Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1861-03-22
Senate PTOcecdings. .
Personal Quarrel between Douglas and
Fessenden. m.

|
s Personal Quarrel between Douglas a,
: Fessenden.
q WASHINGTON, March IA.
J, Mr.. Mason off"red resolution calling {
n the Secretary of War to inform the Sena
y "hether any portion of District of Colur
Q bin militia, or any officers thereof, sin,
the fret of Janusry, had been mustered in
he service of the United States, and wh.t
er any duty has been imposed on them /
: the Department; if SO, whether they ha,
= received any AMI what pay and allowanc
! he nature Of the duties. for what time en
, pioy ed, and whether the same still continue
to ne performed, &c.
MIR. Sumner otjscting, the resolution Ii G
} over
MIR D uglas moved to take up his rese
luton, offered yesterday, calling on the s'es
retary OF War for information relative {
the Southern forts and tthcr pre perty, &!
After brief debate, the motion was diss
greed to-the vote being 16 to "a.
The Senate then proceeded to the cons
Grafton of Mr.. Fessenden's resolution.
Mr.. Bayrrd moved as u substitute, tha
Albert q. Brown, jeff Davis, Stephen b
Mallory, y. Z. Clay. Robert Too,nbs aut
}. 2 Benjamin having announced that b,
The sece SION of their respective State.
they were no longer members of the Senate
and had Withdrawn therefrom, the Sec
retary is directed to omit their names in
calling the roll Of the Senate.
Mr.. Bayard denied there had been any
resignation, but by the action Of Their
States they were no longer members.
Mr.. NJ son suggested the substitution ol
"omitt d" in Mr. Fessenden's reso ut,on, in
stead of the words 'sstricken from the roll"
! which MIR. Fessenden accepted.
After debate, Mr.. Bayard's substitute was
rejected-l2 against 26.
Mr.. Bayard moved to strike out the name
of Mr.. Brown, Of Mississippi, from Mr.
Fcss enden's resolution, as be lad not given
any notice Of rasigning.
A long debate eusaed as to whether Mr..
Brown had or had not made such announce
ment. The Senate went into executive
session, after which the consider alton of the
resolution was resumed.
MIR. Clark offered substitute. which Mr..
Fessenden accepted, viz: "WHEsEAs, The
seats occupied by Brown, Davis, Mallory,
Clay, Toombs and Rufim, az members of
the Senate have become vacant, therefore.
Resolred, That the Secretary be directed to
omit their pane res ectively from the roll"
Mr. Mason Intellectually proposed to amend
the resolution by making it read "the gen
tiemen named have ceased TO be members"
Mr. Clarks substitute was adopted - 10
against "a.
Adjourned.
WASHINGTON, March Is.
Mr. NJ son offered the following preamble
and re olution:
WHERkAS, The presence of a military
force. concentrated and permanently quar-
tered nt the seat of government, is a DE- ar.
tufe from all former usage o. tho govern
ment and dangerous 20 the rights and Iiber-
ties of the people, therefore
RfsotUed That the President inform the
Senate what number of troops of the army
are quarteFed in tie city the respective arms
Ut the service and the purpose for whic
they were brought here; md further, that
he info u the Senate when said troops are
to e Withdrawn, an Inf not to be withdrawn,
for what purpose they are maintained here,
and whether ii is Lis purpose to increase
said force, and to what extent.
M. Doug as resolution in respect to the
forts, arsenals, navy yards and other public
property IN the seeding States, was then
taken I'D.
Mr. Douglas advocated his resolution. lie
did not believe the policy of the administra-
tion Was war. The construction of the in
.u,ural WAS disputed by some on his side,
while the Republicans were silent, neither
AS ent ng OF dissenting from his i terpreta.
tation The policy Of the ajmini~ tration
o~ing peace, he desired to relieve the appre-
hensions of the country, by obtsining re-
ply to 'iis resolution. which he believed
Ou!d gva quiet and restore good feelings
among the different sections Of tho country.
He gave his ieasons VIII Lincoln does not
mediate War. among which were that he had
no power to collect revenue in the seeding
States, nor could he call cut militia, unless
10 act as Il posse comitatus to federal officers,
IN cases where the laws We're obstrucsed. If
ne designed taking the forts, &C., an army
Of 25O,OO0 men would be necessary, costing
over $35 100000 annually. In conc usi on,
he advocated suoh amendments to the con-
s.itutlon as would hold the Border States,
md this would secure a Reunion Of all
tie congratulated the Republicans that they
mad patriosic4ly abandoned the prohibition
Of slavery in the territories and admitted
Vuo poPui"t eo'oAolSHDy ooCuAuo ioE JIG
formation Of the governments for Colorado,
Dacotah and Nevada.
Mr.. wilson said Douglas was a man of
anxiety. The President had scarcely deliv-
cred his kind and genial inaugural when the
Senator from Illinois steps forth unasked to
give tis Interpretation Of it. Nobody or
che Republican side had undertaken to 9 nc
tion or dsavow that nterpretation, but the
Senator wac not content to stand on even
mis- own interpretation OF the inaugural. He
vas not content that the President and Cab
net which ha just taken possessiou of tie
government and country in ruins shouid
nave time TO cast about and see what principle
and patriotism require to be DONE but lie
rushed into the Chamber and brought in
resolution askin. the administration to de.
clare to the country what it intends to do.
The administrative should make known its
policy through gentlemen in whom it had
con6l nee.
Mr.. Douglas said lie could pardon the pet
nance vt the Senator, who only showed he
was hurt. fle take about s'rutting, when
1t Was that Senator's only purpose to make
personal assault on him. Hs referred to
Wiso. as belonging to the war wing Of the
Republicans.
MIR. Fe>senden called Douglas attention
70 the fact that he said "Senator from
Malice" instead Of Massachusetts.
Mr.. Douxlas said he was mistaken. H.
lid not refer to the Senator from Maine.
lis words were "from whatever quarter
they come"
SIR Fessenden repii>d that his remark.
we're Understood As he (F.ssenden) had SAID
Mr.. Dougas-Some cannot understand
ruth when it is told. Courtesy requires
the Senator to accept his explanation. The
senator attaches more importance to himself
t,an others do. LIZ is respectable, debates
very well, and he should not think ailusiop
vas msde to him, as there were other peo-
pie than himself.
Mr.. Fessenjen thought Douglas had
m ,rely made slip Of the tongue in saying
sne Senator from Maine.
Douglas When make statement the