Columbus Democrat. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-18??, 1837-10-21

congress o. a0i oi uR Indeed, IT,, .sy-s. .....
seutei by The opposition, through A,,s,T
Virginia, on the first day Of The session, ma;
fore the House was organ zed, or its a.
elected an arbitrary attempt was made 10 Brp,,.
Us from taking our seats or expressing vour ,,.
IN the election Of a Speaker. Having indigb,,I
and successfully resisted this attempt 10 "a
vour rights, We were called upon 10 detern,-
whether we would abandon our places, or ., n,r.
assume tie ouly tenabIe ground that the el4c,io.
was yad for the entire term. In other worJ,
whether we could consent TO disfrancbisa 4.
state at this important iunctuIe, or claim 10 .v..
else those rights which, by large majority 70,
had committed 10 our keeping. We could 4"
hesitate The whole matter was referred n A.
Committee on Elections. Their decision rproo
pized the issue that we have presented 70 ,os.
the majority reporting that we were duly and eu,.
| " elected for the whole of the twenty fifth cor
gtess; and the dissenting minority being Of A,
/ opinion that the election was wholly void. IL
| this latter opinion ire could not assent Weh..
| Geved that there was vacancy in the rspresen,s
ton from Mississippi; that We had been deleo,.
| ted by the will Of the people fairly and fully ez.
pressed, to fill that vacancy, and that we cOuld
! not be elected fora shorter period than two years.
Had VIC taken any other ground, We must haze
necessarily abandoned our seats, and thus su,.
tanned principle which we have heretofore rem.
dated, and upon which the wings of MssissDo
| have attempt( d to disfranchise the new COUNTIES
by deprying them of their right Of being repre-
scented in the State Legislature. In both cases,
the principles of opposition were The same. The
great question IN both cases was the same, as to
what could be considered the I" happening Of
yacancy."- Ii raeaney meant the existence Of
an Office created by the constitution, and not filled
then were we constutionslly elected TO the twcn
ty fifth congress, and the Choctaw and Chckasav
counties were constItonaly entitled 10 represents
ton. But if we had abandoned this ground By
declining to chm orr seats, then the course Of
those who have openly proclaimed their intention
to dsorganize the state 10y procuring judicial de.
cisioa declaring void all the laws Of the two last
sessions of the Legislature, would have been
sanctioned by US. We could consent 10 no suCl
proceeding. We belong to the democratic party
we profess its entire creed and one Of its tunda
mental articles is, the right of the people to b
represented. We have struggled against that part
at home which would deprive the freemcn Of h
new counties of this invaluable privilege, and v
will adhere to our doctrines, and to the faith Of ou
party, by keeping and exercising in its full exten
and length, and breadth, and 10 the utmost const
tutiona limit, the night which has been conteue
on us Of representing you m the twenty fifth COZ
gress.
After prolonged debate, in which we TOXIN
part, unless when called on to explain,) the House
Of Representatives has decided that We were dul
elected. We believe that their decision Will met
your appreciation. We shall not be deferred Ip
our duties or driven lrom our posts by the clam
; or detraction of those who have no claim upon II
; who strained every nerve at lie late election
Il defeat us and who have never given us cree
for the liberal aud conciiaory course we ha,
uniformly pursued in congress. We shall col
: tinue firmly at our posts, and endeayor to repr
u sent YOU tuly, by giving a far trial 10 the adm
: lsratIon by opposing every proposition to est
t blish National Bank, to incJease Tie taii,
c create public debt or to raise suyplusscs for d
: tribution among tic States. We will use eve
? exeuon to carry out Tie measures recommend,
4 by Mr. Van Buren for the relief Of the comm
, nifty, aud the establishment Of an uniform ard Gu
| rent circulation. We will to our utmost susa
our State institutions. which have been alno
/ crushed beneath the weight of Tie I. S Bank
we will renew our exerlions to have the pnce
public land reduced ard the actual settler indu
nfed for his losses and priyations; ard, while '
will dciend the rights of our STATE from any e
croachmcnt, we wall cherish, with Glial Gcvoto
our glorious UNION.
Very respectfully, your obediont servants,
= JOHN I. ii. CLAIBORNE,
$ SAMUEL j. GIOLSON.
0 Washington City, October 4th, 1897.