Indiana American, Volume 4, Number 15, Brookville, Franklin County, 8 April 1836 — Page 2

CONGRESSIONAL SKETCHES.

Correspondence of the Cincinnati TFhig-. Washington, March 2 1st, 183G. Benton again from noon till evening upon the same Expunging topic in the s;ime exp uiging manner. For the whole day he has een cursing withstrong imprecation, the Hank, the "damnable Bank" as he has called i, and reiterated the curse. His historical nalhemas have also gone forth against the fr. ends of the Institutions from the least to the greatest. As usual he has encompassed Heaven and Earth to prove that Expunging is con'rary to heathenism and according to the Christain Religion. Moses he contends was in favor of Expunging, and inherited the doctrine, from Adam. Noah he says, would be ii favor of Expunging if he were alive. The Missouri Senator then leaving Ecclesiastical history, commenced with the Profane Historians, and travelled through the world and the historians of the world since the days of Herodotus. Law came next, which was morals and ethics. Then came a chapter upon Mechanics and Hydrostatics, then a Book upon Banking, and soon aftera large volume upon Expunging. This, however, he assured us was only the Preamble. 1 listened or .jbmitted to a morning penance by listening to the speech of this mad politic ian. The Senate for the day or during the delivery of this Expunging speech presented but few hearers either above stairs or below. 1 nw hut three of the Whiz Senators in their " " !J places so disgusting and personally abusive has this Senate become during a week or two oast. Most of the Administration Senators were busv writing or attending to their own affairs, even to Ether Shepley. Henry Hubbard, of New Hampshire, and the celebra ted Dr. Niles. of Connecticut. Isaac Hill was listening with mouth and ears open back ed up by Blair, of the Globe. Opposite to the Globe and the New Hampshire Governor and standing in rear of the Missouri Orator was Alexander H. Everett and one or two little Alennders like unto him. Thus situuted, the Expunger began his expunging speech, and continued till near adjournment, when he finished his pre amble and ended his ppeech, for the present. Read it, read it 1 beseach you, dear reader, when the Globe shall have piven it birth. It will be a trial of patience, and have the power of giving you a new idea of the uondcrful genius of this very wonderful man. The House, through a very clever and sensible though ill-spoken men from Kentucky, by the name of Allan has been lashing the Administration merely by the repetition of sober facts, with a rod of Iron. A Petition from the Legislature of Kentucky in reference to the Public Lands, brought the subject before the House. Mr. Allan then went into a full examination of the claims of this Administration to the confidence of the people. He compared its promises by its acts its pledges by their violation. He spoke at length upon the inter ference of the President in the currency of the country. He reiterated with peculiar effect the promise of the President not to bring the Executive Patronage into conflict with the freedom of Eleclions,-his promise was also given, Mr. Allan remarked, not to appoint Members of Congress to office. How has he kept it. The salines which have been paid to Members of Congress alone, who while Members, (during the present Administration, amounts to more than half a million of dollars. Here Mr. Allan gave names and dates to prove all that he said. One ocl ock'soon arrived, "soon enough for the party, who were anxious to check the discussion. Mr. Allan asked for thirty minutes only to finish his speech. The majority refused and the House spent the remainder of the day in receiving Petitions, and in hearing reports from the committees. The rumour seems to gain more general credence every day, that Livingston is to go to France instead of Cass. All admits, how ever, that Livingston will slay but one year. which will give him the vcrv pretty sum, if he manages right of $"23,000. Cass will succeed him. Will it not be an insult to France to return Livingston! Webster left the city on Saturday last, for home, where he is to stop for a week or two. Sutherland is in Pennsylvania.nnd otheis are going or gone. Washington, March 22d, 1836. To-day both wings of the Capitol have been the scense of an interesting discussion. The poor Van Buren, Johnson, Anti Bank, no monopoly Republicans have had neither peace within themselves or a place where to lay their heads or place their feet in safety. The Senate was to them worse than two bedlambs, and the house was worse than at least a dozen. In the one branch Porter, the noble Senator from Louisiana has been expunging Benton's Expunging speech, while in the other, Bell has been pouncing upon the Van Buren party till hardly enough of them is left for the picking of other members who may succeed him in battling down this monster of corruption, the Van Buren party itself. A stray Jackson man of the ultra kind was met in the library scolding like a furious maniac over the horrid state of affairs in both Houses of Congress. Another partizan was met in the refreshment room upon the basement story of the Capitol groaning over the Expositions going on above stairs. Some of the over righteous and over zealous were stationed in squads of a half dozen placad in the Rotundo or the lobbies of the House. Several were in the ladies gallery, drowning sorrow by listining to the thousand female clatters who daily throng the.galleries. Some were in the Senate listening to the retorts of Porter. Others were at home, while prtpi third prt of th party braved the

storm and listened to the talf of their own corruptions. Allofthemlam sure will remember the 22d ofMarch with John Bell and Alexander Porter. Some of the few who dare reply may attempt it. None 1 think will undertake it in the House, unless it may be John Quincy Adams, who not unlikely will weave into his discusion his famous

promised speech in reply to Evans Hardin Reed and some halfdozen others.-In the Senate, Wright, of New York, may reply to Porter. He is the only man of the party who knows how to make a gentlemanly speech and a sensible one. And since I am drawing comparisons you may ask, if this be true, where is Benton? here Porter left him this afternoon silent as death. Mum is the only reply can be made by him & such ashim. But to the Senate. A friend has given a brief outline of the speech which I send you, having time only to give you a brief notice of the speech. Of course the reply was given to the speech of Mr. Benton, who has made himsell so notorious in this Expunging husinrs7. He entered brit-fl' into an examination of the constitutional part of the question. Here in express terms it was declared that a journal ofthe proceedings of the Senate should be kept by the Clerk. How then could these proceedings be expunged? Where did the right come from? From the present act of the Senate? That was forbidden by the con stitution; curtly Keeping a journal and ex punging a record were not the same. Mr, Porter here said that there were various mea nings attached to the verb to be. Noah Web ster had given thirty-six. And yet with all these definitions every one understood what was meant by keeping a journal meant one and the same thing w hether in Scotlnd, Ireland or America. Upon the word keep Mr. Porter presented several illustrations which kept the Senate Chamber in continual peals of laughter. I subjoin one or two as I learned them, which of course los much of their original character in being told by any but the author. One was this Suppose the Senator from Missouri should put his horse in charge of a servant 'to be kept.' The Hostler goes to Webster's Dictionary and looks at the verb keep, and finds that it means in o:ie place, as it does in fact 'to copy.' The Hostler returns to the stable cogitates upon the copying of a horse does'nt understand it, and turns him into the street. I suppose again that a friend should receive from the Missouri Senator a book "o keep.'' The friend looks into Webster's Dictionary to find the meaning of the word to keep, and Webster tells in one place that it means to nourish. The friend not knowing how to nourish the book throws it away. Suppose again, that the Senator from Missouri should in the hey day of youth have met upon the Cumberland Road, where he, Mr. Porter, first met the Missouri Senator, a young lady to whom he had become attached, and the father should have given this fair damsel to him to kerp as his own wife. The Missouri Senator looks into the Dictionary, to the meaning of keep, and it says to pasture, his fair maiden! All this which I am informed was most happy told in the usually playful manner of Mr. Porter, was a powerful retort upon Mr. Benton, who had said much of thir-thirty-six meanings attached to the word keep. Mr. Porter then replied to the precedents given by Mr. Benton in England and elsewhere. He contended that the laws of the two countries were different. In England the constitution did not make it necessary to keep a journal of the House. In this country it did. Here was the difference, and surely it was ample. In monarchies the Executive did their own expunging. Here the case of James the First was cited as reported in the Memoirs of Hampden; the monarch dissolved the Parliament and with his own hand blotted out the records written against him. Perhaps this would be a precedent for General Jackson. At any rate the Missouri Senator might recommend the measure to him. He could not do I ir I . .1 y ma ll inmscu, out sun me senator irom iUissouri would probably have no objections. He might remind him of the recommendation of the Virginia Legislature to blot out the record with black lines, or comentto do it by drawing red lines or blue ones around the persecuted record condemning the President. Witn the closing remarks of Mr. Porter I close my extracts from this able and talented speech. Suppose , said Mr. Portcr.the Senate should now order the former acts ofthe Senate to he expunged. Suppose the Secretary of the Senate, should be ordered to blot out the odious record, he has sworn heretofore to keep a correct journal of all the proceedings, would he not be liable to be prosecuted for permitting such violation of his sworn duties. Evidently he would. Here Mr. Porter was so much exhausted as to be compelled to take his scat. The floor however will be his to-morrow, when he will pour forth another cannonade upon the little man from Missouri. In the House nothing has been done of importance, excepting the delivery of the able speech of Mr. Bell, of which 1 have no time to write you this evening. Washington, March 23d, IS3G. The Anti-Bank Anti-Republican AntiAmerican politicians have to-day again been beaten in both wings of the Capitol. As upon yesterday .they have been roaming in search of a place free from political molestation. But, alas for their crimes there is no peace to the wicked, either for men without principle in morals or politics. "They are as the good book has it, like a troubled sea continually casting up mire and dirt." Bell of Tennessee, who knows the reigning men and the reigning measures of the parly has exposed the corruption of the Augean stable, till all bave become weary and disgusted at

the picture- Is it not plain enough to all how such men as Calhoun, Preston, White, Bell and a host of others like them have been driven from their once strong holds? how they have left a party which has forsaken principle? how they have detested men who have detested themselves? Would that you could have heard the gall

ing truths winch have been uttered to-dav. by Mr. bell the history, the still livine and never dying history of the last night ofthe last session, lie called the actors in the dis gracetul iXatronal Lira ma to an account he spread in bold rehet their iniquities before uiem. lie called the accusers by name, ring ing the names of Hubbard, of Beardsley. of amorcicng ana others like them, through the nan. wnose Acts lie scrutinized in such : manner as to make it painful to even the ene mies oi tnesc men. l'oor Cambreleng of .New lork, being out of character grew out of temper also, and once or twice attemnted to reply to the charges brought against him. At last he succeeded in getting the floor, and making a speech by way 0f corp'aualion, and not apology. He w ill never do that nor his master either, who to quote the language of Cam himsclf,would sooner see the country dei I : i.l i c m - J lucu in uiuuu iioiu muine to Georgia in conclusion my. jjcii made a bold vindi cation ot himself. 1 he course he had pursn ed its consistency, and its propriety. He argued that the Jackson party now, was not uie jackson party ant ing I8"29 and for sever al years subsequent to that time. He had not changed his political principles they were sun tne same as they had been since 1800. lie called upon manv of the mainrif v to do him justice by acknowled sriiifr that he had opposod at all previous times the princi ples which ne now uerogates cc has protested Hgainsi, ami iinauy said that his own con science told him that he had done right. To his constituents, the people of his own dis trict, he looked for justice and vindication. In the Senate Mr. Porter has had the floor in reply to Mr. Benton, whom he has honorably and completely exnunfred. The Sena tor from Missouri,has been destitute of friends for the day. Alexander II. Everett and Francis Blair both have deserted him.leaving uie seats arouna the expunger, wholly vaca ted or expunged; which word expunge, by the way, is here in the mouths of every one. mi.. J ana applied by all, even to the school bovs of the city, to Benton. Humbug Benton and expunging Benton, are titles well earned and well merited by the Senator. Thev will cleave to h:m and to his posterity, if like him even unto death. Mr. Porters speech is very generally ad uiiicu Dy an. icsterday it was listened to by a crowded audience, and to-day the Senri i .... J ne vnarnDtr was sun more crowded with delighted audience. l have never enjoyed a more interesting scene than the one w hich dame fortuncsnread out belore me this morning. The moving of me waters or rather the gathering ofthe people was at the Capitol. Curiosity placed mc in company with a brother correspondent. anas, nirenng scribblers, in another direction. i- i r- .... . 7 1 had learnt that a Council was to be held among the Chippewa and the Ottawa chiefs ana witn the Indian l,ommiinnrs at fh Masonic Hall. U hither at eleven o'clock, the hour announced for opening, the Coun cil went. But few persons save the Indians themselves weie present. These to the num her ol thirty or forty were standing or sitting around the Hall, deaf and dumb as silence itself. The Hall was enveloned in smoke. most of the Indians smoking the calumet here as elsewhere, when assembled on peacclul and friendly intercourse. Uncle Sam had been liberal in the hestowment nf his usual bounties one corner containin keg of tobacco, w hich had been provided for tne occasion and the window-scats covered with pipes. I he audience was small, less than a hundred persons being present. A few ladies were present and several children which had been admitted from a school kept in some part ofthe building. Excuse me for being thus particular, it being necessary to what I have to say hereafter. A lew moments after eleven, two Chippe wa v,nieis entered dressed in Indian character, leading in the Interpreter who was behind. A young and noble chief who spoke good English, led him to a chair by the side of another Interpreter and by the Commissioners. The Chippewas present were mostly Calliolics, who I am told, arj very much devoted to their Religion. At one end of the table the Catholic Priest was placed taking notes of what was passing between the Commissioners and the Chiefs. The Priest was a young man apparently not more than 25 years of age. He had been sent from this country in his youth to Rome where he was theologically educated and then returned home as Missionary among his own tribe. His dress was perfectly plain and simple his manner mild, courteous, gentlemanly and in all res pect well befitting his holy profession. I had the pleasure of a conversation with him and found him agreeable and intelligent. The council after being in session for an hour adjourned until to morrow. Of the spee ches made, &c. I will tell you in my letter of to-morrow. Washington, March 24th, 183G. My letter of last evening left me at the Masonic Hall surrounded with thirty Chiefs belonging to the Ottawa and Chippawa Tribes, and assembled for the purpose of receiving justice at the hands ofthe American Commissioner, or to use the language of the Ottawa Chief, "Justice from their American Father.' Fancy then, again before you, the scene I hastily drew in my last evening's letter. The table the maps of the disputed boundary the Interpreters, one of them a half bred American and Ottawa, and the oth

er an American th; lull biood Indian Cath

olic Priest, born in America, christianized in America and educated at Rome in all the doctrines ofthe Rcmish church. Do not for get the mother and the children. The Ottawa Chiefs were placed in the front of the Commissioners and Interpreters, and the Chippawas opposite the latter and b) the way being much better clothed and much more intelligent than their Ottawa brethern. Thus situated one ofthe Ottawa Chiefs, the eldest of all present, rose from the front seat, giving his hand in token of friendship to the Commissioner. This man who was more than six feet high, with his head, the largest I ever saw before, shaven from the top ofthe forehead to the crown, presented a most savage appearance. His age to appearance w as more than sixty veais his hair and head were white and his costume, wholly of an Indian character. From the appearance of this chief as well as those around him, any one would have supposed the Otrawas a far more destitute, degraded and neglected race than the Chippewas, who, were even dressed. (one of them in particular) more buckish than a iNew ork beau. 1 he old man said but a few words, and those in his native tongue. and having reference simply to the location of the Chippewa lands. His conclusion, how ever, was noble, worthy of a Chief and a Fa ther. We ask our Father, said he, (meaning tne rresiaent oi tne united Mate?) that he I I t r- m wuuiu ri-serve some lands lor us and lor our posterity. The surrounding chiefs nodded assent. The name of this Chief who had just closed, was .ijokosigrn. A younger chief now rose who went by the name of Migisinni. He was a noble looking fellow, dressed in full Indian costume, with his face painted, and his hair queerly arranged. His right hand was given to both ofthe Commissioners, when in an impressive and eloquent strain of oratory he began. I gathered a few words from the Interpreter, w hich were as follows: "Listen to me, oh Fathers! The Great Spirit sees us. He knows your thoughts and my thoughts. His eye is ever upon us, (pointing to the Heavens.) He gives us all that we have and all that we want. He knows all of our thoughts and actions." Then casting his I.l WW . . . fr eyes arouna tne nan the white man said he loves his wife, (pointing to the ladies) and the red man loves his wife as the white man his. rn. .!.: . . ...... xnc ime man loves his children, pointing .... " to a group oi scholars which had just before entered the Hall. So does the red" man. With this brief, eloquent exordium, Megisinni continued a speech of not more than ten minutes length. Of this chief 1 could well exclaim in the language of another, once applied to the Great Red Jacket who is represented as personifying eloquence itself; " Her spell is tlnne that readies The heart and makes the wisest head its sport, And there's one rare virtue in thy speeches. The secret of their mastery they are short." So short, that not in length only, but in thought and action, they afforded an admirable oommentary upon the thoughtless and prolix speeches of members of Congress. The business before the Commissioners was the purchasing of some lands from the Indians who reside in Michigan.' The Indian Chiefs wished to have sever.il large tracts reserved to them and their posterity, for whom, with their wives, they manifested the most tender affection. In the council there were two interested parties, opposed to each, in regard to the disposition and reservation of their Micl dgan lands. Thus situated, and thus disagreeing, the two parties referred their difficulties to their American Father, renewing in all their speeches, and all their actions, and feelings the warmest pledges of their hearts that they were still the friend and lover of the while man. The speech of the Ottawa at once reminded me of the beautiful lines of Campbell in the Gertrude of Wyoming: Christian? I am the foeman of thy foe: Our wampum league thy brethern did embrace, Upon the Michigan some months ago, We launched our quivers for the bison chase; And with the Hurons planted for a space. With true and faithful hands the olive-stalk. Hut snakes are in the bosom of their race, And though they held with us a friendly talk. The hollow peace-tree fell beneath their tomahawk lhursdau L.vrmng. lo-day, I again left the councils of the Nation, where, however, nothing of interest has been done, and look up my abode for the most part of the day in the Masonic Hall, to listen and see the most interesting scenes of an Indian council. To day a much larger audience were present than yesterday the same forms and ceremo nies: smokingnnd lounging silence and oth er general oddities attended their delibera tions as upon the first day. There were more speakers, however, which increased the inter est of the scene, Afokostsrin was there with lis ugly Indian head, the worst I ever saw before, and in truth so very unchristian that a dozen chiefs like him would frighten an aimy ol grenadiers with mustaches, reminding me of the lines applied to Red Jacket: "Yes, thou art a brave one, scorning wind and weather, And fitted for thy couch, on field and flood. As Hob Koy's Tartans for the highland heathed, Or forests green for England's Robin Hood. Is strength a monarch's merit? like a whaler's Thou art as tall, as sinewy and as strong As Earth's first Kings the A rgo's gallant sailors, neroes in History and gods in songs." Megisinni was also there. I have no ideas of my own, may I then also sing his merits in the words of another: With look like Job's oschewing evil With motions graceful as a bird in air Thou art in sober truth the veriest devil That e'er clenched fingers in a captive's hair! And underneath that face, like summer's ocean's Its lip is moveless, an-l its cheek as clear, Slumbers a whirl-wind ofthe heart's emotions. Love, hatred, pride, hope, sorrow all save fear! So much for the Indians. Congress has done nothing worth putting upon paper, save

in the Senate, the passage of a Bill to a third

reauing, proposing i ne payment of one million of dollars Holland debt, for which, at present Washington City is indebted. ' I he House have spent the day in dij-ciuj-ing the claims of New land and Graham and vxrannm ana jewiand. IN oth lung wag dono but to hold a talk of five hours, Washington, March 25th 1836. A dull session with the contested election in the House.ar.d the Expunging Fnrce in the Senate, has been the Congressional scenes of the day. Mr. Calhoun was among the speakers in the Senate; bright, brilliant nnd pow! erful as ever. Yesterday he introduced a resolution into the Senate, making it pcna in the highest degree to mutilate the Journ. als of the Senate in any way, manner or Mill JC The little Wcilker of Mississippi, cam. in defence of his humbug expunsrinp T?mil up utriiioii ii iwissouri, eniorcing a new nrincipie in law and morals by saying that the SerJ ate had no power over the Journals of the Senate except duringthe hoursnf session. nnd that if any one was al any other time to m'uti. ate the Journals, nothing could be done ly the Senate to punish the offence. II0W rf. diculous and how worthy are such arrumentj ofthe disciples of Van Burrnism, Radii . ism, Jacksonism, Ulf raism, Mobism and Johnsonism. Walker is fast losing the little repu. tation he brought with him. Hc came lure a so so man professing great independence great honesty. In words he gave some proof that he was honest the party frowned unon him scolded him reprimanded him.pn. ished him till now he wears as tight a collar as the most faithful of the party. I5ut Jlair was not the only man, that, to-day to. l the mark set by the collar party. I)r. 'ihw Connecticut, Senator of U.'S. tih-o aroe (0 expound the principlcsof law. Common hw as it was called by the Connecticut ). common enough, I assure jou. So very core, mon that it puzzled the common sense of uncommon men to comprehend the menniW of this uncommon law Senator. But the Dr knew enough not to speak long, and after tialing us with his learned expositions.k-avino us more medicine to be taken bv mid lB left us to cogitate upon what we had already received. faithful, was among the faithful actors in this scene of party subserviency. Determined that Mr. Calhoun' resolution should not he discussed, and that Mr. Benton's should not he motioned, that the Resolution then before the Senate should be laid upon the table. The motion was put and carried by a strictly IW ty vote. Jot a man of the Administration uould consent that the Journals of the Senate snouia not oe mutilated. Let the people remember it. The House have been discussing foranoiher six hours the contested election of Xenland versus Gral fim. upon a motion n:;idelo receive new evidence and to recommit the subject to the Committee of the Whole on the State of the Union. Upon this motion. Hoar of Massachusetts, made an ablest). which Beardsley the New York Attr General, who is receiving a double sa' member of Congress and .n Attorne1 i" WT. i . rtiit-iMj-ii-u 10 answer. I'eyton vl ic:i-: essee, was also among the Speakers. Our days, said he,are numbered c t b are numncrcd it is vain to conceal f ask the gentleman from New York, .o draw his motion. Let us see, let the see who will vote against receiving th T" sittons which have been sent here from people to sustain their Representative, the yeas and nays be heard let the n ne nearu jet uie names be known .v to to I end I hope the question may be taken once. ise the young Virginian, who stands Ihe morningstar in the Va. Constellation.:! who is one of the very few righteous tan irom .ot, also spoke upon the question, loi-j lowing Beardsley who affects to know mora than all of his brother members of Con.rrev colleagues and competitors put together, hi who by the way, always gets a rap from lit iruiman. 31 r. W ise rose and said that he deemc lawyer politicians unfit to dee'de a case liki the one before the house. The people b 4 1 . r . . . 1 saio, ere 10 De lorgotten and a srrami' made for persons. The people were not rcni suited, nut merely the interested parlies thenselves the will of the people was fcrgottn They had spoken, but their voice was not ' be heard. Why, Wise asked, will not Hi House receive this evidence. Was it takt without a proper officer? Was it illecel Why not receive it then? Because the Corf mittcc the majoiilyof the Committee M refused it you cannot honorably refu-'f 1 receive it unless you are blind as bats a-' deaf as adders to justice and to the will of people. Mr. ise then went on to argue that m ositious could not be taken after the sesf1! of Congress had been commenced. A f'1 trary position had been taken by some of members, and the case of Moore and lelr1 r was cited to the contrary, where most' Ihe evidence was taken after the session cri menced. He alluded with peculiar t-ffer' th minr:ililo n-i rl nl:... ,) f u it hv ' A men in power he could name, he said, ' j would lav a wafer unon tUtir vote. l)lll anneal In fhpir fiarlv nn.I ?cL- lirm" if 'H will stick to thp. h,p t.lmi:ilitic n't:' they once abandoned. Will they be 1J II"1! enced by the quirks and auibhlt sof the lorney General! Will they be seduced ti principles by their own Jove of nam.' they refuse to reeive that evidet-e for o"1' which they would have asked for their.jeM several other Members spoke upon question. Word, word ended tne