The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1856-01-25
THE CONTEST FOR SPEAKER.

THE CONTEST FOR SPEAKER.
The following remarks upon the farce which
is being played at Washington, we copy from
the Nashville Banner. The views here ex-
pressed are in conformity with those enter
tanned by the country at large:
1t is high time that the struggle for the
Speakership. which has now lasted seven
weeks. should lie put an end to. IL is mere
party struggle. The slavery questions upon
which the members of the House are divided
are of noimmediate, practical Importance to
the South or to the North. Look abroad
over the slave.holding States, and say il they
were ever in a more prosperous condition.
Was slave property ever more valuable, or
did the STAKEHOLDER ever feel less apprehen.
sion as to the peaceful and undisturbed pos
session, of his slaves than at this nome D.
Neveri And does any party--does any mem.
Der Of the House of Representatives profess
to believe that there is any power in Congress
to interfere with slavery in the Statesi No
there is not member in the House, Of any
party, that processes to believe any such
thing. Mr.. Giddings' vote, denying the ex.
istence Of any such power in Congress stands
recorded on the Journals of the House. Mr.
Seward and Mr.. Chase give public utterance
to the same opinion
1t is no question, then, as to the right of
the people Of the slave.holding States, to
the secure and uninterrupted use and en-
joyment Of their slave property, That the
three parties in the House of Representative
are so divided upon, that they not or ,riu
not organize, and proceed to the discharge of
the high duties which they were elected, as
representatives of the people, to discharge
What, then, in the name Of common sense, is
sla f,sa oh tn A. h.,
present House of Representatives with MI
proper respect, but il we speak truly and
conscientiuusly, when asked what is the fuss
about, we shall be ompelled to snswer, that,
in our humble opinion, it is all much ado
about nothing"-by which we wish to be un.
dsrstood as expressing the opinion, that the
slavery questions, upon which the members
of the House are divided, or think they are
for tome of them are not near SO far apart as
they imagine--are of no present, practical
Importance to the South, aud constitute no
good reason why there should not, during the
frst week of the session, have been union
among sufficient number of the members,
to effect an organization of the House and 90
on with the dispatch Of the public business
much of which is Of an urgent and important
character. and as such, required their prompt
attention. And this business must be attend.
ed to. A Speaker must he elected, and the
House must be organized. The Government
must be carried on. The people of the United
States are not prepared for anarchy. They
did not elect tmo hundred and Mirty:fom rep.
resentatives, and 'ay them eight dollars per
day, and mileage co boot, to so to Washing.
tou and spend seven weeks in squaLbling
about Speaker, in defining their positions,
MS party men. and, in short, in doing those
things which they ought not to do while
they left undone those things which they
were sent there expressly TO do.
We shall not attempt to point out hoc the
triangular struggle might long ago, or how it
might now, be brought to close. That is
the business of the representatives them.
selves. 1t being their exclusive, and their
very first, business to elect Speaker, it was
their business, and still is to find out and
adopt some mode of electing one. Where
there's q will, there's always a way. We say
a Speaker-not your candidate nor my can
didate-but a Speaker to do the peoples bust
ness. The peoples business! All, if it had
been the dong of the peoples business only
that Speaker was wanted for, there would
have been very. little delay, and very few
ballotings would have sutliced for that pur-
pose But it was party business that was,
and has been, uppermost in the minds of the
peoples representatives-it was party
Speaker that was wanted-and there being
ity. the extraordinary and, we may say I'M
seemly, spectacle has been presented TO this
country and to the civilized world of two
hundred and thirty.four representatives of
This free people, constituting the popular
branch of our National Legislature, meeting
together daily, at a time when public bust.
ness, both in relation to our foreign and our
domestic affairs most pressngly demand their
attention, and, for seuen ,oeeks voting for their
respective party candidates for speaker-to
the utter neglect Of all other business!
The proceeding is totally indefensible. No
candid, intelligent man, of any party, will
say that it is defensible. There must be
grave dcreliction of duty to the public inter
ests somewhere. Each Of the three parties,
while it readily admits this to be SO, will yet
yehemently protest that the blame does not
lie at his door, but at the door of one or both
of the other parties. Which of the parties is
in the wrong, or whether all three have each
its share of the blame to bear, we shall not
undertake to decide. We have, in the fore.
going remarks, considered the subject in
general point Of view-from the peoples
point Of view. We may have occasion at
future day to discuss it in party point Of
view. .Y -