The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1858-12-28

EVANSVILLE, IND.
Mr. BIythe's speech.


of Mr.. Davis, from Floyd and Mr. Blythe
We were mistaken in the supposition that
the bill had been passed in the House over
the Governor 5 veto, and that the Q. s. Sen
ators had been elected under it. They were |
chosen under the Joint resolutions intro |
duced by Mr.. Grayens, and passed after the |
loss of the Senatorial bill. The position OF
/ the newly elected Senators will not appear
| as strong elected in this irregular manner
under temporary joint resolution, as f
made under a regular constitutional enact
ment, designed to fix rule for proceeding
in for the future
! Many will lament that Mr.. Blythe felt it
| his duty to assume a position that defeated
SO important law-one that we have learnt,
from past difficulties, to be needed to pre-
| serve the constitution from factious outrages
| and the State from anarchy. 1t is to be re-
4 GREETED that the two Old Line Wing men,
bers could not themselves have been infu-
! enced by the considerations which they adj
dressed to the Republican members to yield
| to their demands for modification of the
| Sixth Section. The Bill is admitted by
Messrs. Davis and Blythe to be an essential
one for the peace, welfare, and security of
/ the State, one which, "by the wisdom of
| its provisions, will forever shut cat all pos
/ sibility of re-enacting the disgracefuI scenes
! Of the last sessions" They ask to have
only " an obnoxious and useless recital
| stricken out-one which, t'were there any
| principles at stake in maintaining it as it is
they would not ask its friends to surrender.
They were willing to say that an emergency
4 does exist for the immediate taking effect of
the act and they " hold it to be true that
the State should have at all times some such
law to guard the disorder that might arise
from the death or incapacity of Senator'S
But because an obnoxious and useless reci-
tai, that involved no principle, was retain
ed, these gentlemen unfortunately deemed
it their duty to threaten, and to execute the
threat, of voting against and defeating a
law-the enactment Of which the safety and
peace Of the State demanded ~
If it could have been SO trivial matter
to give up the useless recital, there could
have been no grave objection to let it pass.
If it were useless and involved no principle,
its retention was harmless. 1t was simply
piece of partizan folly, which wise legis-
lator, looking to the essential interests and
permanent welfare of the State, would have
overlooked.
There are many, too, who viii dissent
from the views in the speech that the er
, parte proceedings of the T. s. Senate, and
its decision made without proof of the facts
and without reason assigned for its judg-
ment, is a fnality, and that there is no pow
er on earth to reverse it, The Senate of the
United States neither in its judicial or leg
islative character, is not supreme over law,
: the constitution, and right. The power of
the Senate, and that of all of its co-ordi-
mates combined, cannot confer the rights
and immunities of US. Senator where
: they have not been legally and .constitu-
tionally conferred by the people. 1t is a
gross and violent usllrpation to attempt to
bestow them where the people have not
legally granted them. IS.
If the Senate can become mob, by at
tempting to expel Senator Douglas or any
other constitutionally elected Senator by
turning him from the Senate Chamber in
disregard of law, the constitution and right,
it becomes as much n lawless mob when
! + it receives intoit5 chamber and clothes with
the power and privileges of Senators, men
who have never been elected by the State
to such honors and trusts II the Senate
be degraded by its gross violations of law
and right, TO the character of a mob, whose
acts are to be disrcgarded in one case, they
must, for the same reasons, be considered as
: utilities in tho other
There are many good citizens who feel q
deyout reverence for the majesty and sane
|, tty of law, and who, like Mr. Blythe, are
G ready to asseverate, that they will by no
act of theirs, weaken the power of that
law, or tarnish lis purity and majesty, yet
u feel no respect for a resolve of the Senate
: 50 lagitious and outrageous, that those who
= passed it had not the hardihood or ingenuity
n to offer one plausible reason in justification
: or exclamation of it. Acts under the form!
: of law, that outrage known facts and the
e acknowledged rights Of the people, destroy
$ respect for all law, and the perpetrators 0
e these assaults upon its majesty are them
:. selves the most destructive anarchists. TIL,
7 Senate itself has been the seat of rebellion
against the purity and supremacy OF tn
law in this instance.
- AS Mr.. Blythe repeats, it is the boundel
=" duty Of every member of The Legislator
E to do what he conceiues to be righb and leay
lp consequences TO take care OF themselves. =
4 No one, he says, can escape from this re
20 sponsibility and obligation. If therefore
: : it be evident that We have no legally AM
+ constitutionally elected Senators--if the
te s. Senate has clothed two pretenders wit
: Senatorial immunities to whom the peopl
n of the State has given no such rights, it wa
70 the duty of the Legislature-aud the obi