WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1826
58
possessed the public confidence. Some allowance must be made for men whose prejudices were strong, and whose passions were whetted up by such men as Governor Strong, and others whom I could name. With respect to that Governor, however, I am unable to believe that the course pursued by him, had for its object the preservation of the Constitution. I cannot believe this, for other men of equal knowledge declare that the Governor him- self violated the Constitution, and was guilty of disloyalty, if not actual rebellion against the Constitution of his country. The Con- stitution, Sir? When our towns and villages were burning- when our matrons ·and virgins were violated- when even litt!e babes were butchered, our altars abused, the symbols of our wor- ship broken, our sanctuaries profaned, our soil prostituted by the footstep of a mercenery foe, and our Hall of Legislation a heap of smoking ruins- if there had been no Constitution left to us, the law of Nature, the grand system of Ethics derived from our Creator, God, in the sacred volume of Revelation, remained with us, and even this was sufficient to teach the Governor of Massa- chusetts, that it was his duty to love his neighbor, and defend his country. Now, Sir, I ask, can this Committee with all these facts staring them in the face, say that Massachusetts is entitled to the a!low- ance of this claim? To whom is it to be paid? Not even to the men who served for "almost three months." No, Sir. Those men have been paid long since. It is the State of Massachusetts that urges this claim, in its corporate capacity. The Governor and the Legislature were responsible.to these troops. The individuals cannot suffer. The question, now, therefore, is between the State authorities, and the United States. If we give them anything, it must be for their fathers' sakes, and the immortality of their fathers speaks better things than the blood of Abel. Against whom was all this resistance of Massachusetts displayed? (and they resisted manfully). Was it against a foreign enemy? or was it against the Government of the United States? Whose blood was it that they were most ready to shed? For the language held by Massachusetts at that day, in remonstrances of the People to the Legislature, (and by it deemed appealing and pathetic,) was that they would "resist even unto blood." This language was not applied to the invaders of this country. It was applied to the General Government. Can any member on this floor lay his hand upon his heart, and say that this claim ought to be paid- paid to a State, too, who refused to turn out its
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