New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-12-09
The Late Outrage In the House.
OF KENTUCKY.


gives sor. of impunity-the ignorant and IN
thinking presurning them right because none
could venture to be SO far wrong as would be I'M
piled by the contrary assumption. Tel an lndls-
ferent man that body of chosen lawmakers
have commenced their official action by tramp
ling on the very law by virtue of which they were
chosen to leeislate, and he would naturally con-
c,rde that there is some mistake in the premises
that no body Of men can have acted with such
bardbood. whatever their willingness to DO evil.
Vet this conclusion would be directly III the face
of the conduct of the majority of the new House
of Representatives at Washington in admitting
the General Ticket Members to seats.
This high-handed act, on mature examinations
will be found based upon and justified by the
fundamental Loco oco assumption that Ma
;ority is God, and can make Of outrage law, OF
wrong Right, Of vice Virtue. Nobody supposes
that if their party had enacted the Dlstrlctmg
rcouistion, and the UNFOLDING of it had now been
essential to their ascendancy, that they would
thus have nuhed it or permitted It's notification.
There is not man in this broad Union who be-
lieycs or will pretend any thing Of the SORT But
the law was passed by Wings, it was set at def
ance by Loco ocos, and now House of that
party decides that obeying or disobeylng the laws
is matter of Indifference, and that Members
elected in contemptuous and boosted defiance to
Law are unquestonably entitled to seats
And this decision, be it remarked, is made
with an insolent GOODNESS entirely without precc-
dent. Modification itself always respected the
forms Of Constitutional Liberty-always struck
down Law by Law. 1t inquired, deliberated,
decided, legislated, and only set aside law Of
Conpress by what was assumed to be an act Of
Sovereign Legislation. But in the late instance
at Washington, single branch of the Govern
nent assumes to set aside as unconstitutional and
void an important law of the land, enacted alter
much discussion, by the concurrence OF the fre-
s;dent with the two Houses The coordinate au-
thorities remain as they were then; no judicial de-
cision has been had sought IN the case land yet
single branch of the law -making power sets aside
most important law with as much indifference as
as though it were merely ordering out some super
snnuated furniture from its hall 1t does not even
take vote of its own body, but rides down a
law as if it were buIrush. How can those who
thus assert the supremacy of Force over Law ex-
pect unhesitating obedience to laws of their own
snacting2 What moral power is possessed by
Legislative body SO constituted
The contemptuous disregard of the rights OF
the minority is strictly accordant feature of this
black transaction. The Wing Members did not
arnect that the law would be heeded-they did
not ask that the organization of the House be de-
Iayed. They simply wished to raise the question
Of the rightfulness of admitting the Members
elected in defiance of the law of the land, that
The House should, by direct vote, decide to over
rule the law. That being denied them they asked
cave to offer Protest and have it entered on the
journals, SO that their own course, at least, might
appear on the record. This, too, was denied
them; SO that the most important act of many
months is committed with the reckless haste Of
an oriental strangling and the unchroniced silence
IF an Inquisltion.
In all the discussions by its opponents of the
aw thus trampled down, we sec no looking in
he face of the reasons-obvious and imperative
which demanded and insured its passage. The
Justice, equity and necessity of uniform mode
Of electng Members Of the House, as well as OF
the Senate, are never alluded to by them The
fact that, in the absence of such a law, New
Jersey, with sixth of the population of New
York, may and often did overbalance her in the
House, giving more majority in that branch on
any Political question, with not tenth of the
Popular majority-all this; and much like it, is
well understood by those who dare consider
1t. 1t is indeed doubtful, as Mr.. Adams con-
tends, whether the Constitutional requirement OF
popular equality of representation IN the House
is not violated long States choose
Members by Districts and others by General
Ticket.
But Down with the Wings and their acts!'
shouts Loco Foceism. But, sirs, this was not
exclusively Wing act. Messrs Campbell and
Sumter of S. G. were active in the last House in
promoting the passage of the Distrctng clause
Mr. Campbell, we believe, suggested it. He-a
prominent Loco oco-now first raised the OBJ.
lection to the admission OF the General Ticket
men. Others would have doubtless sustained it
but for their disposition to oppose every thing orr
ginating with or sustained by the Wing majority
in the last Congress.
1t is fitting that House SO constituted by
trampling on the Law should be organized BY
choosing Speaker whose seat is contested-who
is nominally elected by 80 majority, while 10 Of
his votes are disputed as cast by men who clearly
had no right to vote. This man is to choose the
Committee on Elections which is to investigate
and pass upon the fact of his own election -
Chosen by the votes of the Members elected in