Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856, Vol. 3 (of 16)United States. Congress
History
Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856, Vol. 3 (of 16)
United States. Congress
Law -- United States; United States -- Politics and government
which it took place until long after their occurrence. It was true that
the deliberations of Congress were then held in Philadelphia, the scene
of this alleged iniquity, but, with other members he was employed in
discharging his duties to his constituents, not in witnessing, in any
court, the triumph of his principles. He could not have been so employed.
It would be recollected, that the information given by the gentleman
from Pennsylvania formed the groundwork of his proceedings, and he asked
whether it was more the duty of the mover of the resolution to have
brought it forward than every other member of the House who was a witness
of the statement made by that gentleman? This information, of an official
nature, given by a member in his place, of a transaction in open court,
and which it was the duty of them all to have noticed, had been called
a story related on hearsay; a rumor of an affair which had happened in
a corner; and the House was asked if they would take such evidence as
ground of proceeding, on the _dictum_ of any one member, however great
their confidence in him might be? If he really felt that respect for
the House which the gentleman from Connecticut had professed, he would
not have insulted their understandings by such language. He would not
have stood up, as _amicus curiæ_, to prevent their being precipitated
into absurdity and injustice by an influential member of their body.
That, however, was the station which the gentleman had assumed, and
he hoped the duties of it would be discharged with the fidelity which
they required. After clothing himself with this character, Mr. R. said
he expected to have seen him at his post--he regretted that he did
not see him there, and that his duty did not permit him to withhold
the observations which he was compelled to make. Whilst, however, the
gentleman was engaged in discharging the new and important function
with which he stood self-invested, he seemed cautious of replying to
the masterly statement of his venerable friend from Pennsylvania, and
which he believed had remained unanswered because it was unanswerable.
It must, said Mr. R., be a subject of high gratification to us all,
and I congratulate this House upon it, that age has not yet dimmed the
lustre of those talents which have so long presided in the councils
of this country. And if the time shall come when we are to resign our
understandings, and place ourselves under the direction of an individual,
I hope to be permitted to range myself under the banners of that tried
patriot, and not under those of the gentleman from Connecticut. In the
same spirit with which he challenged the confidence of the House, as a
friend unwilling to see them led into error and absurdity, that gentleman
had endeavored to alarm their pride by representing the motion as a
demand made upon them. It was so. It was (if he might so express it)
a writ of right, not of favor--and as such he demanded it, as such he
urged it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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