Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1859-03-17


i entitled TO two representatives in
the Senate of the United States. and
therefore Bright and Fitch must be
permitted to occupy seats. You were
then told you were not there contest
ing, n decision was had IN your alb
sence, and that decision is now used
to bar and preclude your rights when
YOU send gentlemen TO the |. ;. Sen
ate to represent you. They first use
the argument that the State did not
send up persons claiming the seats.
and judgment goes against you, and
then they plead that Judgment in bar
when you do send up Senators. But,
gentlemen, sense of justice or law
had nothing TO do with the decision.
They did not dare to meet the ques-
tion face to face; and when Senator
Trumbull appealed to Mr. Bayard, the
chairman of the Judiciary Committee,
and Senator Mason Of Va, and others,
and asked them if they dared to get
up in their places and say they believ-
ed the election of Bright and Fitch to
be constitutional. they were dumb. and
opened not their mouths. They dared
not hazard their reputation by the as
seriion Of any such thing. And how
do they get out of it? Why simply
by saying the case has been adiudi-
Gated Does simple lapse of time
deprive a sovereign State of It's right
to a representation in the Senate of the
United States?
And now, lest | forget it. let me
stop light here to pay my acknowledge
ments to those honorable Senators
our friends in Congress-who stood by
MS nobly | will speak of Seward of
y. Y, of Trumbull of H.. os Harlan
of To-. of Fessenden of Me. of Cola
mcr of VT, and of every Republican
Senator who voted for us. / will
speak of John Bell of Tenn; no party
lines held him, and the Republicans Of
Indiana had no right to expect much
OF him; but he made n speech for us.
and dared, in the face Of southern pro-
slavery oligarchy. to pronounce against
this outrage in no measured terms.
will also speak Of Douglas Of H., who
voted for us during the whole contest,
and who, in private, at least, did not
hesitate to dcnounce the Bright and
Fitch affair as n monstrous wrong,
perpetrated upon the constitution of
! the United States, and the constitution
of the State of Indiana, and IN dero-
CATION of her independence and honor.
But by whom were we opposed? /
wish every intelligent man in the State
could have heard that debatc--could
have heard Collamer. Trumbull. Sew
ard. Fcsscnden and Harlan. and have
heard the single answer which was
used against us by Green OF Mo-, and
Judge Bayard. chairman of the Ju-
dietary Committee, and Pugh Of O.
To the whole array of fact and argu-
mcnt this answer only was given
why. it is all settled; it is adludi-
Gated: it was all settled twelve months
ago." They did not dare to enter in
to controversy. Mr.. Benjamin spoke
in the same strain He has a reputa-
ton as lawyer, but how he got it,
God only knows. Pugh would make
his fortune by contending for nice con-
sfittionoi points before ignorant JUS
tices OF the peace at crossroads in the
country, but would starvc as a lawyer
at any respectable county-seat in the
State of Indiana Still had room in
my heart for pity of that miserable.
lriveling effort at argument, by which
he sought to excuse this miserable
fraud
Iou know the circumstances by
which that election was brought about.
Twelve months ago Toombs of Ga,
Ben lamin of La, and Greene of Mo.
denounced the action OF the Republi-
cans here two years ago as traitorous.
They were denounced as recusants-
traitors to the constitution OF their
country, and all the epithets and de-
nunciatory adjectives in which the
English language is so peculiarl Y rich.
were brought TO bear to damn to cter-
nal inlamy these men. for simply
standing upon their rights as freemen.
1t was referred to as an anomaly that
a Senatorial election should be post
poned. Let gentlemen 60 back lit
tie in the history of Indiana, and see
who have hitherto postponed these
elections. Do You remember, III ls4o.
when we had Wing majority, and
Bright, by his casting vote as Presi-
dent of the Senate, postponed the Sen
atorial election? They did not de-
nounce that as treason, for then Bright
reaped the fruits of his own act. Cen
tlemen who recollect these things well
remember how the Wing party of the
country was disappointed by the STAY
ing off of that election. | NAV not
trust myself to speak Of that disap-
pointment. There was man whose
claims were then postponed, who for
purity of private life, for eloquence
and ability, and TOR all the high quail
tiles which make true manhood. was
fully the peer and equal of the bright
est member of the United States SEN
ate in its palmie>t days. | need not
mention the name of the lamented
Marshall. He lives In your memory.
The same scene was re-cnacted In
1893, and the same martyr was found
for the sacrifice And 1t is because
YOU do not tamelv submit to this re-
peated wrong and outrage that you
are now TO be denounced. 1t is wrong
to postpone these elections-granted
but If ever there was wrong act
which had a sufficient excuse, ii
was the poStpouement in 1891. But