Davey Crockett-Not Yours to Give

Foundation For Economic Education ^ | David Crockett

[valiant4thetruth]

One day in the House of Representatives, a bill was taken up appropriating money for the benefit of a widow of a distinguished naval officer. Several beautiful speeches had been made in its support. The Speaker was just about to put the question when Crockett arose: “Mr. Speaker--I have as much respect for the memory of the deceased, and as much sympathy for the sufferings of the living, if suffering there be, as any man in this House, but we must not permit our respect for the dead or our sympathy for a part of the living to lead us into an act of injustice to the balance of the living.

[valiant4thetruth]

This is a very timely read, not long,well worth the time

[villagerjoel]

“This is a very timely read, not long,well worth the time”

Agree 100%.

The common sense shown in this short story almost makes my head hurt.

[DannyTN]

This Davy Crockett story was written by the Whig party over 60 years after Davy Crocketts death. There is no record in the congressional record of Davy Crockett ever saying stuff like this, and I believe there are some votes to the contrary.

[Double Tap]

You have proof of that?

[ComputerGuy]

The power of collecting and disbursing money at pleasure is the most dangerous power that can be intrusted to man.

[DannyTN]

You can search the congressional record yourself, I did once, 10 to 15 years ago. I think one of our conservative legislators actually read this story to congress in the last decade, so there is a recent account of it in the Congressional record, but nothing when Crockett actually served. That just goes to show even Senators and Congressmen believe myths sometimes.

[bcsco]

This Davy Crockett story was written by the Whig party over 60 years after Davy Crocketts death.

David Crockett died on March 6, 1836. Over 60 years later would place the Wig Party writing at around 1896. The Wig Party gasped its last breath in 1856, along with the advent of the Republican Party.

So, your premise is wrong. Want to back up your second premise of their not being no congressional record of said comments?

[rellimpank]

--check it with Snopes--

[ClearCase_guy]

This Davy Crockett story was written by the Whig party over 60 years after Davy Crocketts death

Your overall point may be good, but I feel the need to point out that Crockett died in 1836 and the Whig Party was pretty much dead by 1860 when Lincoln was elected as a Republican president.

Bottomline: It may be a myth, but myths tells us things that resonate through the ages. On a certain level, the story is true, even if it never happened.

[Condor51]

This Davy Crockett story was written by the Whig party over 60 years after Davy Crocketts death.

Davy Crockett: August 17, 1786 – March 6, 1836
Whig Party: Years active, 1833–1856

No offense, just couldn't be 60 years.

[bcsco]

--check it with Snopes--

Why? He made the point. He should be willing to back it up with the facts. If I make a statement that's questioned, I feel it incumbent on myself to support it with fact. I believe so should he...

[Huck]

The story originates from a book by 19th century novelist Edward Ellis. According to my notes, I found that almost every fact in the story is incorrect, but based on truth. I read through pages and pages of Gales and Seaton records (they kept the Congressional Record for many years.) I wish I had more details written down, but I don’t. You can find Gales and Seaton online somewhere and look through it if interested.

[Tainan]

Would that make this story....”Fake, but accurate”....?

[bcsco]

There is no record in the congressional record of Davy Crockett ever saying stuff like this, and I believe there are some votes to the contrary.

As Huck points out, Gales and Seaton were the chroniclers of record at the time through their "Register of Debates". The Register of debates is available online and information obtained through Wikipedia indicates the story as written may be apocryphal, but based on an actual floor debate and vote in 1828. The pertinent pages of the "Register of Debates" are as follows:

and

...beginning at the lower right of the first image. While not the same exact set of circumstances, it shows Crockett speaking out against a similar issue and later voting against it (he's listed in the column of "NAYS".

So, yes, there is a record of "Crockett ever saying stuff like this". As to votes to the contrary, I'm not about to do that laborious a search, but this points to one instance where his vote was not contrary...

[valiant4thetruth]

I appreciate your input, I searched to see if it was a myth,What I found was it was posted in quite a few places,with out any references to it not being factual.

Not that that makes it true,it rang true

[eclecticEel]

That’s certainly one loquacious farmer in the story; it does seem likely apocryphal, at least in the way it’s presented.

[DannyTN]

The first known appearance of the story was in: The Life of Colonel David Crockett compiled by: Edward S. Elis (1884. That's where the 60 years after his death comes from.

It appears I am wrong to attribute the story to the Whig party, since their last national candidate was in 1956.

However, If he had actually made the speech to Congress as claimed, it would be in the congressional record of that time, and it is not.

In congress, Crockett was best known for his support for giving away public lands to squatters and homesteaders.

Land bill ref 1

Land Bill Ref 2

[Huck]

Thanks for digging that up. Your conclusion matches what I wrote in my notes about it at the time. The details were changed, perhaps synthesized into one for the purpose of storytelling, and certainly embellished with details we couldn’t possibly know, but the basic concepts are based on events that did occur. Nice work pulling that stuff up so fast.

[Little Ray]

That was AMAZING work. Thanks!

[Huck]

I think bscsco has got it right. I researched this story several years back. I even bought a copy of the Ellis book. Similar events did in fact transpire. I think they were synthesized into one tidy story, and I think some of the speech was probably embellished for literary effect. After all, this is Davy Crockett we’re talking about. There has been much exaggeration regarding his life.