The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1849-03-23
UNITED STATES sENATE-GENERAL
SHIELDS CASE. 10

y whom was referred the Certificate :,
IS Election of tho Honorable James Shield
i. to seat in this body. With instructions
II enquire into the eligibility Of the 50,
IS James Shields TO such ssh- Report,
}. That having given due notice TO sal
Shields, he appeared befo,e them, an
o they took the sutjeci into consideration.
= They further report that the said cert
Ecaie of election declares that the sal
James Shields WAS chosen n s major Of tn
United States by the Legislature Of tn
= Slate of Illinois, on The ID, n Of Januar,
= la-i-ihai IL further appears and is admit
ted by the said James Shields thai he i
an alien by birth, and The only proof lie
fore the committee 81 the naturalization o
The SAID Shields in The United States 10 con
tanned in tho copy OF a certificate Of nsiu
rslizalinn 10 The Circui, Court Of Efing
ham County. in the said State of Illinois
which is annexed to and made part Of lhi.
report, by which certificate il appears iha
the raid James Shields was admitted by
sntd Count ell 7ea Of the Unned States
on the 2lsi DAY of October. 1910. The
Committee therefore reno:, the following
u solu,ion
! Rssolrcd, That The election Of james
Shell TO be Senator of The Un;ca
States. was void, he mol hssirg been a cit.
! zen Of the United States the t.rm ofyears
rGntcd as qualification 10 be a Ssna.
tor Of the United sls,es.
Mr.. Mason stated that The Commitree
had several days since been prepared TO
report. and had then addressed letter 10
Gen. Shields, through their Chairman,
stating that they we're 'eady 10 receive
any commandment n hich he nigh, desire
Ia MIKE, or to aft ,rd him any further time
which he nigh, recaire. They me, again
The next day, bat no communication was
received. Yesterday, however, it VAS as
ceitsin d Ih.t Gen. Sa,clds had sen,s Gem.
mu"icsIiun, hut, from accident il had not
reached .hnni. They had therefore fur.
'hcr postponed until 20. dag the making tf
their report. hat Gen. Shields h I'd not
deemed IT advisable to make any commu.
nlcalun.
The repos, and resolution having been
read
Gen. Shields rose and said, that this
nigh, be the oniy occasion " hic h he should
eve. have 10 address this honorable body.
The ohlec'Ioa 10 his eligibility originated
IA this bady. Iia had no comDe,I.or from
his State 10 comics, his right TO seat
lie had there an honorable competitor in
tho Candidate Of the "ppos,ug party before
the Legislature. Nothing he had reason
10 belIese, would hive induced that gen
lieman 10 come here snd contest his right !.
10 ssat IA his atay. So, had there
pressing doubt as TO his ligb,lty, though I
be had large purity there opposed TO hun ,
and ri course rnsmies IN ms own party /;
here could not be found FIVE men III Hi. !.
nois who would present memorial 10 eJect'
him from his seat, "a itc q ound Of eli.i /,
billy. IL had been "a the State Logisla .
ufe, Judge, Commissioner in The Gen.
eral Land O,lire, Geoeral IN the Army,
.or three days Governor Of Oregon, all re.
luuing naturalization, aud Sc, the question
II eligibility had never been raised IN con.
1ecilon with either. The Senator from
W ,seonsin had raised that question here,
as he had perfect right to do. Perhaps
il was his duiy 10 DO So. The question
having been raised and referred to the
honorable and intelligent committee who .
had reported upon The subj Ct, he had made
up hi. mind 10 submit 10 the decision OF
this body without opposition, aud throw
himself upon Ais STATE 10 susiein him. IL
they abandoned him he should never pre-. (
scu, himself again for ueice IN these Uni I
ted States. The Comm tee had acted
upon he evidence before lhem-,hey could .
not net otherwise. lie could have ex.
planned, hu, as he Ind already been char.
ced with indisctelIop, he iorebore. He 4
had been guilty Of an error in n letter TO q /
gentleman, Of this body, and he confessed !
his wrong. When gentleman called on
him, and referred to the inindcious con- /
siruciion Of which that letter was suscepli |,
bic, he had immediately authorized him to
withdraw It. Before this body, and be
fore God, he di.avowed the construction
gwen 10 that letter. lie was incapable Of
such thought, Of a menace ofa,sasina
uoH.
lie would call on every Citizen Of the :
United States to tepel such an impuia,ou.
lie would call on the gentleman himself,
between whom and that sentlec,an's own
brother lnw he had thrust his own body
10 save him ftcm the consequences of an
imputed crime against the domestic peace
ot that brother.in.law. lie was now reap.
IN The effects Of his own indlscre,ion and
he had made up his mud to submi, unfe
mi,,iualy TO the decision of this boiy-,o
SO home aud appeal TO his own State to
relnstate him.
The report Of the committee gave rise
to some discussion between Messrs. TOR.
ney, Foole, Mason, Douglass and Berrien.
Mr.. Webster held most incontes,ibly
that tho election was void. The Constitu.
tlon repaired that he should be eligible as
Senator for six years from the llh of