Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-03-30
SENATOR'S BENTON AND FOOTE,
In SENATE, WEDNESDAY,
M ARCH OF 1880
PERSONAL AND EXPLANATION

fEhoONAL AND EAPLANATO
Mr.. BENTON. There being gap at this moment in
Tue business OF inc SENATE, will call the attention Of
the Senate to what read in of the morning papers
the atonal lntegeneer 1t purpors to be an account
OF what was said here yesterday in certain case ia
winch my own voice was heard So far as am repre-
sented IN that paper cir, the report substantially
rect 80 lar as another is concerned, it IS not cor
rect Now, Mr. President, | have to say, what every
Senator well knows, that is only the right but the
duty OF Senator to revise his speeches, improve the
syIe, ana improve the argument, il it relates argu-
men but where there is something of different cha
racter, something personal there be alteration Of
the words This is parliamentary law, and it is the
law, Will not say OF honor, but OF civilized man.
Now, after the scene which occurred Yesterday the
reporter flor the Union"l to me and laid on my
table the notes Of what had said, and asked revise
them. even refused to read them. did not and would
not read them. told him it was his business to make
them correct, and expected he had made it correct
And why would not read them, sir Because it should
not be said that had meddled with word privately. |
intended then, as always intend, and the only way
that honor do let the reporter make his report
personal SCENES and if there any thing wrong the
report correct in the Senate; correct it in the face Of
those who heard every thing and who know what's right
and what is wrong A public correction of public per
sonatles, is the only thing that can be endured in
land Of civilized men. refused, them even to read the
notes OF the reporter and he carried them away asking
to fill up blank in the first sentence oftwo or three
words which he did not catch filled up these two or
three words In the opening sentence. That ALL ne
yer read one word more. Now, sir, find in the In
also, Tor any thing know-what purpors to be
port OF what was said yesterday. 1t is lying account
from beginning to end 1t is an exemplfcation Of all
the modes Of alsehood known to the law Suppresso
reri ct suggestio tals and that in material point,
which would make perjury if it had been sworn to.
Sir in what is personal in this chamber there be
equivoca convertible phrases. The words spoken.
tar as character or feeling concerned to stand
They to stand, sir and he is abide what to re-
suit from them in public opinion, or in any other way
Ihprp tn hh n6a IIo 1parn., Eo
teraton in single phrase. And yet in this case the al
teraons systematic from the beginning to the end
and say the reporter did not make them. absolve
the reporters
The report omits many things that were said, and
says many things that not said and that abso
luteiy false and this any Senator see who heard
what was said yesterday and could have the stomach
to read the filthy stuff that appeared in the papers this
morning. am not going to nauseate the Senate by
reading it but have demanded from the reporter the
original notes OF the debate. find the report correct in
the Republic. 1have demanded from the reporter his
notes for the purpose of jusfying him at all events.
And now, sir, will read to the Senate, merely
exemphtication of the kind of abuse which I have
spoken Of but single phrase and take it out of the
paper which is the regular authorized reporter OF the Sc
nate, from which it is to go into parliamentary law
and stand there. mean to brand it false before it
leaves this chambero brand it from beginning to end
giving exemplifcation whereof there are many OF
like character 1t says:
CAT present he is shielded by his age, his open dis
avowal of the obligatory force othe laws Of honor and
|
Now in the first place. no such thing was said here
yesterday; and in the second place, fit had been said
it would have been false. So there two falsehoods
there together. | am remarking article in the
| newspaper, and cannot be called to order.
Mr.. FooTE, lin his seat) hope he will not be called
to order by any
| Mr.. BENTON. "At present he shielded by his age,
his open dsavowa of the obligatory force of the laws
Of honor and his Senatorial privileges" Shielded by
| his age by his age Sir, let any person insult me
where appropriate chastisement can be employed and
inflicted upon blackguardism, and he will find out
whether am not young enough TO resist; he will find
out my age without consulting any calendar at all.
ellis open disavowal Of the obligatory force of the
laws of honor Take that in any sense and is false.
Take it in the sense in which perhaps Intended and
it is false. | am not man to make avowals except
when thereis pending and then the avowal goes
to the single 1t is not true that ever made such
an avowa 1t is false excuse, an atterthought it is
an invention of after time, an invention OF cowardice,
shield itself from nfamy. That is what it is. Sir,
never made such avowal. avow neither thing
get answer, but there will be avowas before that
| to go before the country.
| ellis Senatorial priviegesw Sir, claim no sena-
torial privileges claim no privileges attacking any
person this floor. claim privilege OF Insulting
any body here have never done in the thirty years
have been here; have never begun to insult any
but if it is begun with me, although may bear with
insults long time, yet, when once take notice OF it.
there shall be end one way or the other. And fthe
Senate does not know that is Senate; if this Senate
does not protect itself from scenes which would dis
grace TIE VeTeSt CtDdlc peTIllllS IAN
guage to be used here which cannot be used in the filth
est brothel in the Five Points the subebs OF the
ciyf they permit such language to be used here and
to be used here with respect to me- mean from this
Now, sir, L merely give this as specimen OF the
| Observation-Disclosures and systematic-which pervades
what find in this newspaper. am speaking about a
newspaper sir and cannot be called to order And per-
haps hereafter it may be well to wait for the newspa-
per, and then speak of the newspaper. have
given this example of the falsshood which per-
vades that report of what took place here yesterday
and which is to go into the permanent debates Of the
Congress of the United StaesWhich Is 10 stand in the
register Of these debates and permanent history
brand it with falsehood before it goes there and shall
hold myself ready, upon any appropriate occasion thai
may require 1t, to prove the alsehood from beginning
| to end.
| Mr. FooTE. 1t will not surprise any one, am sure
that feel ambitious this morning to utter few words
| in my own defence. The newspaper has been attack
ed; have not been attacked The course of the SEN
ator is in character with himself He makes direct
attack his attack is nsidous and covert; and yet you
know Mr.. President and all honorable Senators know
that the only object OF assailment. This course
OF hostiyor hostility it is and must be consid er
ed by all present, and by the twenty millions of
enlightened treemen whom we recognise country
men, and by poserlty too ii posterity shall take
countof such scene as thishis course OF hostility
is that never had the least taste for and never
expect to have the least taste tor. am plain man,
a frank man, direct man. feel that | can
say that without mourning suspicion OF undue ego
| lsm II have any thing to say OF any man. say
| IL 10 HIS ldC0, III III DIS pam IAN
guage conceive to comporl with the rules ofdeco-
| rum which apply to the
Now sir it suggested and charged that the report
OF my speech, or speeches. in the Intelligencer aud
Union Of this mornngfor they are both the same re-
port, for cause which shall mention preseny-is
false report Of what occurred yesterday WE'LL Sir it is
certainly not exactly, presume as the debate pro-
gressed for obvious reason Our reporters are GER
tainy as accurate reporters generally are but they
are badly located and they have complained to us that
they have but poor opportunity to hear distinctly and
satisfactorily what is said by honorable Senators Yes
terday presented occasion very unfavorabe accu
rate reporting. A most stormy debate--an exciting,
tempesuous discussion occurred, and there was much
confusion in this hall The reporters were certainly
unable to perform their duty fully and satistacto-
rily to themselves as is customary state what homo
rable Senators very well know, that have been in the
habit of taking the OF the reporters and writing
out my remarks Many honorable Senators renot re-
ported at ALL The history OF the honorable Senator
who has spoken this morning is known to harmonize
with this particular OF procedure believe the
reports OF the Senator's speeches understood to be