years when we reflect on our course, our
condition, and the circumstances by which we
ore surrounded, and the impulses by which
we are governed, the majority will have a
little more responsibility than they will like
to be hardened with. I am therefore inclined
to give them all the credit; not only to ren-
der unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's,
but to render to the gentlemen all the credit
they may be entitled to from the people or
from the nation at large for their course of
action here. For one I am here to take the
responsibility of my own action. I do not
speak for Buncombe. I know that my people
are so enlighted and so generous, that having
Sent. me here as their special agent to dis-
charge for them any special duty, I shall take
the responsibility of discharging that duty
in my own way.
Mr. GUSHING. I wish to express my dis-
sent from the views expressed by the gentle-
man from Cecil, (Mr. Scott), who seemingly
adopts the theory of the gentleman from
Prince George's, that no converts will he
made on either side of the House; and to
bring to the notice of the House a practical
refutation of that theory. I came into the
House this morning perfectly willing to vote
for an adjournment until Monday; but the
eloquence of the gentleman from Prince
George's (Mr. Berry) in favor of adjourning
until Monday, has convinced me that I ought
not so to vote. I therefore bear testimony to
the skill with which the gentleman has advo-
cated his views; for although coming here
from my constituents with the expectation of
pursuing a certain line of action, so strong
have been the arguments advanced, that I
have been constrained to an open recantation
of the view with which I came into the House
this morning.
I have no reason particularly to bless the
getting up on the Sabbath day, because it is
a morning on which I particularly delight in
staying in bed. The argument of the gentleman
therefore in regard to rising on Sun-
day morning in the midst of his family, did
not reach my case. I like to be at home, but
it is to lie in bed; not in the bosom of my
family, for I am an unmarried man; but to
lie in bed and enjoy the ease of a Sabbath
morning. That I may do here as well as at
home; the only difficulty being that the
breakfast hour does not suit me as well.
In the more serious view of the adjourn-
ment, I agree with the gentleman from Wash-
ington county, (Mr. Negley). It is a very
delightful thing to come here and feel your-
self free to consult only your ease, like the
gentleman from Prince George's, (Mr. Berry).
I would like to feel in a similar position,
and lo feel that no matter what may be the
verdict of history upon what may be done
here, I shall go scot-free. But he assumes
that the historian will agree with him in his
views, and attribute no blame to him for ad- |
vocating them here, and trying to make con-
verts. I think if we adjourn now for this
political Convention, then a few weeks hence
for the farmers to gather in their harvest,
then for the lawyers to attend to certain eases
they want to argue; if we are to adjourn for
every particular trade represented here, every
time a doctor wishes to go home to bury his
patients,—I believe most of them halve gone
home already,—every time a lawyer wishes
to go home to cheat his clients—
Mr. STOCKBRIDGE. Does the gentleman in-
tend —
Mr. CUSHING. I had no personal reference
to any one; I was not aware that my col-
league was present. If we are to adjourn
for merchants, and every class of men repre-
sented here, the summer will come, the har-
vest will have ended and we shall not have
been saved. In a moral view, the gentle-
man from Prince George's will have entirely
failed.
Mr. THOMAS. I am in favor of the order
of the gentleman from Carroll, (Mr. Smith).
Like my colleague who has just taken his
seat, I have been converted too; for I voted
against the adjournment yesterday. I know
there were many members of the Convention
who voted with me against an adjournment
yesterday; and a majority of them are ab-
sent from their seats to-day. They are re-
corded as having voted against the adjourn-
ment; and their very absence has almost
created a want of a quorum of this body this
morning. I am perfectly satisfied that if the
Convention does not adjourn over until next
Thursday, when we come here on Monday,
Tuesday, and Wednesday, we shall find our-
selves in the same predicament we are in to-
day, and shall be discussing empty orders
amounting to nothing, it may not be for the
sake of Buncombe, but for the sake of getting
adjournments from day to day. I am satis-
fied that a large majority of this House will
be absent Monday, Tuesday, and Wednes-
day, if not Thursday. It is incumbent on
them, while they are responsible for the
legislation of the House, to be here at all
times in full numbers to watch the minority.
I do not say that the minority would do any-
thing wrong in our absence, and of course I
have no suspicion we would do anything
wrong; but they have come here to vote for
one thing, and we have come here to vote for
another. The best rule of warfare is that
which the good general adopts, to bring his
forces up in a square and have them all to-
gether. Those were the tactics of Stonewall
Jackson; and that is the reason be was so
successful. Unless we keep our forces here
while in session, mark my word, the inge-
nuity and eloquence, and acquaintance with
rules of order, will defeat the objects for
which the Convention was called. I am
therefore in favor of the adjournment until
next Thursday. |
