The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-07-22
CONGRESSIONAL.
SPEECH OF HON. MIR. LETcHER,
or VIRGINIA


Delivered in the House OF Representatives July IL 1856
The House having under consideration the report Of the
committee on the alleged assault Of the Hon. PRRsroS S
BRoogs the Hon. CHARLES SuMSRR Of the Senate
MT, MT LErChER said Mr. Speaker do not propose to
ute rule which has been adopted by this House to-day
would prevent from discussing the question length
even IL desired to do have risen therefore TO refer
to but points which have been made in the
progress OF this discusson and which, in my Judgment
demand some notice. =
And, first, to the remark made by the gentleman
from Ohio, Mr. LETTER. who has just taken his seat That
gentleman believes that the House possesses the power
which It has exercised In originating this prosecution
and he Is Tor using the power of punishment in the
ent case 10 the extent recommended in the resolutions
ported by the majority of the committee. He entertans
no doubt as TO the proprety of the expulsion OF Of the
parties implicated, and enterains little doubt OF the
propriety of censuriDg the other Now, sir let
look into the power OF this House punish claimed by
the majority and see to what extent they propose to carry
Suppose you expel my friend from South Carolina and
he returns to bis constituens-annonnces himself
didae for re-electon-is reelected as he will be- by
unanimous VOTE and back TO this House and pre-
sents his certificate of election in due FORM what will you
do with him then? win you undertake to refuse him ad
mission to his seatf Will You originate another invcsti
gation-try him second time for the ofenceand,
by way of further punishment deny him the right of mem
bershPI Such is the extent to which the doctrine pro-
claimed by the majority goes but when the presents
ITSELF can hardly imagine that they will attempt to carry
1t into practice. ..,ga
Or take another case which may very readily occur in
these excited times This Congress expires by law the
4th Of March Suppose that the last night of the
session, member of this House. for good and sufficient
in his judgment goes into the Senate chamber
the rotunda the avenue and makes assaultupon
senator The session expires that night and before you
originate proceedings and make your investigation and
pronounce your Judgment the hour for
and representative existence IL closed. The member
who committed the assault to his constituents
reelected by hem and comes back to take bis seat in the
next Congress What will you do with him under these cir
cumstances Win the Congress, as it is
ganzed take the case, organize committee empower
them to send TOR persons and papers and proceed to nves
complaint that the privileges OF member Of their body
had been violated you believe lin the case supposedl
The doctrine which has been proclaimed by the majority
in the long discussion to which have listened, would
require action on the part of the House and such action
in their opinion, would be justified by the constitution
Now sir submit it to the practical every
member of this House to say whether he believes any such
idea entered the heads Of the trainers of the coDsu
ton-that they ever dreamed of action by the House in
such CASE
But say gentlemen my doctrine be true members will
be constantly liable to assault and there will be
dy IT is not So sir 1t Is the duty Of every member in
debate to confne himself within the limits of parliament
proprey and decorum and his intercourse with his
nembers to conduct himself with genemanly court
esy If be will observe this rule he will be in danger
OF assault IT. however in the discharge Of his duty he is
called upon to expose abuses dcnounce frauds bold up
the REMEDY with the courts which have been instituted
for the trial of offences of this character and which ascer
tain the punishment due to the offence In my view this
acty to member OF Congress which is afforded to every
private citizen The be appealed TO to redress
the wrongs Of the private citizen and is there any reason
why senator member Of this House should stand
upon higher ground than that occupied by his coastuen
The majority here disposed to carry the doctrine of
privilege far beyond these reasonable ms and to make
il apply to that conceived of by those
who framed the clause of the constitution on which they
rely
Now let say one word in reply TO tho gentleman
from Pennsylvania who speaking when entered the
hail. Mr.. PuRyIAScE That gentleman says that he has
the right to utter whatever he peases in this body and
that has the right to call him TO account for
thing be may utter He referred TO some remarks made
by the senator from Georgia mr. TooNBs in reply to Mr.
SrwARp, Of New York. to the effect that statement made
by the latter not and that Mr. SrwARD did not be
eye it 10 be when be uttered it. know nothing of
the occurrence to which the gentleman refers but will
venture to say that the distinguished senator from Georgia
s ready and willing at all times TO ansWe for any Ian
guage be feel called upon TO employ in debate Would
the gentleman from Pennsylyan with this view Of ~
justification for the OF offensive language here
upon the incident which he has quoted Is he unable to
perceive difference between liberty Of speech and licen
tiousness OF speech Attendant circumstances may justify
OF such circumstances would not justify its by
another How IL may have been In the cited know
not
Does the gentleman recognise the right Of one member
this floor wantonly insult another by the Of Of
fensivc language2 Would he have believe that he
pudiaed all personal responsibility for insults given by
him. and that he would submit TO insult from Others until
such time the law would take the matter in hand and
provide punishment for the offence? No srl do not
believe tho gentleman would act upon eGy such rule
do believe that his constituents would sustain him In the
recognition of such rule have always believed and
believe now that they would justify him in resenliug any
insult that might be offered TO him. and would justify I'm
furnishing the offender believe that the OF
every other member this floor oud recognise this rule
and would esteem more highly the who would practise
upon IT. bold lat every member this House is bound
to treat others gentlemen, and that II member in
suits another wuly and deliberately he the risk OF
having his head cracked and deserves to have IL cracked
That Is the doctrine where live, and imagine II ID the
doctrine in the northern section Of the Union.
Why sir suppose an individual were 10 tell the gentle
man from Ohio, the chairman Of this committee, Mr.
CLNPBEL on court green, that he lied or offer him
other insult do you suppose that he possessed OF
that Christian virtue that would induce him to pass II By
without notice. or that bis constituents would tolerate him
in passing by and not resentng promptly and decidedly
the moment Would not impulse be TO resent the
insult and 10 administer punishment 10 the
offender Wherever and whenever any other rule recog
missed 10 tho intercourse between and insns will
become Of common, everyday hold that the
constituency OF the gentleman from Pennsylvania and o.
every other member upon this oor when they select
to represent them here expect him TO treat Others with
courtesy and proprety and II ho s not treated in like
manner they expect him TO protect himself AMI 10 meet
their expectations by resentng promptly and properly the
insult which has been given 10 him. The northern people
have spirit well az the southern and they prize not
less highly the exhibition Of spirit the part Of their
representatives than do the South Upon this point have
said all intended. So ... .........a1. /.
There Is other point that feel called upon to notice
The elder gentleman from Ohio, Mr. GIpDNGs Ia his
marks yesterday declared that the effect Of slavery
TO blunt the intellectual and moral faculties OF those who
resided in the States in which the institution existed Now
sr let call the attention Of the gentleman and The
House to two historical facts TO show how utterly
unjus6abe how entirely unounded such assertion is
Was II not STAKEHOLDER who conceived and penned The