New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-02-14
The Election Of u. =. senator Prevented
Who is in Fault 2

The Election Of U. 3. senator Prevented
Who is in Fault
The Constitution of tho United States
imposes on the several State Legislatures
the duty, at proper times, of choosing Sen
ators of the United States. A failure to
perform this duty, in a sufficient number of
instances, would destroy the Federal Union.
Without quorum in the Senate, no valid
act can be passed by Congress, no ApPro-
priations made; the Army, Navy, Jadici-
airy and Executive Departments would all
be starved out and dispersed. A refusal
TO elect a Z. S. Senator, at the time one
should be elected, strikes at the foundation
of the Union and involves principles which
would work its destruction.
4 Jaw of our State of long standing fixes
the time when and the manner ia which
u. S. Senators shall be chosen. On the
first Tuesday in February preceding the
expiration of the term of any Senator from
this State, each branch of our Legislature
shall proceed to nominate q candidate for
L. S. Senator; the two nominations thus
made shall forthwith be compared; if they
agree, the person thus designated is the
Senator elect; if they disagree, ehe two
Houses shall meet in Joint Ballot and thus
elect Senator by a majority vote. And,
finally, to clench the matter, both branches
of our Legislature agreed beforehand, with
out dissent, in a Joint Resolve that they
qrould proceed on the first Tuesday in this
month, at noon, to elect u. S. Senator, in
accordance with the Constitution and law
aforesaid.
Did they do Il? Answer this question as
Common Sense and Conscience shall die
tate Was the farce enacted by Messrs.
Beekman and the fifteen Opposition SEN
ators on that day compliance in spirit and
purpose with the laws requirements {! Did
they in good faith endeaUOr to do what the
law enioined on them Remember that the
Opposition Members had had Caucus and
nominated Gen. John A. Dix as their can
didate for u. S. Senator; but when they
came TO vote in the Senate, only one OF
them voted for Gen. Dix, while the other
fourteen voted for fourteen different persons;
and this they repeated on two separate
ballots though the great mass of their
brethren in the House voted for Gen, Dix.
Did they wish, desire, or attempt to nom
mate any person for Senator as the law
commanded Let their conspiracy to scat
ter their votes as widely as possible, and
their unanimous vote to adjourn not only
after the second but after the first ballot,
make answer
So with Senator Beekman. Admit that
he had a perfect right to vote for Mr..
Granger in preference to Gov. Fish, and
still we say he had no right to cOnsPire to
defeat ANY nomination. He we'll knew
that an effort would be made to concen-
trate all the Wing votes on Mr.. Granger,
so as to nominate him and thus secure
Joint Ballot, and he moved and voted for
hasty and premature adjournment in or
der hat the candidate HE roted for might
NOT be nominated. In doing this he clearly
superadded to treason to his party the
higher crime of essential treason to the
Constitution and law.
Nov when The Albany alias tries &c
palliate this treason by saying the minority
were under no obligation to help the friends
of Ger. Fish elect him, etc. it confesses that
its case cannot stand without misrepresen'
tation-that merely stating it fairly con-
dennis the act that paper would justify
Nobody asked them to vote for Gov. Fish
to aid his election. We did not complain
of their refusal to vote for our candidate
but of their preconcerted desertion of then
o1cn. We did not wish their hel P to elec1
our candidate, but we protest against thell
comforting with our recresnts to defeat any
election. All we asked of them was sim
ply that they do what the Constitution aud
law plainly enjoined upon them-namely
that they cndeGrOr in good faith to nominate
for Senator the man they would wish t.
see chosen. In failing to do this-in con
spring not to do it. nor even suffer 1t to be