491
PAPERS OF fUL\BEAU BuoNAPARTE LAMAR
No. 485 1836 [Nov. 16?, S. H.] EVERITT. SPEECH O:N l\IE AGE OF THE PRESIDENT 16 SPEECH • Of Ir. Everett, of Jasper, On the messaO'e of the President, returning the Resolution making it obligatory on him to consult the Senate on the term of r leasing General Santa Anna and Almonte. Mr. President :-I am not gifted as the gentleman is from Brazoria (l\Ir.•Wharton) with the pleasing art of embellishing argument, with the flights of fancy, and the flowers of rhetoric. I am but a plain -blunt poken man, with no other ambition in debate than to nstain the right and oppo e the wrong, by means of ober argument and stubborn facts-the flight of genius may delight, bnt it i only un- .impa sioned reason that can be u efnl in di cussion-utility and truth I aim at; and I propose in my rigid manner to pursue them with all the powers of which I am posse ed. Victory over my antagonist is not my object· let me triumph over error and I will yield mo t cheer- fully to him the meed of praise, to which he is justly entitled for uperior talent. and gifted oratory. That there may be no confusion or misconception as to the point of difference between 'US, I will state in as brief and succinct a manner as po ible the question now under consideration, and the circum- tance which have given rise to it. This is nece sary to a fair under- standing of the matter. · Shortly after the present President wa inducted into office he communicated to the Senate a mes age accompanied with variou docu- ment concerning our prisoner General Santa Anna, all tending to. establish the policy of his freedom and mancipa.tion; the comm ittce to whom these papers were referred (of which I had the honor of be- _ ing chairman,) after long delay and much debate announced their in- ability to make a report that would be satisfactory to any two of them. The matter was re-referred; and fortunately a resolution was reported, so sound in doctrine and proper in expre sion as to meet with uni- versal accorda.nce--it passed the Senate 'Unanimously, and almost without discussion. This resolution expre ly declared that the Pre - ident should on no occasion set the prisoner Santa Anna at liberty without the consent of the enate; but that there may be no mi con- struction of the matter I beg leave to re.ad the resolution it elf. "Resolved by the Senqte of the Republic of Texas, That the pres- ••A pamphlet "printed at the office o! the Telegraph, 1836." The copy in the Lamar Papers being mutilated a better one was borrowed from Dr. A. Dienst of Temple. The editors wish to hereby express their thanks for his courtesy in the matter. With the pamphlet in the Lamar Papers is a six page draft bearing the following endorsement in Lamar's hand, "Notes furnished by Dr. Everitt from which I wrote his speech."
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