Columbus Democrat. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-18??, 1838-02-24
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MISSISSIPPI ELECTION


fE.AiNNatt'NA L
ms, an "Wednesday asst; ..-.u.
!. Dbl That the resolution OF uHS House o. I
al nj October last. declaring tat Sah'ue = /
IN ami john +. IL. Claiborne were dGy e4ec-
n,o,bers d, the 18Th Congress be reScina'u ana
~, Mss. Cihoson and Claiborne ore not oul!
l,r,cl members Of the e5ih Congress -
r. question was on the following amendment OF
Mr.. Howard; pr,r,;ss and Tb,n,-
NJ ar. moi members OF the Twtny-hIth
HsJ the peniinr question on the amendmnt to
-'.- Irnent. proDosed by Mr.. RObt.h cON,
= strike thereiion the word " not ..,,.,
Mr.. MARTIN Of Alabama beng enu'icu 10
loor, rose to proceed with hlS remarks Out gave
yay to A., l., L,a tins
INN, received from the Hon. Mr.. Claiborne
,.;at st,,emrnt in writing orSevera important lactS
rel,tion 10 the question before me house. anu
,.bcb hr considered essential shouid De rea" anu
s the bea m of Mr. C. still prevented MS a''tu1I5
IN person. he (ur. g. felt Il his duty % uaNc ~
motion that tie paper he then hea III h,S nau' "
rrceivel and read at the Clerk table II was uue
-, The sitt,nr members to say, that they wished no
MUM WAsHINGroY, Feb. 5, 1888
S,p. herewith transmit to you the proceedings |
ell, D,mocratc members OF both branches OF Inc
Mississippi Legislature, which desire may De la'd
h.lare the House. At moment when there IS 50
,nuch contrariaty Of opinion as 10 pubic sentiment
10 the State of Mississippi and a.ler the geSuemen
,vho claim to Supcrsede my colleague ana myae",
have eypresSed an opinion that not ten citizens OF
that State believe we are entitled 10 oar seats LOT
,ba whole of the tweny-fh Congress, | am graliil-
cd at heinz a bic to furnish such evidence OF the pop
liar viii Il must be rccollected that the gentlemen
,yho attended this meeting compose a mprhy OF
the Legislature, and that they represent the OPINIONS
Of large body of the people. They are iamuar
with the history Of this contested election from tle
rm,uation ofthe writ, down TO the decsonol the
House in October and the incidents subsequent
thereto. they are fresh from communion with an
eniphencd constituency, and, in all probability, ars
hotter Informed as To the real state OF opmon than
riher the honorable claimants, or ourselves, or rep
resentatlyes from other States. The names that APP
near ON the face othoSe proceedings are among the
most distinguished in the State ,-r the high stlons
they occupy talents, for integrity, Tor all That can
pve impartaity to evidence or weight TO character,
and trust their testimony, 'hus soiemny ana pub
lcy rendered, will have its due influence viii the
House.
feel bound to repeat, on this occ" 3lnn what
have before declared. that prior 10 the July election
my colleague and myself distinctly took the g'ound
that ace considered the election not for the spe-
risl session only, but for two gears he papers
friendly to us advanced the same opinion. When
upClSOn
in our seats Tor the entire 18th Congress, we az
dressed Circular to the people, (Which was widely
dstributed) from which the ioI'oWlha IS an extract
gro THE PEOPLE OF MISSISSIPPI.
"FELLow-CirlzESs: In J5ly lost, it IS well
known. we were elected under the Proclamation OF
The Goyemor aul according TO the forms OF tine
law, to represent you in Congress. When the TO
vernon issued his writ the op,nlon OF the press and
oIthe peope 50 far as we arc informed or believe
was that ne had the power to do so; That the eAr
,rency OF the times required hm To exercise Una
power; but that he had no nE1t t. abrldge lhC
constitutional term Of two years, lo winch member
ofCongresS are elected; that so much OF ms W.T.
was void and that the members chosen Woulc
serve not only in the extra session, bat throughout
the twenty-flih Congress. Tbs WAS our owl
opinion. 1t was every where freely EXPIRE sed b,
as, and we believe that nine-tcutIls o! Il Sc win
voted at the late [Julyl election went 10 The Poll
with such an impression"
The people were thus distinctly notified oil th'
action ofihe House, AMI assured that we "ou'
continue to hold our seats.
Prevented as am by the state ot my health, iron
appearing in the House TO vndicaie the rights c
those represent | feel DO ina to express my solemn
conviction that a majority Of the frecmen Ut MSss
Sippi acauesccd in the Judgment OF the House,
Jeltepe upon evidence which would be conclnslv
sn court of Justice, that the $500 citizens VIII
sustained me IL November, did not doubt the va
lditE oil the July election as conerrng ONCE it
two years, or the binding effect N the decsoh Of I'll
HOUSE.
On the other hand. koo,r, as positively as an
fact can be known, that upwards Of 5000 voter
chiefly in counties almost unanimously flvorab
20 us, REFUSED 10 cast ther votes second time, {
the ground l4at the judgment OF the House WI
binding, and that they were satisfied with It.
have no doubt but that $1,000 ffecmen OF Miss
sippi, fan Opportunity offered, would at this m
ment sanction that Judgment at the polls. ie
convinced they would declare that no vacan'
could exist in the representation from that Stat
# TO be filed at the November election, after the d
cison of the House, the constitutional and on
COMPETENT tribunal, that we were members OF 4
whole 2Jll Congress. Thai decision was pr
nounced after searching and protracted eXamln
ton; and upon The same evidence which is n0tC b
fore the House, it persuaded rs that the whole IN;
Ter was settled; itg gave to the claimants the bene
,ol a canva without oppoSition; it restrained o
frcemen from casting their votes; and should t
House now decide finally against us, however hI
1yts character is gneraiy appreciated, the mo
sense, the proper and honorable pTde, of an enlig
ened people will revolt at the injustice OF suc
X course.
lfhS was not nv solemn conviction; if W
not, as believe, fully informed to the itentlt
oftho,c who voted for me ia July, and of III
rishes and opinions now; u could De cohVn'
that the claimants received alority OF the wb
number OF votes cast at the November election
er parte as that election was, and without oppo3
candidates. would at once close this controye
by REslGXISG my seat. feel satisfied that my c
league would pursue the same course. Athot
disiranchised BY the House, and prevented from
ing candidates by their resolution declaring US mt
hers for two years, If the claimants bad presen
themselves here with clear and properly ast
L .l,,n H.. I,utr, ra-fgp
nur places, and submitted the matter to the PEG
Such, however, in my opinion s not the case
believe that the popular viii in Mississippi was
verse to those gentlemen at the election and thu