetlled'public; opinion, when it had
een repeatedly spoken, j ,
WTe all refti'emberi said Mr. B., in 1834, the
, jreat effort, to break; down the popularity of
he present administration, a'nd to achieve suc
cess Tor the Bank and its partisans, by making
unceasing appeals to the fears of a free, a
high-minded, and enlightened people. ;I con
tend, said Mr. B., if the 'Senate has lost dow-
t r, if is from its own actions, and not from any
other branch of the Government. It had been
said if the Senate was! not nonnla r- nnvir':
urigmer .uay was coming, ana that the virtue
and intelligence "of the pebple wpuld yet pre
serve it irom destruction; Yes, sir, said Mr.
B., the people will preserv e it, but it will be br
infusing into it gradually, a stronger portion
i p-mor i.cjing, anu one more congenial to
their nnrn r , (. t . ' I ' '
His honoroble colleague, had inquired a few
ysago; in what manner the annrnnriniinn
bjll containing jhe amendfiient orthe three mil
lions by the House of Representatives atl the
ast sessionKcame here endorsed, and had said
season oi great emerffencv lor tneaeiences oi imuaiir
the cbuittry, under the most reasonable appre-1 had no dpubt, fro
hensions ot
it Mmntn this bodv endorsed by the Chairman
of the Committee of Ways and Means of the
House bf,Represe"ntatires, and al prominent
member of the,- spoils party." Sir, paid-Mr
B., that hill came here endorsed in a manner
which 9Ught to have entitled it to the- hignest
respect; it was sanctioned, by he jlpopular
branch of our national legislature r that branch,
whose province it is to originate appropria
tions for ihe public service, through: the hands
of one of its most' important committees,
iirKioW Ti9 iKnn'ofit wa? an endorsement suffi
lllbll mmi . ,
eiem io secure wni b urou-r uchibc r w
r , - . , , r-
of the different States, was producing the niosl
' " - II. " 11" JwT tVioe
eflTeets. 7 He was well aware that
those .wbp.constituted the dominant party in
this cbuntrv. were often taunted by those in
opposition with the appellation of the spoils
party." The charge had been so often made
that although it had as often been successfully
refuted, yet he could not pass over i withqut
giving it some notice?-As far as his own State
was ennVernerl: it irnliis dlltv to meet it. .He
would he faithless to them as a portion of: the
Democratic party, if he did not vindicate them,
at least, from an imputation which, so far as it
imiIit h. int. txAoA ni onnlir fn them itfidimeat 1
i it. u:a a do I
j uc. urn iiui ucoiiaic m dot , iiioiuv
m infprmatipn in which he
in fpn iiid rrtrhcr imniipn pnnnnrnrp; iipiiwrii i
from gentlemen of the highest respectability,
and whose opportunities ofacquirind a correct
knowledge of the subiect,- were the Igreatest ;
that a vast maioritv of the federal pthces in
North Carolina were filled by men in opppsi
tion to 'the administration. . j ' j ' - - .
He had been informed, and believed it to be
the fact, fiiat all the officers connected with the
judiciaryfof the United States, in North Caro
lina, wetp known as belonging to the Opposi
tion. ! As regarded those who held- offices in
the .revenue service: of, the United Statesman
equal nubber, if not a majority, are said to be
of the same! class a3 to their poliucsi! fie had
obtained sufficient information as regarded the
pplitica1 1 (sentiments of those who ard in office,
as postmasters in worth uaronna, to warrant
the belieL that a very large majority are of the
opposition parly1. Frpm statements which he
then had in his possession, vouched fpr as they
were, bythe signatures of those who had fur
nished them, with the liberty of inspection to
any gentleman there, who might desire to ex
amine thW -made too, by those who had the
best opportunities of correct personal knawt
edge, it appeared that, in three of thp Congres
sional DUlncts, represented by members triend
ly to the, administration, there was a majority j
of the; postmasters in each opposed to the Ad
ministrat
i' ... . '-
on. In two others, 1riendy to the Ad
ministranon
and fron
t tai c jr ,tvci iiuui ijt viM J . w
one other, of the same political
complexion, 'he had received np information
W ith ; respect td i the political i opin'js of
postmasjers in districts . His otate,' r t presen-
ted by embers who differ .in their politics
from the j friends of the Administration, he
Hod Tixr i uutin-utit, unuiuidinui, except
frbra that! which ; is , usually in Nbirth Caro
lina denoininaled the . Mountain District ;"
and thatinformation,' vouched for, as it. was,
I by the respectable gentleman who i hjad fur-
. ' , . . ; i' . . - . - s S
Misueu . h, 'cuicscuicu iiic
t,! represented the number! of post
masters Uij opposition to the Administration as
being mfr$ than two to one in number greater
than tho T who were in favor of it MK B.
said that these 1 statements exhibited a result
Which he himself had scarcely ; expected it
was, that in five of the Congressional districts
represented by friends of the Administration,
a decide! kggr igatt majority of the ipostmas
ters holdhg office under the presehtjoro crip
live Administration, Were in opposition to it !
To whicai of the pplitical divisibnslihe term
' sppils farty" properly "applied, he thought
there cotiUbe bi
t little difficulty in determining.
It was by o m(
ans a pleasant task
Or, mm to
periorm,. io go
uto aninquiry as to
Who were
the teal njjice-
aiders under the present. Ad
ministratbh in his own State ; but it was a du
ty which life had delayed longer than he should
have donejf in justice to the pplitijcal party
whose getbrous support, at a crisis Pf great
public importance, had given him i renewed
evidence ofits confidence. He claimed for the
Democratic party pf his Stale ihe distingukhed
honor of hiving achieved their successes in the
last two years, not only in opposition to the
combinatiot of p arties which had been arrayed
against thwart ! there, but to a great extent in
opppsi tion ! to the patronage of the Federal
and State j! Got ernments, with which had
been united a ' majorityof the newspaper
presses. 'Tlie patronage of the i Federal
Grnvernmeritf was against' them,1 hecause it
hWd so happened that the greater! number
pf " those holding .pfficial stations ; under it
iiii that State, were in opposition to; t-he pres
ent Adrainistratipn. I he patronage ot the
State. Government had been against them, be
cause a majority of the officers who had been
"eiecieu to estate oinces ior tpe last two years,
were, as he had been informed on the, best au
thority, likewise in opposition, j
; iNotw.ithstanding -these facts,' said Mr B.j
the political party friendly to the presePt Adrain
istratipn bad been : unceasingly dennkinced as
office-holders and office-seekers, influenced by
no patriotic motives, and s-overfied loniy oy
the mpsti mercenary consideration Which
off the iparties in his own State had sought of
fice with most avidity, let facts speakwhich
had succeeded most in obtaining the lf spoils"
of office, was a question notdifficult of solution.
M B. said, that although the friends of the
present Administration were decidedly in the
ascendancy at the two last sessions of the Leg
islature, of North Carolina, yet they hkd, with
a liberality not often imitated by'the; ppppsi
tipi elsewherb whepin'ppwer, elected ito office
a rnajority wAojivere adverse to them in poli
tics. He believed this was an instance of dis
interestedness and magnanimity. ' which had
been rarely. if at all, practised in those States
whera political power had been in the hands'of
thoeJnopp6sitipnr--;;.-;;I;iv
. Mr. CLAYTON having asked permissinn,
tp exnlain. stated, that the oDDositioh party in
Delaware, though ,in;f power, had not turped
any! persons but of office fur a difference of p0
.litical opinions. . I i' . I 1
Mr. PORTER having also requested perrnis-;
sion to explain, rhad a similar statement with
respect to the iState of Louisiana. l v !
Mr. B. continued. kWnen iT'he nwwav'4:
an explanation from one gentleman, he did not -
expect that gentlemen i would consider thenj-
selves called on severally to make their disclai
niers.: iuev cerwiiiii; wouiu nave omer on.
portunities of explaining the course of parties '
in the States they represented, He believed '
the democratic party had seldom met with the
rmildness and forbearance mentioned bv the :
gentlemen - who had; just taken their seals, in '
those States where they had unfortunately
been in a minority. On the contrary, in sonie '
of the States they had been proscribed and
swept from office, almost without a solitary ex
ception. ' y , , .. '..
Much, had: been said by gentlemen against
the f dahgerous I encroach raents of Executive'
power, and the alarming consequences threat-!
ened by it ; but permit me, said Mr. B., to say.
to them, that tbey h ive greatly magnifiedl the
extent ot the. danger, from what cause did
the Executive branch of pur Government pos.
sess power J Was it because of the great au-
thpnty - inherent in it V He believed thai the
cxecuuie uuice ui inia uarernmeni nao nereln
fore nossessed nnwer that it would never innc.
., - - r r-; j;r. - -r I " I" . ry-
s ess again. . iheUhiei Magistracy under this
uuvciiiuibuii uuu uiiiibiiv vvvu i..:uuv iiierr
witn dui one exception, wnose revolutionary
servies gave them a weight and consideration
which their successors would never herekfter
men had brought with them into office what.
in' truth,. is( the great source of power in popu
lar Government tht publiq confidence. Wbed
MiB race oi revolutionary patriots is -run out-
when we hare i no longer the remembrance of
the thrilling incidents of that eventful period
of; our national , history to associate with the
office of our Chief Magjs .rate, it will be one of
weakness, rather t&a& i of exorbitant pdwer,
compared with the other branches of the Gv
ernment. The huniber of candidates for the
office would create errelat divisions in nublic
sentiment, and all, the disappointed would
probably unite; and array themselves against
the successful candidate,! whtch would weafen-
and embarrass his administration. Gentlemen,
threfore, were greatly mistaken in suppbsig
that the Executive branch of the Government
kvas that , which threatened the greatest danger.
to pur Coiistttuuon. His colleague had referred
to the land bill introduced, byjthe Senator frpm
Kentucky. He would say, 'in a few nords,
that he had al ways b eiie vejd this measure to be
impolitic, and on that ground had voted aains'
it If, howevWi he should! be instructed to su
port, it, by thei Legislature of his Stateine .
would 'readijyjobey isulcl. insiructipns ; bit in
their, absence he shouldJ iii the-exercise Jf his
De?1 Juferaent, ivpte gifrist the; h))h I L .
I With" respect to kbe'- principal object of
resolutibn before pae Senate, he was ubt for
making; appropriations to the ettent of the sur
plus revenue.) le was, said Mr. R. infaforbf
such judicious, liberilj apd necessary appAniTri
ations, s would be sucien.t to place the det
fences of the nation, both naval and military,
on a respectable footingi He believed thati
that Government tyas cmel as well as Unjust
t-o us peopie, ii mailed to adopt such measures
as were necessary lb piotect them against for
eign aggression. LPaihnV to do so. it bel raved
rly "."le nigoest trusts conhded to Govern- '
ment by its constituencvi- H e was" arixionsli
y that that bodi sliould 'concur in some measure
wnicn would snow the foreign Governments
that the American people were united to a mani
whena question concerning the national honor, t
jorijuie nauonai .satety, was involved. The
Senate having unfortunately' failed at the last
Session to exhibit on its part, that tmanimitv of
feeling on so important ai subject, it ivas calcu-i
ated to have an injurious effect on our foreign
relations. He did hPt jmean to impeach the
patriousm ot the Senate,, but it could nbt be
J-- ii. . r t .
concealed that the vote of the last session had.
in some measure, produced the belief that there :
wpuld not be that co-operation of the legisla
tive with the Executive branch ofour Govern
iment necessary to jsecure for us the resptct of
foreign powers. 0
It was, said Mr. B., t6aM
the .moral power1
our urovernment, as Men
in
Europe as
elsewfren , that he was particu
that 1 the greatest unanimiiy
iarly anxious
should prevail in our councils on the present
pecasiprnf But, . abpve a I, it was tp take such
a grpund befpre the American pepple as would ;
redeem the Senate frpm every suspicipn prapa
thy . in defending! the cpuntry a - failure, he
n
would again say, he did npt impute ip imprp-
per'mptives that he sp earnestly desired to j
see the resolution adopt ed. Those who .te-j
jieved that passive (bed ence, and an iraplor-j
iiiff tone to foreign Governments, . was cajcujateLi"j
to 'conciliate thetn knd protect our national j
laracter, deeply erred.-; . ;, ; ;.j :' : ;j; V, '"fj
All history showed that the nation which hswll
endeavored to purchase peace by such a course,
had failed to do so. What was our hisory,
ni).odinfT iK lasi war ? One submission ion i
lv led to another, and one lniury unresisted,
only served to provoke tother wrongs Put
only served to prpy
when the American
peopliersternly and eso-
Intel v determined ,t
take ;a manly stand, in
defence of their hon
the consequence? I
r and .interests,- wnai wa
tar
flag .is respected in
every sea- our country occupies a high stand
mnnr iht nations of the earth : . and we have-.
nrnnirftfl a national character in consequence
- r UK on p.Ttrv and decision, stronger even than
that which could be maintained by the largest
naval and rnilitary fprccj
1 Let me then,
said
Mr. B., entreat gentlemen by .all the remem-
hrances-assbciated with the deeds of imperish
able renew n achieved in ihe last war, tp main
jiat iigh natibnal charac
tain nn this oceasinn,
teri which the ral pr o
f out navy and army had
so- honorably won, 1
I
i
B
M
ill
ill