111
EN
10 0 )1kbi , , EWit I Oil
TOWANDA.:
Wanesban Morning, .131a;c1) 1, 1818.
PERSONAL EXiPLARATION.
SPEECH OF
HON. D.
In the House of Rep.'s, Feb. 7, 1843,
/ill spry CO Mina strictures owe Aa eseirse. pee.
Naked he IA. “Valas” Oftrespraioere of tA. 3/ lea.
El
Mr. WILMQT mse and asked leave to make a
petsonal explanation.
The SPEAKER said it would be in order only
by the general consent of the House.'
No objection being made=
Mr. WILMOT was - proceeding with leis remarks,
when
Air. ROOT rose and objected
The objection, corning too late, was not received.
Mr. WILMOT (continuing,.) said, he trusted that
gentlemen would find he was not dis Posed to tres
pass far upon the indulgence which had been ex
tended to him. It was the first time, since he had
been a member of this Rouse, that he had made
ai appeal to its courtesy ; and he should not now,
but for the very extraordinary character of an ar
ticle which appeared in the " Union" of - the 3d
instant, under its editorial head. As this is the sec-
oud attack that has been made 'upon me within the
last few days. , in he editorial columns of that ,
pa
per, the 4. 'venerable" edittt who presides over it,
might think I was. wanting personal respect, un
less I notice them. It, is net, sir, I assure you, be
cause 1 feel the, slightest degree, of inconvenience
or pain under the lash which he chooses to apply
to me. < I. feel entirely confident that any efforts
which that gentleman mermake to injure me be
fore my constituents, will be idle and abortive.—
My principles were known tri them before rleft
my home : they were always promulgated;
and when I choose to avow them on this door, I
riann the ri g ght to doso, and lam entirely indiffer
ent what coarse the editor of the 4 : Union" may
see fit to take with referetteeto It. I will read the
article to which I refer'
't Mr. D. Wilmot. of Pentitylvania ; is not conten •
wifit the notoriety ha has gamed tly his Proviso.—
We must have the Wiinset Proviso, No. 2. He has
proposed a scheme of direct taxation—to
presume, heavily on the slaves of the South. For
tunately. this day it was rejected in the House, set
eyal of the Whirs voting against it. -
•-• The Admini4tration does not ask such idle
fchemeS'and such mischievous allies. If this Rep
resentative from Pennsylvania is not content with
cousulung wr?er counsellors, be had better set up a
school of his own, and call a the, saloon/. If
he mesas, however, to cooperate with the Republi
can.rartr, we advise. him to consult and ant with
them. the Administration has laid . down it plat
!'ortn. Pursue its measures of finances. let them be.
honestly carned out. and. we shat require no direct
mii , ;_but we. will obtain what money we require on
moderate terms."
This. sir, as it appears to me, of the
rritt extraordinary tone and temper: In the -first
?ice, it denounces this "scheme" (as it is pieasefi
'to call a) of et iiect taiation, as a second proviso
-• proviso No. 2"—another "firebrand, - l'snp.
pose. thrown into the Republican ranks. We hare
.. .leard, through' the columns . of the " Union, - for
fue last year-ay, more, ever since the introdur
of that measure--that the "proviso" was a
firrbraud" thrown into the ranks of the Democrat
-5c party, and which was calculated to (pt . ale, if not
defeat it., This has'been the constant clamor of
Union." Now, sir, we have Firebrand N 0.2,
the shape 'of a propoCtion to levy a direct tax,
upon the capital and wealth of the country. As a
representative of the people, standing upon my
as a member of this Witte, under my re
vonsihities-tO my, constituents and to Goa, in the
oath I have taken,. I propose a measure for the con
sNleration of this bbdy and of the countrY, the objee,
and_purposOof which - is; to draw from the codr,
of the capitalists and the Weahlly classes, soixte,fair
!tare of the expenses and burdens of Government ;
%heft, lo ! lam :wailed. and the proposition de
nounced as a. firebrand by a paper professing to
Tes.k - for the Administratioar, I say ;
rrxi 4-rbtld that I should charge the Adminhuramin
• 'rah being respotrsible. for its comae. Ido pot be-
Gene the article; upon which commentirq„
!-in receive the apptobatiod of the President or any
?rodent member of his CaSinet.
I
M
IT v
EI
• mischievous . ' proposition which I In
!—a second '
a proviso!"—a firebrand
to invade. theprinc , iples of the Newhall
:••-a second effort to distath that " pecu
ttlgtOn.- of which this " venerable" editor
" - peruiku• guardian, and to have ever in
at which he fancies same blow is struck,
.very movement that may be made here'
an empire of free and ferule add is to
Mr. Ritchie sees nothing in it above
onethe extermion of slaver}'. - If a propeN•
nimaduced here for the purpose of razing
• the support Of this 4arenuneut in time
for the payment of its debt, Mr. ItiMhie
=Meg is thou bat an effort to impose a tar
= property.. His risk= is altogether una..
erieuil any flanker ; and be seems to think
gentlemen are actuated by no other motives.
war movement they may make here. I
particular sll to this sped= of peeper
there had been no stith - property 1 should
&e same propeeirtic= ; I did not propose
is ; Ido not know why,,a few' thousand
of the s.outh, who hold.* mita= species
should be exempt ; but
a-as to call tap= ths• milA in
_.of the conatry—North and - Smoak Eat
tie—whenever found, to bear its just polar
bunk= of Goverment. This seasnay , oks.
th* amendment was direesed. and so
And this isa " tie... 3" in the Reperhhean
new doraine in the Dramatic fanhisit!
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1
WILMOT,
OF PEN.NSTLVANI A,
Eal
ECM
PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY, AT TOWANDA, BRADFORD COUNTY, PA., -BY E. O'MEARA GOODRICH.
Mr. Ritchie declares it to be a " heresy one that,
roust be kicked out of doors; and $t fortunately,"
he tells as, it was so treated, " several" of the whige
voting against it. Mr. Ritchie, then, was fortunate
in having some Whig allies—here and there aaat.
tering one, who caucus his aid, and voted down
this most " mischievous" propositioa—this proviso
No. 2. Why, air, this barefaced attempt at misrep
resentation ! It is, however, in character with all
that the rt Union" is pleased to say of me--calca.
hued and intended to deceive, and to place me in
a false position before my constiments and the
country; to represent me as acting with the great
body of the Whig party, while here and •there a
Whig voted with the Democrats, and thus, fortu
nately, defeated my et acheme of mischief?' Sir,
there ;were seventy-rim Whigs voted against my
amendment, and only twenty-four for it. This Mr:.
Ritchie knew when he said it was .deteated—"se
arral Tugs voting iriainst it." I should think that
seventy-two out of ninety-six would indeed make
" several." Yes, sir, seventy-two Whig members
of this House dropped in, fortunately, to the help of
Mr. Ritchie, on this question of direct Iteration.—
Let the old man beware; let him look to the com
pany heir in. Whilehe denounces me as air mis
chievous ally," such a one as the Administration
does not want, he it found in alliance with almost
the entire Whig party of this House, and that, too,
on the very measure for which hp assails me. Let
him look to it ; he denounces my'proposition.; the
Whig party of this House vote against it; they are
together i they sand upcei the same platform"—
the slippery platform of protection, I upon the rock
of free trade,
There is another fact to which 1 wish to call the
attention of the House. The honorable gentleman
from Ohio, the chairman of the Committee of Ways
and Means, [Mr. tita - nis,] one of the seventy
two Whig allies of Mr; Ritchie, is not content
with giving a silent vote, but gives his reasons for
the course which the " Union - so highly approves,
and for pursuing the opposite of which, it sees tit
to visit me with so strong, denunciations. When
the pr; position which I moved came before the
!louse. the gentleman [Mr. 'VitcroN] is reported as
MEM
" There existed in the country two opposing par
ties on the subject of taxation and of trade--tbe free
trade party and the protection party. The doctnoes
of the free-trade .parry ended necessarily in direct
taxation. Thither they tended,:and there they end
ed of necessity, The gentleinan from Pennsylva
ma was a free-trade man, and so far his introduc
tion of an amendment int favor a direct taxation
was all quite consistent.' Mr. Vinton was not a
free-trade man ;-andibe metier would agree to ins
pose a direct tax while a system of indirect taxa
t'oa would answer the propose of Government."
"He was for no half-way measures ; no tax on
tea and coffee ; not that, he had a ny s objection to
taxing those articles. but when this was done, the
whole system_should be revised. They (the Whigs)
were willing to bide their time—to wait the course
of events, If we refuse to go to them. our oppo
nents must come to us."
Mies Mr. Ritchie understand this langttage !
Does he not know, that in resisting direct taxation.
be is aiding the Whigs, and helping to re-establish
the high protective policY I The gentleman from
Ohio is correct - in his statement, that there are in
existetce two opposing parties, on the subject of
Taxation and trade—the free-trade party, and the pro
tection party. Ido not. however, admit, that the
doctrines of the five-trade party, as at present un
derriood. necessarily end in direct taxation. There
ii already a powerful - party, both in 1 number and
talent-, who advocate full and perfect freedom of .
trade, and assevinents directly made on property,
to meet all Government expenses. In my judg
ment, this party will increase rather than diminish;
and some years hence; may find the Democracy,
upon this guess on, occupying other and higher
1 groundAtan at present. By free trade, Democrats
i of the prtsent day, generally. nrideritand, a system .
1 of duties on import.. adjusted upon the revenue,` ,
1 instead or the ptorective principles , and brought
1 down to the lowest point ermaistent with the wants
of the treasury bt rifted' peace, under an etionorni
: cat salntinistritiUn of public, affairs. Under this
definition of fiee.tride. all unusual and extraondi- 1
' rary„ demands should be provided fee by direct tax-
. 1
alien ; nay ; must be, or the free-trade principle is
i overthrown_Protectionistsinsist upon inert
the duties from ' this " lowest point" up to the max
imum duty that the actichei wilt bear ; and if this
t
1 fails to supply the extraordinary drain on the vea
!err, then dial resort should be had minims. They
I are, in shod, as the grintlemaa hum Ohio has said,
lopposed to direct to do long as ad increase
of duties will increase the revenue , or money can
Ibe procured on loam. They favor a national debt,
i because it creates a lU:cct). far a high tariff, ant
i furnishes a Most plausible excuse for the ere} - inn
lof a national bank. The free-trade patty, on the
1 other hand, abhors a national debt, nation! teak;
1 and a high protective tariff . ; and looki to direct tax-
I
I afire, as the only sure moms of. Miss, in time of
war, or other great *olio elltergeliet, Any other
policy, at a time tile the preeen when betty m
pendituses are retorted in the pronecutma oft for
eign war, and a large pebble debt is rapidly loco
iodating, must ineeitabiy dneer us into the hands
all& putectionista. This i exactly what the wbig
pasty desists ; and hence tbdy apprise my paopoki
bon ; and 11s. lEachie sands by to eon:wage them,
1 and denounce me. They seek to tome on beck
i again upon the ground of the ratectit:ciims. irk
Ritchie. alight to know this and does knew it; and
iI change, him with coopecuim with the high-tarid
pasty.--siith an abandonment of the doctrines of
. free-trade. Be is wilting that a dels l otatilroetwo
bandied miltions should as x, williers - pro;
?Alm for its early paysimitity:a dixect assiitenient
upset capital ; thus Satin us, of rietereity, , man in
crease of duties, and in the aid ; back into the pro
tective poilitty. These is no amps froci this. If
your tarot is.tedoced to the /mat point demanded
by an economical adednistutticm in fame ofpuice,
(and this I hold to be dr Deutociant - pobey,) how
are you m meet extramdMily eXpendiutrea--limr
Pay a debt necessiy :incurred in die poierszaiaa
of a sear, =deo yob"! *ow to Idle Ilitoptao=th-
" ItEGIEDIXta or IlllttrgailiON
sect bttation The only alternative is, an increase
of duties. This 4 done, and the Demertatie policy
is destroyed—the labor and the efforts of years of
severe patty conflict are tost--Wht, policy
is snc
cesalW=Whig principles triumphant. I desire to
save the great measure of reform, that the Demo•
crane patty have just succeeded in establishing. 1
&sited to save the tariff and the independent
treasury. They must both fall, and will fall, ender
the weight of a heavy and permanent national debt.
This, the Whig party know, and shape their muse
accordingly. Well might the gentleman from Ohio
[Mr. Vurros] say, that "they (the Whigs) were
willing to bide their time." It will *ton tome, if
the present state of things continues, and•aajesmen
!mil stand tremblinr„ afraid to nieet the crisis. There
is but one mode of eseape-L.only one ground of
safety—not Mt. " platform;" but the plat.
form on which I stand-.4tre . et tazatirm. •
It is not long since Mr. Ritchie himself was an
earnest and apparently sincere advocate of free.
trade. I find the following sdnnd views in the
" Union," and only regret that he does not still ad
here to them :
"The argument in favor of free trade is too plain
for argument or for details."
"The United States have heretofore been the
great pioneer in propagating free principles, and in
promoting free and liberal intercourse among na
tions. Let us, then, pursue this good work, which,
under the influence of our glorious career and bright
example, has been so successfully commenced. It
is demanded of ns by the geufus of our Government,
by the spirit of the age, and by every consideration
that can address itself to our patriotism."
"If this general principle of free trade be adapted
to any country under the.sun, it is particularly ap
plicable to our own."
" Pay as you go'is a cardinal. Deniocratic doc
trine; and the. Democracy that conflicts with it
comes in questionable shape."
To th e se sound sentiments I respond a cheerful
and hearty amen. Some of these were uttered
within a few months by this same man, who now
assails me. Truly, Mr. Ritchie has acquired great
facility in jumping from one " platform" to another.
Doubtless, the habit of turning political somersem
has grown upon him, until he is scarcely conscious
of the antiai,he plays.
To-day I
,Itm denounced for my strict adherence
to the doctrines of the free-trade party. A few
days ago. a most grave and imposing charge was
preferred against me by the " Union," of having
deserted and abandoned them. I never abaridcined
the ; I have held them from my youth ; I adhere
to them still. 1 was charged in the " Union," of
the 25th of December last, and in the " Pennsylva
nian" of the saw date, with having deserted theta
riff of 1846, and with laboring to defeat it in the
last ttages of its passage. This is not true ; and I
will bring Father Ritchie himself upon the stand to
prove it false. I never gave a vote, the. intention
or the effect cf which was to defeat the NIL -My
votes will be found consistent with each other, and
with the sentiments declared in my speech on that
subject. Within the Same hour in which I gave
the vote of non-concurrence with the amendment
of the Senate, I voted twice -against laying the bill
on the table. That Mr. Ritchie did not retard my
vote of non-concurrence at the time it was t given as
a vote against the bill, or as intended to defeat it,-
will satisfactorily appear from the manner in which
he spoke of me, and of my connection with this
measure. It was not until it had been decided up•
on that I must be assailed, and, if possible, put
down, by false charges and mrepresentatioos,that
he and the editor of the " Pemeiyivanian" saw in
that vote a concealed design to defeat the new ta
riff bill. The following is what Mr. Ritchie said of
me, and of my advocacy and support of the mes
slue, immediately after its passage:
" Prom Pennsylvania, so distinguished in sup
port of the war o f 1776 and 1812, and so ever ready
to pour oat the life-blood of bet Sons in the defence
of the country—so devoted to the Union. so true to
the Democratic faith citi all other questions bat the
tariff, there was bat &single vote for this great mea
sure, and that came from the bold and fearless, the
truly able and eloquent Wilmot. Let him was but
a year to see theoperatioes of this bill defeat all the
predictions of his opponents. and his vote, though
now alone, will he the vote of Penasylvania."'
The praises Of this man are as &gunk; as his
Issaniti ire powerless. But, in order to show bow
wanton and malicious are hit attacks upon me, it
is necessary to irate further from his fulsome lao
datioos. In speaking of my renomination for Con
gress. he says:
-We learn.. from the Bradford (Pennsylvania)
Reporter of the 9th inst., that at the Democratic
county convention bolden ai Towanda oo the even
ing previous, Mr. Watilat was IsnellimilisSig . ream
inated for Congress, having received nay wee sad
i serasty &firs fast!This is Mr. Wiltnot's
own county, and is a proud endorsement of his
carne on the tariff question."
Alin, he azauctoces the rasa of the canvass,:
add my 'selection, in the heaving larquage ales
ultatioo and ttiomph
- If the Federalists of Pennsylvania had succeed
ed in the defeat of Mr. Wilmot, wide) vasthe sum
mit of their aspirations, their cap of triumph would
have bum full almost to overflowing. Mr. Wilmot
was elected in 18414—his Irmessay, too. on the may
of public life—as the open and avowed enemy of all
numotportes, and especially ai ithe eaaa p4omatag
enemy of that worst of mcoopol as he.tarif of 111411.
His woolliest dies, as now. prokiied to be a Des
mat. but was seveltheless the advocate of a palm
dos which the constituency to whose he appealed
voted not - endorse sr comprehend. Oa Mies issue,
boldly tendered and joyously accepted. Wilmot
was chows to Comma. and the !Matildss which
he hid thus bouenly aunted.in the fate af a Most
formidable opposition' were faithiltdly eluded into
practice is the councils of the amide. To hisome,
belonged the earlik - hit distinction that be mood • so
law and alsek." among MI his agleagnes,. ia sap
poet of the new revenue law of 181$.
• That a lleptesentative, thus situated. 'hada en
counter the ainceitated hostility of the manufamm
rem and imm-mongers who vete so deeply interest-
ed is the Presersaise - a of the prosearse . policy w
Natural enough. That they should adoptihe mesas
which were ben eaktsdared to prostrate his parka!
loonies was kl - esise to be circled. Certain!' y,
*hese efforts were is nowise Tama* A so-cacti'
tarilfDerooersi a popular and istaestial assa. Wis
nossiamed as Kr. Wdowes wlngpegilor„ aid belied
the doable sawn* or snag sapporto . by -die
Iftigs and by' a defeat of his ova *try. vat.
aessiag this cogabiaagioa., thebea kinds .f r.
%%Dot cow sot tart hare sow
&htftau? the eiddwriarii sta
=II
but ticimowlfdp that the contest widild be necessa
rily close."
"Mr. Wank; who alone voted for the tarif and
defended it in Congress and in the stump, is sus
tained by the kindsome majority of ?au! "
"Our defeat its Pennsylvania, is only calculated
to rouse and to energize the friends of truth, The
opponents of.ith oppressive tariff are invited, and
moreover they are encouraged by -the succes* of
Wilmot, to march up boldly to the defence of
6nr principles."
Hero Mr. Ritchie applauds my " bold and fear-
less " course on the taresrepeaks of my unanimous
renomination a's a "proud endorsement' of my con
duct He declares I "faiffifally carried out in the
councils of the nation" the principles 1 avowed be
fore my coreeitherds and invites others to be tri
cot:tined by my' sexes. "to match bodly up to the
defence olnur principles." Yet this is the man who
now that it suits the purposes of those whose instru
ment he is, charges me with opposition to the tariff
and an attempt to defeat it by my vote, on the " fi
nal and great question,-Will the. House concur in
the amendment of the Senate !" And of this, he
says he was informed at the time—al, indeed, he
must have been : my vote was both public' and a
matter of record. The following is from the-same
Washington Union, edited by the same Thomas
Ritchie who, with a full knowledge: of the faent,
penned the foregoing laudations of my course on
the tariff and es:tilted so greatly in my triumphant re
election, There is, however, about eighteen
Months' difference in the dates of their publication,
and hence it will excite- no surprise among t h ose
acquainted with the author:
'But we barf a few more words to say of Mr.
Wilmot's political course. It is time that the pub;
lic should be enlightened on this subject. We have
heretofore refrained from exposing it; bat he was
now thrust himself before the public, and longer
lenee on our part would be improper. He objects,
' in his protest, to the Tioga Eagle receivingthe post
office advertisement because it had been opposed to
the tariff of 1648. Mr. Wilmot, it is true.did speak
and vote in favor of this tariff when it passed the
House of Representatives. We havehl ways given
him credit for this without animadverting upon his
opposition to that measure after it reformed from the
Senate. That body bad adopted one unimportant
amendment to the bill. Its friends strained every
nerve to have this amendment concurred in by the
House. We will recollect. that at that tune the fate of
bill was believed to depend upon this occurence.—
its Onemies believed that if it could again be seat
but to the Senate, there was sufficient strength to
defeat it there.. At this trying crisis, where was
1 Mr. Wilmot found? We say, emphatically with the
enemies °like measure. This we heard at the time;
but we choose to speak from record. Withouteom
i meeting upon his previous vote, in this the Anil
strumle on ,the last and great question, 'Will the
Hodse agree to the amendment of the Senate we
I state the fad that Mr. Wilmars wok is recorded ills
; the negative, eiloseg mai the nooses of all the enemie s
of the tarifof 1846. Tide the journal of the House
of July 29, 1646, wig* 1176. At this critical mo
ment. he abandoned the measure which he had at
the first supported." '
Is it not time that Mr. Ritchie returned to Virgin.
ia! Is an editor who will thus falsify and stultify
himself fit to be the mouthpiece of the Republican
party ! Here, with all the bets before him; lam
landed and condemned for the same conduct and
the same acts—held up :as an example fur others
to follow, and as a traitor, unworthy of confidence;
as having "frntkujlhf' acted my part in the coun
cils of the nation,.in support of this important mea
sure, and with having " abandoned'` t at the criti
cal =men% and in the issue of its fate. •
I had earnestly advocated that certain t mendments
should be ingrafted on the new tariff bill, as well
to my speech as in private conversation with sev
eral of its most active friends. I had unifonitly vo
ted at all times to maul the bill; said any and ev
ery proposition which left it open to the possibility
of amendments I voted for, and against every mo
tion the effect of which, if successful, was its de
feat. The vote of ates-conearnere was in strict ac
cordance with these principles, which all knew goy.
erned my action. Had the Howe refused to con
cur, the hell would have gone to a committee of
conference. who could have reported it back with
amen - draws. Twice within the sane host did I
Tote araisuf laying the bill as the table—a Motion,
in which its tale was truly involved, and which,
had it prevailed. stool& have been its Ones detest.
Mr. Ritchie knew and understood the time charac
ter of that vote when it wet. given ; nor did he ev
er dreatn of construing it into a d e sire to defeat the
hill, until it suited his purpose to assail and misrep-
races me. I wilt leave glr. Ritchie to settle this
matter frith himself. If his teNimony is Worth any
thing, I believe it is quite ai smog in my faux- as
against 1116.
. .
. ng2tn. Pr, Mr. Itathie aftl9llM me "to moult
crier counsellors." If by this be meare..to imply
that in glaring in this , ineasnze, I hare eonsubed
with the opponents of this Adminiotration, I pro
nounce the insin ect to false. 1 eetiswbecl with no
man ; I took of thy own Wit, and
seed as I Moo* duty to my constitomas required.
If, on the other hand., I am to mkt:wand it as - an
invitation to take - emend of him, I teopenfolly de
em. I would regard it as unsafe. I think , he has
wired at that period of life, whoa his judgment, if
errs hb had any, is unbalanced and mdtiosed- He
has retched that period of old fte. known Osmond
almond, mots feeble and more helpless than the
not. I non I wilt be able to show brine I sit
down; that his deviations from pasty principle mad
polity, have been to Ironton and to flagrant, that
it would be Mode for soy Democrat to tely upon
his eoonsds ar follow his advice.
But the man initmoodinary and ligtacrost par I
of the article is that in which be informs me that
the . &' *form; is laid down" on which I ant to stied
No*, I appeal to misty sendemen, can larmww .
more goody insolent be-iMplosed tikaards a met:li
bel of Ham! It is sabgantiallf this: The pa.
kin° Maid down ; gym choose ID stand spook,
ireiff but if pa dare-depart from I hold in my
liana a lash with. Aida to panne yini I tun nom
maided to via& between two patatei Hoes. lad if
pen:loom I step crier, thesmthe i -- of this nun
Ce,fiditistattil. stow mpheact—tbil iberpoo
few* to be the atm of thiges ¢
.llaiae, title who has doss mine to -seises
abp
firia / * that party, by We narrow nod sectional
'. y
. ,
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views, and by his demptiudsous 4 tApund Kul un- , " We'Canng4 anMent 110 kOd a ba' toelrd the
wavering Democrats, than any one lumtimo —i. of its elen#Ra of "Fill a ma° 4a Ai*ew Jack" -1
1 "We Would deprecate his election as a . curse a
P
bitterest enemilts.' If the Reputditsfut pasty alineldl 'ors -„,„r country." ,- , .
~
be defeated .— if its banner trails in the dust, this
. Mr. " One who. in any great crisis, would convert the
T. Ritchie will fiat f or the fiat l u ng , t w , respo i t iank s whole country, into one - great camp. and Would re
....., ,___........
..
_...' dace almost eyerything under, ruartilq• liw.:
for ire °Tetthrawl by th6aanu l ta ''' ...Compare him pith ,Adams and Crawford, and
of men who have stood with fidelity and MO how interior must he her
cons i st e nc y on the pi sa l o i n , of th e Repthli c a t i f a ith. . •. Wen eau ' eon: end 'Ge l negilthJact:ersotswaradh es
ere irive
Without arrogating to if any particular Monty, ' c r i ra r e n ic. P . °
reu me al superio tie lla r t qLlnicati e ool l 47f .pther mo.
I claim to have stood
, there, anti' I defy him and I t pie, Can we say as much for his intidvy when
those_ who use him, to point out any net or vote of Ihe is now aspiring to the highest of fi ce in this' na
'mine, as a Representative upon this floor, that ann. i nonr (Jul e
of • 1 •
He is too a .t.strescian, :oo,cash, ton vor
fliers in the least degree with the principles of the lent in his 'crater, his Measures totenioch inclined
party to which I bciort& Even if he chooses tope- to arbitrarygovernment. to obtain the humble imp.
netrate my district and inquire into my Willard con. Port 01 the editor of this paPer."
" What kind of a fir•ldent, would this great el
-duct and history, I'defy him to bring against. me 'Titian male! A gentffman who cannot interpret
the first act of partv:tinfaitbfulmms: 1 the plain exitres:•ion of one law ; and yet would be
This is a most novel, a most extraordinary charge ! called upon to admirnster all the laws of the land!
preferred against me. I venture to say that you i One .whose ideas ea' so
into
military, that be
may search the records of the public p ri nts of every 1 i r st u t ea. tran soulo u rb; 117iwcirv!datacOtrstpsr or
w e " "n
-ut y a court
party organ, that has existed since the establish- ma a r•
meet of t a e Government, without finding its paral- I These were. :the tipihiOns intertained by Mr.
lel. The-principle her r e laid down is that the Rep Ritchie of General l i a son . D o -you thi n k. s ir, th a t
reoentatire bas no 14 11 to think or act for himself ; I he, would bi a safe adviser fora Democrat who has
that he has no right to consult the felling% or wisher' drawn largely from the teachings oftbat great man
of the constituency he represents; but that his hie'. in the formation otfiis political creedwbc looks
est duties are discharged, vihen he follows blindly upon his vgto men :iris as a text-book toguide die
the path marked out for him by' othets—when he l republican' in the pith of safety ?I shall not calla..
Stands like a block upon the " *Orin " laid
down for him. I have alvrays understood th 4
by the Constitution all ',venue measures mnsi
originate in this Howe. Ritoltie, it 'seems,
interims the Constitution differently. " The play:
loan is laid down ; " " the measures finance !
are matted oat" and it is our duty to pursue
them under the „pains and peaalfies of mod . . •
man ication. Who authorized " Father flitchie" to i
send in here his measures of finance ! or who gale
him the right to demand of us impliclt obedience '
to the recommendations of the Secretary oldie Tree
sury !
Sir. what were the *ens and purposes of My
amendment, honestly and fairly considered ! I have '
already stated, that its dftign was to teach the cals.
tal and wealth of be country. I am one of 'Cier wtio
believe that a great eublie debt is a great ealamirk, •
one of the most paralyzing and unmitigated curses
that can be inflicted upon labor, one of the most of
fecund means of binding don and keeping don
the honest laborers of the land. 'Such have been
its consequences in every government, and, if the
same policy be pursued by us, such will be its re
sults here. So believing, I am anxious to provide
for the extin,gnishment of the debt at an early dap;
and Iris, too, from the pockets of those who are
best able to bear it. We are is the midst of a war
—a war that mast be prosecuted. In its prosecu
tion a large debt has already been incurred, and. if
continued, it must be greatly'increased. I hold
that it is our duty at this tune to provide means for
its early extingnialunent. We have no right to in
flict upon pbsterity, those burdens which properly
betting to ourselves, and which 4e are abundantly
dble to bear. What right have we to cast upon our
effildten, the curse of an onerous public deli II hold
that provision should be made for its early payment,
at lime within the life of the generation that creates
it. This is my doctrine ; and dis for entertaining
spell principles that I am dencriced. ,
The able gentleman from North Carolina, chair
man of the Comaxittae of Ways and Means of the
last Congress, [Mr. McFs..ix,] when my p:oposilion
was introduced, made a Teecga in favor of resort
ing to direct taxation if the present war wasnor
speedily brought to a elute— Ile, of course, comes
is for a share of the denunciatious of the " Union."
I differ from that gentleman in this: he would re
to this mode olraising revenue only in tfie . even
of k prolonged continuance of the war ;.I would ad;
swan its adoption, if the war were manse to-day.
I look as well to the payment of the public debt r
as to the raisitg of money to saply the immediate
wants of the treasury. - lt, after the ettingeistusent
of the public debt, Mere should be a surplus of its
venue, beyond the ordinary wants of the Ooretzt, 1
meat, I would diminish the duties, and thin relieve
the people bum a portion of the biardens of taxa
tiger S.ce.h. I undertake to say. are the doctrines of
the free-trade party : and to such results my prepo
sition was direixed. 'Every man knows that the
meld burdens of government rest upon the labor
ing, toilii4Ctistiies and because they tear the load
in silence, became they have no pensioned presses
to utter their grievances or to - assail their rulers,
therefore you would load them down until their
fiery backs Were broken. My proposition
,Was to
Ana the capital of the coontry-:-to tax stoc ks, mo
ney at intemt, and personal property. f:could
not go into details as to the inartictilar kinds of per
ronal on whirl I would have this Om im
posed. This was the appropriate duty of the eon -
%kw.. atbald I have gone into details; I thoeld
have desigited, as some of the objects of taxation.
gold and silver plate. pleasure eating", watches
and jewelry of all kinds, said household temiture
useeediv in value a Oren amount.
These, sir, vim same of the *varies and ex
bwvaganees of the neh,. that I partientady bulk'
new. I haveshesidy said - that t did sot blend to
exempt the capital of the South ; and thereSsee teal
peeohor property to which the aiimey tif Itoi
teris prineipally inseierd weal& havelites embus.
eel. I desired to exempt the Wad& labonerofl
the emery. from atv.pectro . o tithistri. I believe
that little ;bole Cie EulTioui plopoeied tr4l berm
ed by my abieediti!lti, wad dra n frekti*torge
lispitarres and tireteireald# 6 elsem, at; the
pr portrai etelliiiideks of gorifiameat wtitaa ran
opo . the WEI ciaae_os.
I bare said, tined . Mi. Ilarlie as In =safe
eoansellarf I Irnifid noi !bike to know his achiee I
even if I were &reed lb seek t.la older so 1
show bow sinsifi and iviiV ditibilions it valid be,
tote prided by Ns conoseisj r e ad rose of
Ms skint annets wee General Minna, ma abo
ere the opinion which Geaead gatertaip
ect of I reed citric& taken bona ess - irueb•
linnet En:gaiter, attletinneadianGaiengliethalli
owe wan berme the ionminy ass anivido ► willio
Marathon: rimy :
: RI 1 ,'>
EKE
=ln
on him for his ad4e, bat most respeetfull decliner
to follow any be may. offer.
Bat GeaCral /orison Amid on record his esti.
mate of Kr. Irachie 4 s character. I' read from the
letters of intim Ilreckenridge.:
" I have often heard OM (lielcs'ott) ttse these em
phatic woofs "Ritchie, is the greatest scoundrel in
America." And to onmof these letters, be uses the
following language, which deserves to be engraled
in It tiers of brass
"I see that am attacked in Congress by Cooke,
"hitman. and Williams. aided b 3" that infamous
press, the Ricipnoad Eaquureir. If „such • a corrupt
• was as tke Richmond ncjiiirer were to approbate
cry conduct. I should think that in some'unguard
• ed moment I had committed some great moral•im
iropriety."'
We all know With what apprehertnon, nay,
with what fear, General Jackson. in his la 4 mo
ments. contemplated the displacement of bis old
triends Blair and Rivet, and the removal of Thotn
as Ritchie to the sat of government, as the editor
of the ors ah of the Republican *sty. He predict
ed that division in the party and disasterwould fol
lois'. He remonstrated, he did all that a dying pa
triot could do, to save us from Mich a calamity, to
preserve:Jhe integrity and harmony of the Repub
lican ranks. But the faithful and tried servants of
the party, Blair and Rives, who had good by us in
out hour of pea, wholtail safeliciftried usthing*
Ile most trying and eventful strangle in the annals
of party warfate, were thrum aside. What were
the reasons assigned for this Did any one ever
question their loin* y as partisans or as men!—
Their ahiby and energy were never doubted; but
it was said that they had assailed so rOn4ily, many
Democrats, as to make them 'otiktosioms to a coo
siderable portion of the party. True, they did
sail kith vigor, and justry, too, many professed and
pretended Democrats. It was at a time when trea
son was rife in our rants, when the Bank of the
United States had openly entered the political are
na, and was buying up, like cattle in the market,.
and pecgdg's Representativms. And
yet, `plait and Sires, during the whole twelve
years of Jackson's and. Van Bruensadminlaratious,
never denounced half as many members of the
party, as has this querulous and waspish old man.
They deommeartor good muss:. ; he without ma,
eon or just kruularian. Take the members of the
last Commas; and of the one hundred and forty
Democrats of stifti it was contposed, there can
na be found twenty whose Flirts are free from the .
direct or indirect censureent this old man. Those
who aimed appropriationi for internal improve
ments. en:bracing a larre sire of the Democratic
reprimenialln . n in Congress; have been duly lead
oat of the party, unchurched from its communion,
and set over to the %.0*.5.".. In the '= Union' of De
ceinber 16, 1847, all skh tee censured at co-oper
ating, with the Whip "16 emcee the war, to eon
, pet the Administreiou to withdraw the army, to
embaraes the Repubhlan pasty, and elevate the
Whig candidate to tirrPresideney."
1 4 :ext.eame thaw va.b in late Corarme opposed
a tax Open tea zed coffee. All will remember the
severity with which the anathemas of the" Union*
Were poured out upon the heads of the clam of will
nem At one time. there was no redemption or
salvation for those who opposed the principtea of
free trade; and at last, but m doeseason, are heard
the thunders of this orzin against the* who ice.
port this policy, and hooestly seek to carry it ixit
by a resort to direct tax a:tots,lo tricetthehmxy
es
penditcres of a 6sreket war. •
But the editor of the '• Union" has other ate deep
er sib:, to answer lot, thee. atty . ! have yet chard
upon him. lie . labored to destroy the aiminiira
tion of Mr. Van IfiFen , la the azisis of its fate. -lie
owned that greatest ami man irholesome . of all
rnersares that has:enwed the attention and
eel doe 'thiTer ref dm; "RePahheae patty of e 3.013411
hitteN the iiettiVemjerit Mummy; recouuncrided.
by I% Vass Buten, whose adosinistradcp redeem ,
the Iligile!t *mg . rtel the tlithme n- the P azt jl and A I , wi l l
etanstititejs bright pegs in. the history of Lama
Itoblie: i l read 'wain from the RaillMad.
"Thisoehenrelthe iedepeedesuneassiTlatleieite.
ed. hceloiseit can only* said to be a wanton es
perioseet esifisciedit the piesea: aye tanks. arid
wensitesiiiindialrY aid: Yr.' and hi baelltie
heembee, therm dower-
it-91 0 krAlgothaid.3114 sa the Prstraints of
the commituf*ltitbe bare twith th e li!) ,
it -
ertiesitierti*. a •
I•Ttiti=bunion awl estarisibiteigtof submeasio.
Iles slidl diefinamair sod amairitial Rows
the Mailed Elaie‘wculd cosi the Gerehumiserw.,
isLifolos ordoniri. • Sims - liolise4;iritv / m a ts ,
theits. bon; bed ~sad leeloOatriiitlieliiiemicy, •
wak-a - ligularmarps imfmnidmile% amiss sidfaisib.
dasc ,TO *AO* PAW% .the scheEte
misfit be4r - eekess.
digy 'amid sems.be seiatildilfai
tally
,BonFolosityr -
" t ( " 6 I.s iacy-f
,
Fiititio4
rig
MZMN!
: J J wit.%
rißa
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