the writings-2-第15章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



〃general　availability〃　which　you　charge　upon　us；　and　daily　chew

over　here；　as　something　exceedingly　odious　and　unprincipled。　　But

the　gentleman　from　Georgia　＇Mr。　Iverson＇　gave　us　a　second　speech

yesterday；　all　well　considered　and　put　down　in　writing；　in　which

Van　Buren　was　scathed　and　withered　a　〃few〃　for　his　present

position　and　movements。　　I　cannot　remember　the　gentleman's

precise　language；　but　I　do　remember　he　put　Van　Buren　down；　down；

till　he　got　him　where　he　was　finally　to　〃stink〃　and　〃rot。〃



Mr。　Speaker；　it　is　no　business　or　inclination　of　mine　to　defend

Martin　Van　Buren　in　the　war　of　extermination　now　waging　between

him　and　his　old　admirers。　　I　say；　〃Devil　take　the　hindmost〃and

the　foremost。　　But　there　is　no　mistaking　the　origin　of　the

breach；　and　if　the　curse　of　〃stinking〃　and　〃rotting〃　is　to　fall

on　the　first　and　greatest　violators　of　principle　in　the　matter；　I

disinterestedly　suggest　that　the　gentleman　from　Georgia　and　his

present　co…workers　are　bound　to　take　it　upon　themselves。　　But　the

gentleman　from　Georgia　further　says　we　have　deserted　all　our

principles；　and　taken　shelter　under　General　Taylor's　military

coat…tail；　and　he　seems　to　think　this　is　exceedingly　degrading。

Well；　as　his　faith　is；　so　be　it　unto　him。　　But　can　he　remember　no

other　military　coat…tail　under　which　a　certain　other　party　have

been　sheltering　for　near　a　quarter　of　a　century？　　Has　he　no

acquaintance　with　the　ample　military　coat　tail　of　General

Jackson？　　Does　he　not　know　that　his　own　party　have　run　the　five

last　Presidential　races　under　that　coat…tail；　and　that　they　are

now　running　the　sixth　under　the　same　cover？　　Yes；　sir；　that　coat…

tail　was　used　not　only　for　General　Jackson　himself；　but　has　been

clung　to；　with　the　grip　of　death；　by　every　Democratic　candidate

since。　　You　have　never　ventured；　and　dare　not　now　venture；　from

under　it。　　Your　campaign　papers　have　constantly　been　〃Old

Hickories；〃　with　rude　likenesses　of　the　old　general　upon　them；

hickory　poles　and　hickory　brooms　your　never…ending　emblems；　Mr。

Polk　himself　was　〃Young　Hickory；〃　or　something　so；　and　even　now

your　campaign　paper　here　is　proclaiming　that　Cass　and　Butler　are

of　the　true　〃Hickory　stripe。〃　Now；　sir；　you　dare　not　give　it　up。

Like　a　horde　of　hungry　ticks　you　have　stuck　to　the　tail　of　the

Hermitage　Lion　to　the　end　of　his　life；　and　you　are　still　sticking

to　it；　and　drawing　a　loathsome　sustenance　from　it；　after　he　is

dead。　　A　fellow　once　advertised　that　he　had　made　a　discovery　by

which　he　could　make　a　new　man　out　of　an　old　one；　and　have　enough

of　the　stuff　left　to　make　a　little　yellow　dog。　　Just　such　a

discovery　has　General　Jackson's　popularity　been　to　you。　　You　not

only　twice　made　President　of　him　out　of　it；　but　you　have　had

enough　of　the　stuff　left　to　make　Presidents　of　several

comparatively　small　men　since；　and　it　is　your　chief　reliance　now

to　make　still　another。



Mr。　Speaker；　old　horses　and　military　coat…tails；　or　tails　of　any

sort；　are　not　figures　of　speech　such　as　I　would　be　the　first　to

introduce　into　discussions　here；　but　as　the　gentleman　from

Georgia　has　thought　fit　to　introduce　them；　he　and　you　are　welcome

to　all　you　have　made；　or　can　make　by　them。　　If　you　have　any　more

old　horses；　trot　them　out；　any　more　tails；　just　cock　them　and

come　at　us。　　I　repeat；　I　would　not　introduce　this　mode　of

discussion　here；　but　I　wish　gentlemen　on　the　other　side　to

understand　that　the　use　of　degrading　figures　is　a　game　at　which

they　may　not　find　themselves　able　to　take　all　the　winnings。



＇〃We　give　it　up！〃＇



Aye；　you　give　it　up；　and　well　you　may；　but　for　a　very　different

reason　from　that　which　you　would　have　us　understand。　　The　point

the　power　to　hurtof　all　figures　consists　in　the　truthfulness　of

their　application；　and；　understanding　this；　you　may　well　give　it

up。　　They　are　weapons　which　hit　you；　but　miss　us。



But　in　my　hurry　I　was　very　near　closing　this　subject　of　military

tails　before　I　was　done　with　it。　　There　is　one　entire　article　of

the　sort　I　have　not　discussed　yet；I　mean　the　military　tail　you

Democrats　are　now　engaged　in　dovetailing　into　the　great

Michigander　＇Cass＇。　　Yes；　sir；　all　his　biographies　（and　they　are

legion）　have　him　in　hand；　tying　him　to　a　military　tail；　like　so

many　mischievous　boys　tying　a　dog　to　a　bladder　of　beans。　　True；

the　material　they　have　is　very　limited；　but　they　drive　at　it

might　and　main。　　He　invaded　Canada　without　resistance；　and　he

outvaded　it　without　pursuit。　　As　he　did　both　under　orders；　I

suppose　there　was　to　him　neither　credit　nor　discredit　in　them；

but　they　constitute　a　large　part　of　the　tail。　　He　was　not　at

Hull's　surrender；　but　he　was　close　by；　he　was　volunteer　aid　to

General　Harrison　on　the　day　of　the　battle　of　the　Thames；　and　as

you　said　in　1840　Harrison　was　picking　huckleberries　two　miles　off

while　the　battle　was　fought；　I　suppose　it　is　a　just　conclusion

with　you　to　say　Cass　was　aiding　Harrison　to　pick　huckleberries。

This　is　about　all；　except　the　mooted　question　of　the　broken

sword。　　Some　authors　say　he　broke　it；　some　say　he　threw　it　away；

and　some　others；　who　ought　to　know；　say　nothing　about　it。

Perhaps　it　would　be　a　fair　historical　compromise　to　say；　if　he

did　not　break　it；　he　did　not　do　anything　else　with　it。



By　the　way；　Mr。　Speaker；　did　you　know　I　am　a　military　hero？　　Yes；

sir；　in　the　days　of　the　Black　Hawk　war　I　fought；　bled；　and　came

away。　　Speaking　of　General　Cass's　career　reminds　me　of　my　own。　　I

was　not　at　Stiliman's　defeat；　but　I　was　about　as　near　it　as　Cass

was　to　Hull's　surrender；　and；　like　him；　I　saw　the　place　very　soon

afterward。　　It　is　quite　certain　I　did　not　break　my　sword；　for　I

had　none　to　break；　but　I　bent　a　musket　pretty　badly　on　one

occasion。　　If　Cass　broke　his　sword；　the　idea　is　he　broke　it　in

desperation；　I　bent　the　musket　by　accident。　　If　General　Cass　went

in　advance　of　me　in　picking　huckleberries；　I　guess　I　surpassed

him　in　charges　upon　the　wild　onions。　　If　he　saw　any　live；

fighting　Indians；　it　was　more　than　I　did；　but　I　had　a　good　many

bloody　struggles　with　the　mosquitoes；　and　although　I　never

fainted　from　the　loss　of　blood；　I　can　truly　say　I　was　often　very

hungry。　　Mr。　Speaker；　if　I　should　ever　conclude　to　doff　whatever

our　Democratic　friends　may　suppose　there　is　of　black…cockade

federalism　about　me；　and　therefore　they　shall　take　me　up　as　their

candidate　for　the　Presidency；　I　protest　they　shall　not　make　fun

of　me；　as　they　have　of　General　Cass；　by　attempting　to　write　me

into　a　military　hero。



While　I　have　General　Cass　in　hand；　I　wish　to　say　a　word　about　his

political　principles。　　As　a　specimen；　I　take　the　record　of　his

progress　in　the　Wilmot　Proviso。　　In　the　Washington　Union　of　March

2；　1847；　there　is　a　report　of　a　speech　of　General　Cass；　made　the

day　before　in　the　Senate；　on　the　Wilmot　Proviso；　during　the

delivery　of　which　Mr。　Miller　of　New　Jersey　is　reported　to　have

interrupted　him　as　follows；　to　wit：



〃Mr。　Miller　expressed　his　great　surprise　at　the　change　in　the

sentiments　of　the　Senator　from　Michigan；　who　had　been　regarded　as

the　great　champion　of　freedom　in　the　Northwest；　of　which　he　was　a

distinguished　　ornament。　　Last　year　the　Senator　from　Michigan　was

understood　to　be　decidedly　in　favor　of　the　Wilmot　Proviso；　and　as

no　reason　had　been　stated　for　the　change；　he　＇Mr。　Miller＇　could

not　refrain　from　the　expression　of　his　extreme　surprise。〃



To　this　General　Cass　is　reported　to　have　replied　as　follows；　to

wit：



〃Mr。　Cass　said　that　the　course　of　the　Senator　from　New　Jersey　was

most　extraordinary。　　Last　year　he　＇Mr。　Cass＇　should　have　voted

for　the　proposition；　had　it　come　up。　　But　circumstances　had

altogether　changed。　　The　honorable　Senator　then　read　several

passages　from　the　remarks；　as　given　above；　which　he　had　committed

to　writing；　in　order　to　refute　such　a　charge　as　that　of　the

Senator　from　New　Jersey。〃



In　the　〃remarks　above　reduced　to　writing〃　is　one　numbered　four；

as　follows；　to　wit：



〃Fourth。　　Legislation　now　would　be　wholly　inoperative；　because　no

territory　hereafter　to　be　acquired　can　be　governed　without　an　act

of　Congress　providing　for　its　government；　and　such　an　act；　on　its

passage；　would　open　the　whole　subject；　and　leave　the　Congress

called　on　to　pass　it　free　to　exercise　its　own　discretion；

entirely　uncontrolled　by　any　declaration　found　on　the　statute…

book。〃



In　Niles's　Register；　vol。　　lxxiii。；　p。　　293；　there　is　a　letter　of

General　Cass　to　_______Nicholson；　of　Nashville；　Tennessee；　dated

December　24；　1847；　from　which　the　following　are　correct　extracts：



〃The　Wilmot　Proviso　has　been　before　the　country　some　time。　　It

has　been　repeatedly　discussed　in　Congress　and　by　the　public

press。　　I　am　strongly　impressed　with　the　opinion　that　a　great

change　has　been　going　on　in　the　public　mind　upon　this　subject；

in　my　own　as　well　as　others'；and　that　doubts　are　resolving

themselves　into　convictions　that　the　principle　it　involves　should

be　kept　out　of　the　national　legislature；　and　left　to　the　people

of　the　confederacy　in　their　respective　local　governments。。。。

Briefly；　then；　I　am　opposed　to　the　exercise　of　any　jurisdiction

by　Congress　over　this　matter；　and　I　am　in　favor　of　leaving　the

people　of　any　territory　which　may　be　hereafter　acquired　the　right

to　regulate　it　themselves；　under　the　general　principles　of　the

Constitution。　　Because'First。　　I　do　not　see　in　the　Constitution

any　grant　of　the　requisite　power　to　Congress；　and　I　am　not

disposed　to　extend　a　doubtful　precedent　beyond　its　necessity；

the　establishment　of　territorial　governments　when　needed；

leaving　to　the　inhabitants　all　the　right　compatible　with　the

relations　they　bear　to　the　confederation。〃



These　extracts　show　that　in　1846　General　Cass　was　for　the　proviso

at　once；　that　in　March；　1847；　he　was　still　for　it；　but　not　just

then；　and　that　in　December；　1847；　he　was　against　it　altogether。

This　is　a　true　index　to　the　whole　man。　　When　the　question　was

raised　in　1846；　he　was　in　a　blustering　hurry　to　take　ground　for

it。　　He　sought　to　be　in　advance；　and　to　avoid　the　uninteresting

position　of　a　mere　follower；　but　soon　he　began　to　see　glimpses　of

the　great　Democratic　ox…goad　waving　in　his　face；　and　to　hear

indistinctly　a　voice　saying；　〃Back！　Back；　sir！　Back　a　little！〃　He

shakes　his　head；　and　bats　his　eyes；　and　blunders　back　to　his

position　of　March；　1847；　but　still　the　goad　waves；　and　the　voice

grows　more　distinct　and　sharper　still；　〃Back；　sir！　Back；　I　say！

Further　back！〃and　back　he　goes　to　the　position　of　December；

1847；　at　which　the　goad　is　still；　and　the　voice　soothingly　says；

〃So！　Stand　at　that！〃



Have　no　fears；　gentlemen；　of　your　candidate。　　He　exactly　suits

you；　and　we　congratulate　you　upon　it。　　However　much　you　may　be

distressed　about　our　candidate；　you　have　all　cause　to　be

contented　and　happy　with　your　own。　　If　elected；　he　may　not

maintain　all　or　even　any　of　his　positions　previously　taken；　but

he　will　be　sure　to　do　whateve