Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-02-25
Personal Explanation--Ameri OBJ
legations.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Feb. 18, 1858.
Mr.. ZoLLIcoFFER. Having risen siumulta-
neously with the gentleman from Ohio, to
whom the Chair has assigned the floor, while
/ take no exception to the right of the Chair
under the rules of the House to give him the
floor, ask that the gentleman will indulge me
with personal explanation which will occu-
Ply not more than five minutes.
Mr.. ToAPkINs. yield for that purpose.
Mr.. ZoILICoFPER. i wish to correct
statement made day before yesterday by the
gentleman from New York, (Mr. HATCH
which is prejudicial to myself and other mem
bers.
Mr.. BURROUGHS. If the floor is to be farm
ed out / want 10 come in as well as others
The CHAIRMAN. The time occupied by the
remarks Of the gentleman from Tennessee
will be taken out Of the time of the gentle
man from Ohio.
Mr.. TOMPKINs / hope the gentleman will
be brief, and will be allowed to go on uninter-
ruptedly.
Mr. WARREN. will not object, if there has
been a reflection upon the gentleman, directly
or indirectly; but if there has been general
charge against party, must object to the
explanation. i entertain for the gentleman
the highest respect.
Mr.. ZoIIICoFFER. My explanation will be
short, and concerns myself hope the gentle
man will not interrupt me.
Mr.. WARREN. i withdraw my objection.
Mr. JONI CocHRANE. / do not see my col
league MIR. HATCH in his seat. and suggest
that the gentleman withhold his explanation
until my colleague is present.
Mr.. ZOLLICOFFER. is not the member in
the House?
Mr.. john CoCHRANE. do not see him. /
only make the suggestion. The gentleman
will act on his own sense Of propriety.
Mr.. ZOLLICoFFER. Allow me to say in ex-
PLANTATION to that point, that dislike exceed
ingly to say anything which has the appear
ance of personality in the absence of the
member to whom it refers. But when the
member from New York made his speech,
there were passages in that speech which did
not distinctly comprehend. Yesterday was too
unwell to occupy my seat here. l saw report
of the member remarks in the Globe, which
satisfies me that he saw proper to indulge in a
spirit and strain of remark prejudicial to me
and other members of the House of Represen-
tatives. He can do as | have done. He can
read my statement in the Globe. 1t may be
difficult again to get the floor. would much
prefer he were here.
The member from New York read certain OBJ
legations which he alleged were the obliga-
tons OF the American, or Know Nothing
party, Us he termed it. / was q member of
the American party when it had its organiza-
! ton under obligations in the State of Ten
neSsee. | have to say that that which he
read as its obligation is not identical with
anything have knowledge of. 1t is material
ly different from the obligation which l recog-
nize, in spirit and in letter. But the member
from New York characterizes the obligations
of the American party az Unreasonable and ,a-
c94,xta1tional'' This languageis not justly ap~
plicablc either to what he read as the obliga-
tons, or to what were really the Obligations,
of the American party. 1t is manifest to any
gentleman who will read his speech. that the
purpose of the member from New York waI
to stigmatZe the members of the Amer
lean party. Now, sir. l am satisfied that,
in order to indulge the dnirius which per-
vades his speech of excited hostility to the
American party, the member from New York
has uttered f;llsehOod which was dishonoring
to him, and with which / brand him, and am
responsible for what say. That is all L have
to say.