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v TH E('o NST ITLT IONA L IS'Y
JAMES GARDNER,
t i; K M S .
I>ally, per annum,...% - 00
Tri- Weekly, per ()<)
If paid in advance
o nr.
Weekly, per annum,.. °
J r %) r>n
If paid in advance, *"
TrfClabu of five, remitting SH> in advance. 2 00
£j~All new subscriptions must be ]>aiu in ad vance.
must be paid un all
Mid Lel'erpnf business.
[Reported Jot the Baltimore Sun. J
TWENTY-NINTH CONGRESS.
SECOND SESSION.
W ashington, March 1, IS 17. j
SENATE.
Evening Session. —The ornate assem
hied a£ain at fi o’clock, and resumed the
consideration of the three million bill, as
it Ucailed —being the bill to place three
millions of dollars at the disposal of the
President in contemplation of negotiations
■with Mexico —was debated up to two
o’clock on Tuesday morning. About I
nine o’clock the question was taken on
the proviso offered in an early stage of’
the bill by Mr. Berrien, disavowing the
policy and purpose of conquring territory
trom Mexico, which was negatived by a
majority of some six or eight votes. A
substitute was then offered for the whole
bill by Mr. Johnson, of Louisiana, (not j
varying its object, but embracing some i
declaratory preamble,) which was agreed !
to bv general consent, when Mr. Upliam ;
moved the adoption of a proviso prohibit ;
ting slavery in any terri-tory which may 1
be acq+iired, (similar to the “Wilmott j
proviso.) which proviso was earnestly
advocated by the mover, and was sire,
nuously opposed by Mr, Cass and Mr.
Dickinson of New York, the latter of
which gendemen was speaking at mid
night.
At 2 o’clock, A. M., the vote was ta
ken on the bill, which was passed by a
majority ol five votes, tiie amendment -
which proposed to prohibit slavery in any i
territory that might be acquired under
the provisions of the bill having been
previously rejected by a majority of ten
votes.
The following’are the yeas and nays on
the anti-slavery amendment.
Yeas—Messrs. Allen, Atherton, Cameron,
Cilley, John M. Clayton, Corwin, Davi?, Day
ton, Dix. Evans, Fairfield. Greene, Hunting
ton, Miller, Niles, Phelps, Simmons, Surgeon,
Upham, Webster, and Wondbridge—2l.
Nays—Messrs. Archer, Ashley, Atchison,
Badger, Bagby, Benton, Berrien, Breese,
Bright, Butler, Calhoun, Cass, Chalmers,
Colquitt, Crittenden, Dickinson, Hannegan,
Houston, Jarnagin, Johnson of Maryland,
Johnson of Louisiana, Lewis, Mangum, Ma- j
*on, Morehead, Pearce, Rusk, Sevier, Saule, |
Turney, Westcott—3l.
The following are the yeas and nays
on the passage of the bill.
Yeas—Messrs. Alien, Ashley, Atchison,
Atherton, Bagby, Benton, Breese. Bright,
Butler, Calhoun, Cass, Chalmers, Colquitt,
Dickinson, Dix, Fairfield, Hannegan, Hous
ton, Johnson of Louisiana. Lewis, Mason,
Niles, Rusk, Sevier, Soule, Surgeon,Turney,
Weslcolf, and Yulee—29.
Nays—Messrs. Archer, Badger, Berrien,
Cameron, Cilley. John M. Clayton, Corwin,
Crittenden, Davis, Dayton, Evans, Greene,
Huntington, Jarnagin, Johnson of Maryland,
Mangum, Miller, Morehead, Pearce, Phelps,
Simmons, Upham, Webster, and Woodbridge
—34.
Washington, March 2, 1847.
The bill amendatory of the act provid
ing compensation for horses lost or de
stroyed in the militia service, was taken
up and passed.
Mr. Evans, from the conference com
mittee on the West Point appropriation
bill, made a report, which was adopted.
Mr. Chalmers presented the creden
tials of the lion. 11. S. Foote, Senator
elect from Mississippi.
Tiie joint resolution to place at the
disposal of Captain C. DeKay the U.
S. ship “Macedonian,” for conveying
food to the suffering Irish, was amended
by adding the ship “Jamestown,” Capt.
Forbes, of Boston, for the sameymrpose
The resolution as amended was then
read a third lime and passed, yeas 21,
nays 14.
Mr. Niles from the conference commit
tee on the post office bill, made a report,
which was adopted.
After some unimportant business, Mr.
Hannegan called up the resolution offered
by him on Thursday, authorizing and j
directingthe Secretary of the Senate to
contract with Dr. J. A. Houston, to furnish
full anJ accurate reports of the proceed
ings and debates of the Senate, daily,
du r ing the next session of Congress, and
have the same printed and furnished to the
members of the Senate.
Mr. Johnson, of Md., moved to amend
the resolution providing that the reports
shall be given to such of the city papers
as will agree to publish them.
Mr Hannegan accepted the amend
ment as a modification.
Mr. Benton opposed the resolution in a
*5 oech of much earnestness, and in conclu
sion, moved to refer it to a select com
mittee of three.
After a few words from Messrs, Pearce
and Hannegan in fovor of securing full
and impartial reports, the motion of Mr.
Benton was lost—yeas 19, nays 29.
After some remarks hy Messrs, Chnl
mens and Niles, a motion made by Mr.
Benton to strike out the name of Dr. James
Houston and to insert Bhtir &; Rives, was
lost—yeas 12, nays 25. .
Mr. Benton then moved to amend the
resolutions in a great many other par
ticulars, but on a division being had, all
the motions failed by a large vote in the
negative.
Mr. Benton, observing that Senators
were leaving the Senate, said he intended
to offer other amendments, and it might
be necessary to send the sergeant-at-arms
after the absentees.
Mr. Johnson, of Maryland, made some
remarks upon the extraordinary course
of the Senator f rom Missouri, in bis per
tinacious attempts to defeat the resolution,
with a full knowledge that tho majority
of the Senate were in favor of it. He had
already consumed hours of valuable time
in offering amendments and calling for
the yeas and nays upon them, and if any i
of the measures connected with tho prose- |
cution the war should fail in consequence
of this very extraordinary w aste of time,
upon the head of the Senator would re.-t
tiie responsibility. Such a course of con- |
duct had never been before witnessed in |
in Senate.
Mr. Benton rejoined, and denounced
the resolution as a scheme to plunder the
contingent fund to the Senate, to establish ;
a new party paper of denounce and on- |
pose the Administration. And he called I
upon the friends of the administration to \
stand by him in his attempt to defeat it. j
lie charged that it was concocted by the ;
same parties, or some of them at least, |
who were concerned in the famous leiter i
giving orders to denounce him, (Mr. B ) ;
and.which he had read the other day in |
the Senate.
Mr. Hannegan said the Senator knew !
his kind feelings towards him, and his !
desire to cherish such feelings, but be j
did not like the application of such term as j
“plunder” and “robbery” applied to a j
i measure w hich he had in’roduced.
Mr. Ifi •nton explained that it was not to i
| him, hut to ihe newspaper, he had allu
| ded.
Mr. Hannegan did not know how the
| sun might set to night, but there was no
man who he would rather see in the Pros}-
1 denlial chair than the Senator from
Missouri.
Some words ensued between ?\lessrs.
Hannegan and Benlnn, and the latter
declared that hercafer their personal
friendship w as at an end, as well as their
political friendship.
Mr. Hannegan in reply had but one
I word to say. “Was it possible for the
1 Senator from Missouri to entertain feel
j jngs of personal friendship towards a
single individual, unless selfishness was
at the bottom of it?”
On motion of .Mr. Sevier, the Senate
took a recess till 6 o’clock.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
The joint resolution providing for the
payment to the Stales of the expenses in
curred for- volunteers previous to being
mustered into the service was passed.
Mr. GcO'ye S. Hamlin, from the com
mittee on conference on the post-office
appropriation bill, made a report, and the
report was agreed to hy the House.
The civil and diplomatic appropriation
bill, was then reported to the House by
i Mr. McKay, from the committeeon ways
| and means, with the amendments of the
Senate, and furtlier amendments to some
of these by the committee, and with a re
commendation that some of the Senate’s
amendments be agreed to, and others dis
agreed to. The bill and amendments
were again considered in committee of the
whole, and the report of the committee of i
ways and means, agreed to in part, and i
disagreed to in part. j
An amendment by the Senate appro- 1
priating $221)0 for repairs to the bridge !
over tiie west branch of the Potomac, in
the district of Columbia, gave rise to a j
spirited debate. The committee of ways ;
and means bad recommended that the
House should disagree to the amendment.
The amendment was agreed to, 87 to
70. The appropriation of 330,009, above
referred to, for the purchase of the bridge
or bridges over the east branch of the
Potomac, to be made free of tolls, was re
jected.
The amendment of the Senate appro
priating $50,000 for the claimants iu the j
case of the Armistead, after a speech from
Mr. John Quincy Adams, was disagreed
to, 2S to 94. »
The amendments having been gone
through with, the bill was reported to the
House.
The clerk proceeded to read the
amendments, which arc very numerous,
and in the consideration of which the
committee of the whole had been engaged
nearly the entire mornng, but before the
reading was completed, at half past 2
o’clock, the House again took a recess
until 5, P. M.
The National inteligencrr of this
morning, unintentionally, we trust, misre
presents us in charging us with having
misrepresented Mr. Senator Berrien in
our comments published on Thurday
evening last, upon that gentleman’s pro
posed amendment to the Three Million
i Bill. In our article, we quoted the follow.
| jprr complete sentence just as it stands in
i the speech of Mr. Berrien, as reported,
| and, as w r e suppose correctly reported in
the Union: W
“/ d°sirc to soy in the outset, to avoid any misap
prehension. that I am prepared to sustain the govern
ment in the vigorous prosecution of this war. by
; vo u„g all needfull supplies in men and money to
I bring it to a successful result.”
j f \t the close ot this sentence in lus
1 snecch, Mr. Berrien was interrupted hy a
j message to the Senate. He ieslimed as
follows:
*1 was in the act of saying to the
ate, that to avoid any misapprehension of
the remaiks which 1 submit to you to day,
and of the course which I design to pur
sue, that I am ready to sustain the ex
ecutive department in the vigorous pros
eculion of the war, by voting all needful
supplies of men and money necessary to
bring it to a successful result, if Mexico,
madly regardless of her own interest, and
of the interests of humanity, shall refuse
to terminate this controversy on terms
which mav consist with toe honor of that
; government and the United stales.
c Upon this tiie Intelligencer remarks:
“This is an entire sentence. It an
nounces a detsr initial ion. and states a con
j dilion on which that determined ion will be
acted upon.”
■gr- . < ■■ ■ ■ ■ -
In reference lo the first of these quo- t
tations as made and commented on in our i
article, the Intelligencer says: '
“This is the whole extract made bv the f
‘Union’ from the speech of Mr. Berrien, t
He is thus represented as declaring an { £
unqualified determination to support the ; i
government in the vigorous prosecution ! (
of the war, and then, copying the ainend- t
merit which lie proposed in the Senate,
they proceeded through a column and a <
half to denounce the inconsistency of iris I
course. J'sow, what we deire to present
to the notice of on r readers is the fact, '
ti»at ihe -materialsfor this denunciation are '
wholly furnished by a misrepresent ui ion
of Mr. Berrien's position—by mutilating ’
a sentence —by making a quotation , which
purports to give a complete sentence and
yet stops in the middle of it; by suppress- i '
ing the ha If of that sentence, which ex
pressly qualified the declaration made,
arid hv presenting it to the readers of the
•Union’ as a sample, unqualified declara
tion of a determination, in every event, to i
support the government in the vigorous
proseenti >n of tire war.”
U'e did no such injustice, we mutilated j
no sentence; we gave the whole of tire sen
tence as it was spoken and reported.—
What we did no/give was lire subsequent
repetition of it.
But ihe condition attached by M>\ Ber
rien, when he thus reiterated his l -detrr- j
min^tlon , to sustain the war, is simply
no distinct ire condition at all. It is the
condition which every supporter of tne
war always m ikes, when he avows his
readiness to sustain the war. The Pro- !
sident has again and again stated in his j
messages the same condition, even while i
recommending vigorous hostilities.
Nobody wishes to prosecute the war
! after Mexico shall he ready “to terminate
| the controversy” by a treaty winch “con- 1
j sists with the honor of the United Stales j
| and of that government.” A treaty with
j Mexico to be honorable to us must give
us justice, reparation, indemnity, for past
i outrage and present war, with due guar
i anlv for permanent peace. Nobody wants
anything more. W c prosecute the war
in order to bring Mexico to a willingness
to make such a treaty and abide by it; j
and for no other purpose. Tiiis—just !
this —is the “successful result” aimed at ;
! by the President and by Congress in ihe :
I war. The condition slated is, in sub- j
i stance in the first quoted sentence of Mr. j
Berrien’s speech is, in substance, the I
1 same condition as is staled in his suhse- ;
qUent sentence. We did Mr. Berrien no
! injustice, therefore, in omitting to quote ;
; his second statement.
The real issue between him and us, on
this point, is that tiro above sentences :
from his speech stale the right “condition”
of a determination of sustain the war,
while his amendment proposes quite on \
other condition —and that a very wror.g \
I one.
I We charged and we showed that Mr. j
I Borneo’s proposed amendment, while oh- j
i jt?ctiona' le in many other respects, was i
i strangely inconsistent with his avowed j
! “ determination ” to prosecute the war lo •
j the “successful result” of which ho j
j speaks. The inconsistence is palpable, 1
and our respect for Mr. Berrien s powers
i of mind leads us to hope that he wdll,
i upon more mature consideration, give up
i his amendment, and stand by the avow- ■
i als of this speech. — Washington Lmon } i
27 th ult.
[From IticN. O. Delta, '2Slh nit.]
From llarana-Two Uajs E-aur.
The packet hiigTiti. Copt. Radovich, ;
arrived yesterday morning, Irom Havana.
Bv her we have full files of papers to the '
18th inst. 'Phe local news in them is of
little importance. The gay season is now j
over, and tire new Bishop allows no oilier
amusements to the Habaneros tlran the 1
Italian Opera, and this troupe, according
lo La Piensa, will leave in a few days |
for the United States, as the Italians are
engaged to play at New York and Bhila- I
delnhia.
Bv the Diario, we see that the number ;
of interments at IT ivana, during the |
mon h ofJanuary, amounted . )453.
No later news was received at Havana
from Mexico, but we notice that a consid
erable number of vessels have cleared j
and are taking in cargoes f>r the coast — |
viz: Sacrificios, Alvarado, Laguna, Sisal, j
Campeachy, &c.; and several of them j
have clea red for ports in tire United States, i
but are known, from the quality of their j
cargoes, to he hound to the Mexican coast. ,
Among others, we see the French brig ;
Amalie Rairnond, Capt. Broser, cleared I
for this city with a cargo of provisions, j
dry goods, &c., which, we are informed I
hv a private letter, is intended to run the
blockade of Vera Cruz.
The packet brig Mary Ann Jones, w'as
advenised to leave on Sunday, the 21st. ;
She may he hourly expected here, and by
her we will probably receive later news
from Yucatan and the coast of Mexico, as
a vessel was daily expected at Havana.
Flour had risen as high as 818 since
the 13:it; Indian Corn was on the decline,
on account of the large quantities arriving
daily. No alteration in the other articles
since our last quotations.
La'est from Tfxa*.
The steamship Palmetto, Capt. Smith,
arrived from Galveston last evening. We
received by her lull files of iexas pa
pers as late as due.
Maj. John M. Allen, U. S. Marhal for
Texas, died suddenly on lire night of ihe
19th inst. He had been slightly indis
posed for some days, but was able lo be
out and to attend to business up to the
evening of his death, when he complained
of severe pains in the body, and was bled
hv his own direction, immediately after
which he expired. Few men, says the
Civilian, have passed more eventful lives
than the deceased. He was a native of
Kentucky; entered the U. S. navy at an
early age; left it to take part in the Greek j \
revolution; and was with Lord Byron
w hen he died. Subsequently he wasen- t
gaged in the struggle for Texas indepen- 1
dence, having commanded a crusier c
against the Mexicans at one time, and be- '
f ~ T ?
ing one of those w ho, at ban Jacinto, re- t
deemed the fair domain that now' const!- r
tales the State of 'Texas forever from the ‘
Mexican yoke. He was the first Mayor j
of Galveston, and has since held Pie of- ,
fine several times.
Washington’s Birthday was celebrated ‘
with due honors and patriotism in G.il- j
veston. I
’Great complaints are made against | -
the mail contractor on the route between i \
I
Victoria and Houston. It appears,says the j
Houston Telegraph of the 22d ult., “that j t
tiro mail between tins city arid \ ictoria ■ |
being a ‘one-horse mail,’it is insufficient : j
for ttie convevmice of all the letters and | i
papers whenever a heavy mail arrives j *
fiom the United States. In consequence j ‘
of this, the Postmaster here had at times | |
sent ‘letters only, because they are of <
more importance and value than newspa 1
pers,’and lire papers have been detained
until the mail was less encumbered ” ,
The weatlrer in tire vicinity of Hons- ;
Inn, during lire early part and middle of 1
tiiis month, was said to he the coldest (
ever experienced in that sectirn of conn- j ■
try. T4ie extreme cold had been produc- j !
live of nmcii sickness in the inferior conn- ' J
ties—pleurisy, quinsy, and other danger- !
ous diseases prevailing to a great extent !
—an I several of the oldest citizens had ■
fallen victims.
Tire citizens of Sari Antonia de Bexar, i
it is said, have it in t ontemplation to j
erect a monument to the memory of the
lamented Capt. Gillespie, whose remains j
passed through Victoria, for the former
place, on the Ist inst.
A large port ion of the town of Ripley,
savs the Houston Telegraph, was con
sumed bv fire on the 2lst of January, and
three children of the widow 'Benson,
whose house was consumed, perished in
the flames. Dugan’s Hotel, McMillen
and Rovnolds’large store, ami tke Tele
graph office, were all consumed. Throe
firemen were killed by lire falling oftim
bers,
A letter of a late date from San Anto
nio. savs the Galveston News, expresses
much moie encouragement in regard to
the prospect of filling up a regiment for
Col, Jack Havs. Capt. Howe, the com
mander of the post of San Antonio, is
spoken of in the highest terms. He is
using every exertion to obviate objections
to the service and remove all difficulties
and impediments. Ho furnishes the ne
cessary supplies and comfortable quar
ters to the small squads of men as they
arrive, until they can be organized into
full companies.
I.
IN SEN \TE—FEBRUARY 23.
MR, IIANNEGAVS SPEECH.
(concluded.)
In marching upon the city of Mexico, and pos
sessing ourselves of her strongholds, what is the
o'»j,vl which they well know wo entertain? Re- J
pa ration for wrongs which she has indicted onus, |
and which reparation we desire tier to make by 1
the conclusion of a treaty of peace an t limits, as j
honorable to her as it can be to ns. We ask at j
her hands, as we have often asked before, in kind ;
lan T uage, the pavment of long withheld indem- i
nities and the establishment ofa fixed boundary. t
These are the terms of peace. As lo the acqui- j
sit m of territory incleded in the terms, we ask it 1
"joint Iv bv way of purchase and indemnity or sat- j
is faction for the present war, and ft is onlv to he j
taken from tier vacant and unoccupied territory, j
1 vine ahmiT our 1 orders, essential to us, useless to j
her,” nd which is already suhdu.d t.v our arms,
in the chances ofa war which she had long pro
voked, and which she was more eager to begin
at last than we were. Do we propose the subju
gation and conquestof Mexico? Ido not believe
there is one sane and intelligent man hi the Lmi
ted States, who would accept tier, if she should
j make the voluntary offer. Do we propose to
0 verturn her government, and give her rulers and j
laws of our selection? Vvhat maniac ever con
j reived the thought? Is our purpose to change
1 the form of her religion, or to rob and desecrate
her religious temples? The constitution of our
! eountrydsecures to thevotaiies o! that religion and
i all others, the fullest enjoyment, oftheir worship;
; churches and the chapels of the Catholic, lif
! tlioir proud spires in smiling security all over this
j broad republic- And what American officer dare
i place his loot again upon his native soil, who !
! tails to punish with unmitigated sc’erit' the ruf- |
lian soldier under fiis command, who offers vio- j
■ Irnce to the inoffensive and unresisting. Hut rav I
i friend from Ohio said the other dav,that Mexi o j
| would feel as indignant at the thought of surren- I
j dering to us anv part of her territory, as we would, j
| should England attempt to wrest from us Massa- j
! ehusetts. with the consecrated soil of Bunker's j
i Hill. Sir, I cannot admit the force of the com- J
j parison, nor I presume will the people of Massa- j
I ehusetts recognise it very readily. On the one
1 side, a teeming, industrious and enlightened pop-
S illation, the verv homeofseicnce,and art. learnign
1 .and the muses,and covered at ever v step with s.inr
j i fied recollections of heroic suffering and mart r
; dom in the cause of liberty; on the other, a wilder
i ness uninhabited, save bv hands of roving sava
i (ges. The fields of Mexican revolutionary glory
I lie not in the wilderness. She has no Bunker s
| Hill, no Lexington in California and New Mexi
j CO. If she had, I might conceive the feeling which
! mv friend has pictured. I should then listen w ith
i an aching heart to tier appeal, if humbled before
I us, and pointing to them ns her treasures, she*
' should tfsk us, if we intended to despoil her of the
I fields where tier independence was won. and the
i craves, where mouldered the hones of her heroes
| first stricken in fight. But tiiis is not the rise,
j and in asking tier to convey to us a portion oflier
j unoccupied territorv, we are asking no more than
1 what our good nature induced us to do last sum
mer, when without anv equivalent at all, wc sur
rendered to England two-thirds or three-fourths
of our own territory in Oregon, and that too, with
the decided approbation of those who now think
it verv wrong to take any land from Mexico.
As to the causes of this war, 1 shall not enter
into them; its justice or its injustice in mv opin
ion have but little to d • with its prosecution,
when the aim on all sides is to prosecute it for the
sake of a speed v termination. One thing, how
ever, I mav in justice remark, that unless refuted,
the assignment of causes made bv the President
in his opening message, must secure to us the
verdict of posterity. But be this as it may, one
thing is certain, we are engaged in war with an
! obstinate enemv, and during its continuance I
feel bound by the highest sense of dutv to contri
bute, by everv means in mv power, to the success
of mv country’s arms, and tlie humiliation and
overthrow of the enemy. I stop not to ask the
approval of casuists when m v heart bids me to
known only mV own country in the contest; and
I fervently trust that Gsd may forever crown her
eagle banner with victorv, whenever and where
evsr her sons may unfurl it in battle, beneath the
broad vault ot Heaven. Never may its glorious j
folJs dimmed and discolored with the blood of Us
soldiers, trail in the dust. 1 should deplore an
unjust or an aggressive war as much as any man; I
I would leave no proper means untried tor '
commodation; to secure peace I would > if Id every
thino but honor; but whilst war lasted I would j
stain every sinew, exert every nerve ofthe nation
to impress the enemy and ttie world with the ter- |
ror of our arms. Sir, the hunters-upot conscience
cases mav approve it or not I well
that this course it is rny duty to adopt and pursue, j
1 would not, whilst the gloomy cloud ot war hung j
over the land, say to the enemy-“Go on. lou
areaight —we are wrong! i lie God ot justice is j
on vour side, and His avenging hand will tet *.<- j
ii'-’or to your toils our soldiers bound hand j ll ' l ’
foot.so that vou may flesh your swords in their t
bosoms!” Sir. I would not saV to our own brave ’
soldiers, “AJarch slowly —trail tour arms—you
are engaged in an unjust and unholy war! -No. |
I would not paralyze their strong arms and va ,
iant hearts in the iuuir of battle! 1 would not rob
them ofthe hope of hea ’en I would not shriek j
into the year ot thodving soldier that tor him no
hriiiht-eved angels waited above Use smoke ofthe ,
battle —tint he must never hope tor paradise! No!
but I would say to our soldiers, “.Advance your
standard! Waive it high in air! Let its flash
ing folds make music; when the battle is over, let .
the blaze of victory surround it. or let your lit *- j
less '.todies he piled in pyramids on the gory field.
Onward in this spirit, or dream no more the proud
wife’s kiss, or the mother’s hl.-s>ings and her
prayer!” For, 1 must confess, Ido not compre
hend the forecast which proposes the withdrawal
of our armies, or the prudence which declares in
advance that wc mu*t attach no Mexican tern- ■
lory to the Union. 1 assail no senator’s motives j
—1 quest! >n no senator’s patriotism—l speak
onlv to what I conceive to be an error of policy, j
when I s.av that, in rny view, I u* adoption of any I
such proposition amounts, in appearance at j
to submission; and that, whils on the one hand, .
they are eminently calculated to encourage the i
arrogance of Mexico, iq>oii the other they will j
find no response in the bosom of the United j
States. Our people will indignantly refuse their |
sanction to any such policy. i lie s umbering |
fires of the nation will be roused at the bare |
thought of humbling the proud standard ofthe
United Slates before barbarian Mexico. Nor,
sir, can 1 participate in the sympathy which 1
have heard invoiced in behail ol Mexico as a sister
republic. In the firs! place, the wrongs she has
done us, and our citizens resident within herbor
ders. snow no vpry sisterly affection on her part;
and in the next, 1 must confess my want of sym
pathy with any people where anarchv rules in the
name of lihertv. Her history is a libel upon re
publican government. When human sympathy
shall follow insubordination, misrule, and blood
shed, then, but not till then, will it be properlv in
voked for Mexico. 1 aaiconstrained reluctantly,
before closing, to turn to a feature, which unhap
pily has been connected with the subject ofthe
present war. Most sincerolv do 1 wish that it
could have been excluded, Come in what shape
it mav, we always find the question of slavery pro
duct!-m of vexation without the slightest result
ing benefit. Whilst I entertain the most sincere
respect for the opinions of many of my fellow
citizens on this subject, founded, as I know
them to he, upon religion and conscience. I have
never ceased to regard their appearance here as
erroneous and misdirected, and in this instance
move misdirected than ever. Why, sir, endeavor
to kindle a flame on either side about this matter
now] VVi! lit not ho tune enough to make law
for the territory, and to prescribe its municipal
regulations, when we possess it? Are we not
possibly subjecting ourselves to the ridicule of
the world by this display of overweaning confi
dence in a result which mav never occur] Is it
sound • olicy, is it true pa riolism, to excite i!l
blood at home, when a for* ign enemy is watching
our proceedings with the ever vigilant rye of an
enemy] Is such a course calculated to bring
Mexico to terms, or to impress mankind with re
verence for republican institutions; All those
seem to me apposite questions at this time, and
all, in my ' iew, are against the agitation which
stirs tins chamber for the last few days, and
which, it would seem, seeks to shake the Union.
I will not s'np now to debate l lie question on one
side or the other, for ! would not {tamper the en
ergies of my country in its hotw of need, like the
present. The proposition to prohibit slavery in
anv territory wiiich may be acquired, will be a fair
subject of discussion when the acquisition is per
fected, and when we arc required to extendover it
our territorial jurisprudence. With the spirit ofthe
remarks of the senator from South Carolina, [Mr.
Roller,] who spoke the other dav on thus subject.
I heartily concur; but whilst with him i feel fully
the disagreeable effect of this question upon the
more kindly feelings, which it is our duty to chcr
i ish. 1 must confess that 1 do not participate in
I the dread of its effects to the extent < x pressed by
others. Wh 'never a laded to, the slave ques
i tion is uniformly arrayed, for the purpose of in
i limidation. One blast upon its clanging trumpet,
| and instantly the gaunt and spectral forrnotdis
• union, with ail its fierce battalia, are conjured he
{ f () re us. Sir, the same God whose pill«r of fire
1 rruided our ancestors through the dark night of
j The revolution, and led them, at the close, to
| build up this most magnificent and benign gov
! ernment, will not permit his high purposes to he
! thwarted hv the vain s hemings or the mad de
lusions of their posterity.
The slave, question, like many oilier questions,
Ins its difficult I***; hut they are far fmm insur
mountable. .More than once already the gallant
vessel of the Union has encountered their rude
shock* and without even sheering to the right or
the left she has passed quietly and majestically «m
her bright and glorious pathway. « ome when it
tn iv. 1 fear not to meet this question, or any other
• connected with our institutions. I ha'e (otifi
-1 dence in Heaven, confidence in the wisdom and
j virtue of my countrymen, that assures me ibe evil
i will not come w ithout the remedy. This agitation
| here is premature—so premature as to m ike men
I wonder why it is, and what for. Plain men think
i jt will be time enough for the watchman of the
j south to sound the alarm when danger approaches;
time enough to talk of dismembering the Lmon
1 when the north shall violate the rights of the
south; time enough to talk of force and disunion,
bloodshed and civil war, when reason and wis
dom, public virtue and patriotism, have no more
a home among us. There can he no disunion
while these last; and wo betide the man whose
foot is first advanced in the unholy cause—that
gives np Ids native land to the fierce, unutterable
horrors of civil war. “It were better for him that
a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that
he were drowned in t lie depth ofthe sea.” There
ran lie no peaceful dissolution of tds I nion. No,
sir; no. Goto the great basin (f the west, and
among her busy and teeming millions find, if you
can. one man who will not die to preserve it; one
mo’iier w ho in its cause will notsav to b*-r son go,
quick to this battle, and “come back in triumph,or
come back no more.” Come what will with others,
there, fast anchored to the rock of ag**s is the im
perishable ark of the Union. My mind inclines
not to the gloomy picture of our country’s des
tiny. which is conveyed so often and so carelessly
in those detested words—disunion, civil war.
Words which bring to me at once, the image of
aland all desolate, the idle and rusted plough; a
solitary ocean, dismasted ships rotting by the sea
sid**; sacked and burning ciiies, desecrated
churches, the fallen column and the broken shaft;
all the consecrated labors of industry, patriotism
and genius in ruins. The midnight fight by the
blazing village, w here father strikes at son, and
brother aims the accursed steel true to the heart of
brother, yet stops his shout of triumph as the red
stream gurgles out, and calls the lightnings of
avenging Heaven to rive him, fratricide, w here
he “lands. This, this is a Hint sketch of civil war,
rnd when vve talk so freely of it, to familiarize the
public with it, to prepare the wav forits coming,
let us not forget its deformity. Hell holds not its
twin in hideousness. But I read no such dark
leaf —rather I love to look down the bright vista ol
ages, through al coming time, and see her free
and happy, and peaceful millions still doubling.—
Her ports on the Atlantic and Pacific, sendina
forth their thousand ships a day, bearing her corn
all over the world. Her broad standart
still advancing unsullied and unchanged, sav<
where new and bright stars shall he shining ou
upon its azure field. Her constitution ever greer
and vigorous. Her council fires yet blazing hen
where we stand. Those pillars still upright am
polished. That portrait still there and none othe:
above or he-ide it. Amt to minx, as i try to read
the far distant future, ihat there shall be no last
nefender of the American republic, no “lion of
our tribe,” till “the bon of man cometh in the
clouds.”
ALUUTSTA. GEO..
i
SATURDAY MORNING, MARCH 6, 1817.
Kir. t alhonu** Vindication.
We shall publish at an early day the reply of
Mr. Calhoun to Air. Benton, who arraigned his
i conduct and discussed his opinions in reference to
; the Mexican war, in terms of great asperity. We
do this in justice to Mr. Calhoun, fur whose talents
1 and character we have a high admiration, and to
; gratify the many admirers of that great man who
are subscribers to our paper. The correctness of
i his reasoning, which brought him to conclusions so
I n
I opposite to those which influenced the vast major
! ity of tin* democratic party, is one question. Tho
purity of the motives which prompted him to take
a position and pursue a course so directly in con
flict with that great party with which he has *o
I long acted and with which he so strongly .sympa
thises upon all fundamental principles of govern
meat, is another and a very distinct question.
It is evident that Mr. Calhoun has acted on the
defensive in this unfortunate division. He in
dulges in no virulence, no fierce invective. His
statements and reasoning are marked by firmness,
temperance and dignity. AV e think he wholly
fails to prove that the annexation of Texas was not
the real cause ol the war, and that the march of
! General Taylor to tli3 Rio Grande was. It can
i never get a hold upon the convictions of the peo
: p!e. We consider it unfortunate for Mr. Calhoun’s
acknowledged reputation fur sagacity, that ho
should have yielded credence to the idea that
| Mexico under Paredes was al all more inclined to
t forgive annexation and make peace than she had
! been at any other period after the consummation
i of that event —an event fur which Mr. Calhoun
plumes himself as one of his brightest achieve
ments.
Usuiugau'* Speech.
This is an able and eloquent production. It ia
one of the most finished and elegant efforts of the
session. It is at once profound and polished. Lo
gical in argument and graceful in expression.
We bespeak for it a careful perusal.
(CTThe Committee appointed at a meeting
: of the citizens held in August last, to pro
j cure and present a Sword to Brig. General
| Twiggs, of the U. S. Army, are requested to
meet this day al 12 o’clock, M., at the store
I of P. McGran.
The Southern t'litiiralar.
We have received the March No. of this
useful periodical. It contains some useful
cuts of agricultural implements, in addition
to its other attractions, and is filled with
many valuable articles on subjects interest
ing to our planters,
Central Knil ISoitd.
At a meeting of tiie stockholders of the
Central Rail Road, held at Savannah on llui
i 2d inst., the following preamble and resolu
tion was adopted:
Whereas, Tho cost of constructing and
! stocking the Road of tfiis Company amounts
| on the books at this day to $2,550.000. and
’ the amount of stock subscribed is but $2,-
; 049,165, leaving a debt against the Company
i of $590,835; and whereas it is desirable to
| place the Company Jn a position to pay divi
| dends to all its Stockholders, with a view to
| this end. be it.
j Resolved , That the Directors be authorized
■ to take into consideration the propriety of ia
i suinrr, and to issue if in their judgment it is
advisable,new Slock to the amount .*5500,000,
: guaranteeing to the subscribers to said Slock
j semi-annual dividends at the rale of eight
: cent per annum for ten years, the Com
’ pany reserving the right of redeeming said
j Slock til the expiration of that time at par,
| or of renewing the same for ten years longer,
under the same terms and guarantee. Pro*
I vided, Any holder of said Stock may at any
time before the expiration of the ten years
be allowed Jo convert the same into the gen
eral Slock ofthe Company at par.
The Republican states that the eff'et of
this resolution on the value of the Slock of
the Company has been to raise prices from
fifty-one (at which it was previously selling)
to sixty-lwo dollars per share.
Firo at Coluiubia, (»a.
We regret to learn by a postscript on the
j way bill from Columbus, received at the Post
| Office in this city yesterday morning, that
| our sister city has been visited with another
j calamitous fire. The following is the Post
; script:
| “MARCH 3, BP, M, —A Fire is now ra
-1 ging which must destroy one or mure
| squares,”
i o*The Telegraph wires between New
York and Philadelphia were out of order on
the 3d inst. and no communications from the
former point were received at Baltimore on
the 3d inst. The New York Colton market
was very inactive on Monday,in consequence
of the difficulty in procuring freights to Eu
rope, and the sales were not worth quoting.
Slavery in Delaware.
t The bill which passed the House of Representa
tives of the Delaw are Legislature, providing for
, the gradual abolition of slavery in that State, was
indefinitely postponed in the Senate. On motion to
, reconsider the vote of postponement, the vote was
yeas 4, nays 4, and one member absent. Tho
1 Speaker voted with the nays. “So the Senate,”
5 says the Delaw are Gazette, “refused to reconsider
the late vole, which, we sup, ose, seals the fate of
' the measure for this session at least.”
f sCrThe Boston Post says that Gen. Armstrong,
American Consul at Liverpool, is to return home,
1 at his own request, and receive the command of
; 1 ono of the new Kentucky and Tennessee regi
-1 i ments.
-
1 ! Columbia South Carolinian.
Col. A. G. Summers, the senior f
f ! this Journal, has w ithdrawn from the establish]
e : meiit, and B. R. Carroll, Esq., has assumed itsen
■, | lire management and control.
e 7-
| It < ( Tbitß.
s Lieut. Mclntosh advertises for one hun
k drod recurits. Here is a fine opportunity for
’* young men who disire to march to Mexico. —
” I Savannah Georgian, 4th inst.
g Thf U. S. Voliiguera.
»- \Ve learn that Lieut Leonidas Mclntosh
is attached to the New Regiment of Volti
,t guers, to be commanded by Col. T. P. An
n drews, ofthe regular army,
re Capt. Jones, now in Mexico, will command
id the Company, and Mr. Forsyth, of Columbus,
:r js 2d Lieutenant. —lb.