Lives of Distinguished North Carolinians, with Illustrations and Speeches
History
Lives of Distinguished North Carolinians, with Illustrations and Speeches
North Carolina -- Biography
And the event has proved that his judgment, as always, committed
no mistake when it bestowed that confidence. He had his
peculiarities--idiosyncrasies, if any one pleases--but they were
born with him, suited to him, constituting a part of his character,
and necessary to its completeness. He never subscribed to charities,
but gave, and freely, according to his means--the left hand not
knowing what the right hand did. He never subscribed for new books,
giving as a reason to the soliciting agent that nobody purchased
his tobacco until it was inspected, and he could buy no book until
he had examined it. He would not attend the Congress Presidential
Caucus of 1824, although it was sure to nominate his own choice (Mr.
Crawford); and, when a reason was wanted, he gave it in the brief
answer that he attended one once and they cheated him, and he had
said that he would never attend another. He always wore the same
dress--that is to say, a suit of the same material, cut, and color
superfine navy blue--the whole suit from the same piece, and in the
fashion of the time of the Revolution; and always replaced by a new
one before it showed age. He was neat in his person, always wore
fine linen, a fine cambric stock, a fine fur hat with a brim to it,
fair top-boots--the boot outside the pantaloons, on the principle
that leather was stronger than cloth. He would wear no man's honors,
and when complimented on the report on the Panama mission, which,
as Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations, he had presented
to the Senate, he would answer, "Yes, it is a good report; Tazewell
wrote it." Left to himself, he was ready to take the last place
and the lowest seat anywhere; but, in his representative capacity
he would suffer no derogation of a constitutional or of a popular
right. Thus, when Speaker of the House, and a place behind the
President's Secretaries had been assigned him in some ceremony, he
disregarded the programme, and, as the elect of the elect of all the
people, took his place next after those whom the national vote had
elected. And in 1803, on the question to change the form of voting
for President and Vice-President, and the vote wanting one of the
constitutional number of two-thirds, he resisted the rule of the
House which restricted the Speaker's vote to a tie, or to a vote
which would make a tie--claimed his constitutional right to vote
as a member, obtained it, gave the vote, made the two-thirds, and
carried the amendment.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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