The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1857-09-11
THE SENATORIAL QUESTION


aiorial QUESTION" say-
The theory of ourgovrrnmrnt CONFIRM
plates IN 1 the SrraIel"u!d he permanent
body rlw vs. i'm exisieie. The Constitution
provides that il varnnrs happen by resgnn-
ton or otherwise durg the recess OF the
Legislature of nny Sii', the Executive there
"f may make iemporg appoint" rnts until
the next meeting If IL Legislature, which
shall then fill such v-Incirs. The object of
this pruyisinn is evid,ily TO insure full
Senatorial reprrsrntatn TO each State at all
times. But suppose aiPmeigency had arisen
requiring the c"nvrntis Of the Senate Mt any
time since the 4ih Of hrch last: the vacancy
nv reason of the expirion of Gov. Jones'
commission occurring iuring the term of
office of the l..gislntii' elected in August
1855. and that Legislature hrng competent
Ia fill said vacancy. 1t veuld have been clearly
without the power Of te Governor of Ten
nessre TO fill il nv appoalm or in anv way
except by calling an pS'n session of the
General Assembly, 10 eect his surcrssor.-
Indeed m extra session pf the Senate tcdS
convened on the 5h Of March last, Mt which
sirty one Senators we're personal---very. STATE
in Oh" Union erceptTeu7essee having her full
representation. IN hs Buch, however. NJ no
matters came befoe tha session "f sufficient
moment 10 Justify the calling OF an extra
session of the Leg,latpre. il was not Done
and We are still without n full representation.
If this argument determines anything, il is,
that the Legislature of Tennessee" does not
meet at proper peiods. and that its time Of
assembling ought b be sh'nged. But, Tor
this there il no necessity The contingency
Of called session DIZZY not often occur, and
the State cannot lose much BY not being rep
resented in u mGe executive session like that
which convened ever, four wears on the inau-
DURATION of pesiden However, for an an
suer to the Ulinn and American on this head,
we refer our beighbo TO sI'tec es made by
some of the Immortal Thirteen" in the Leg
islature of lj4l-2 At that time Tennessee
had no Representation in The United States
Senate. Hpitwo seats were vacant; and when
the " higs proposed tn go into an election to
fill them, tie proposition was defeated by mn
rxtrarurdirlry movement on the part Of the
thirteen loIofoco Seniors, and the Stnie
forced to Do without representation in the
United Sites Senate hr two sessions. "1he
theory Of our government" which "contrm-
plates thai the Senate should he n permanent
body, always in exisirhcp," was di>rrgarded
by our n-ighhor's coniedrratrs. they did
not deem the filling of the Tennessee vacan-
cies matter Of any m,ment. Whether they
were filled ornoi, the permanence Of the
Senate was not affected. Gov. Johnson, is
reported to have said :--"The wings had n
mnjoriiy in tn, Senate, aud, therefore, there
was no need % hurry IN the election" A
similar remarl might INV be- made with JUS
tice, to wlt-s'l'h- lne,focos have n maturity
in the Senate OF the United States, and,
therefore, there is no heed To hurry ON the
eleciion-esrerialiv ny Mr.. Bells term does
not expire until 1859, a,d the next Legisla-
ture meets in time 10 fill it,"
But, the Union and American attempts to
bolster up its position by citing the action of
the Wing Legislature ii 1878, in rlrc:ing
u Successor to Mr.. rundy before his term
expired; and the election of Judge White in
1927. in n similar manner. Ii former I.egis-
lntures committed errors, that is no sufficient
EXCUSE for succeeding Legislatures to do the
same thing. The l"rofoco members of the
h. gislaturp of 1878, ''contrnv'ried both the
right" of the Legislature to elect MS proposed,
and the precedent. Mr. 10. &. Guild said, in
reference to the proposition, off not against
the letter Of me constitution, this extraordinary
step is against The spirit Of the republican in
stittitions IF the country" But Mr.. Guild is
not the only one of the present aspirnnts to
Mr.. Bells place, who opposed this "exira"'-
binary step" Mr.. Nicholson, Of Marry, was
equally z-alous. The following extract from
a speech mnde nv Mr.. Bledsnr. of Sumner,
gives the position Of the locofoco, or shnn
democratic members:
"Allow me, air. 10 "ffirm, and that, too.
without hazard. that If III" exercise Of donht.
FIJI pnwprs is Discarded. for nm aversion tn
which Tennessee has always heen Distinguish
pd. and we give prevalence Ia the strict dfmo
cratic doctrines Of me Federal Constitution. The
Election of Senator cnnnot De brought on now;
hnt, II, nm the other hand, this sacred instrn-
npnt is violated, the sovereign power Of the
re"pe will be nsurped. and the great Magma
'hnrtn If American liberties made sacrifice
Il ih" shrine of party.
"The m"veme' which is now making bv
he Dominant Wing p rtv. is dirertiu al rart-
rnce mih The usage Of the State. The advo
'at"s Of this resolution hive rnnsnckcd the
'rchvps of the State to get prrred"ts To bear
hem M. nd the result of their scdul"us in
'estiyaiion has been the finding nf only the
iingie case "f Judge White. who wns elected
u 1927 to ill the office in 1920: while the
rholp mr. v of Instances, from 1897 NJ I" this
imp, IN directly against them. In 1873, an
'ff"ri was made hiring an III" election Of
Senator to fiji the offer in 1915. IN 1888.
rsoln'ion wns introduced 10 elect WI 'ccss"r
O Judge White. ho MRS 60 ga ont of Office
n 1895: Mt these stated times, the democratic
epnhlican. DICKSON. Van Buren, party, as the
gentleman calls ia. were in tn" nscendnncv,
M they had :" high Q regard for The Consti-
niion that they ordered the resolution TO law
N the tnhl" until the constitutional period
ms arrived for filling the vacancy"
According TO these locofoco au horiips, the
tep now Hdesirrd and intended" by their
brethren Of this dav, was not in accordance
With the "strict democratic doctrines Of the
edrrnl constitution" WINS vioniive of the
spirit Of the republican institutions Of the