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Discussion in Illinois Legislature
Concerning Protest of Resolutions on Sub-Treasury1Jump to section
During the afternoon, some of the members, among whom was Mr. H. T. Pace of Jefferson, rose in his place and stated that when he signed it, he had not calculated that any other use was to be made of it than to send it to our members of Congress: but if it was to be placed on the journal . . . he would ask the privilege of expunging his name. . .
Mr. Lincoln remarked, that if the gentleman from Jefferson wished to withdraw his name from that document, he for one was willing to admit it; but he would say to the member and the House, there were statements made in that document which were false and unfounded, and he would call on the authors of the protest, at the proper time, to retract. He would not deny the right of gentlemen to protest; but he would maintain his right to lay before the people a contradiction of their unfounded statements. Yet, while he wished to hold the signers of this document responsible to the people for what they had said, if the gentleman from Jefferson, or any one else, was ashamed of it, he hoped the House would permit them to withdraw their names.
Annotation
[1] Alton Telegraph, March 2, 1839. Thirty-eight Democratic members had signed a protest against resolutions adopted instructing senators and requesting representatives to vote against the sub-treasury system of the federal administration.