The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-08-09

/ 6oVOiuihCht W oc ueouOyeu. II kHank you
once more.
Mr.. Wilson's Record.
| Correspondence Of the Gate City.]
Early in the session Mr.. Wilson introd ucet
a resolution having in view the passage of ar
additional article Of war, making it grave
offense for army officers to assist in any
way in the return of fugitive slaves. Thi.
was accomplished, and Mr.. Henry Wilson
Senator from Massachusetts,, at first got thu
credit of it! C
Next he introduced bill for the repeal Of
what call the old law for the benefit of pub.
lie thieves, by which your democratic pa.
triots, like Floyd and Thompson, were en-
abled to escape the penalty due to their
crimes, simply because they had testified be-
fore an investigating committee of Congress!
Mr.. Wilson's righteous act is now the law.
Then he had fine running debate and keen
encounter with Frank Blair, which resulted
in Mr.. Wilson's complete triumph and saw.
ing TO the country of much treasure The par
liamentary tactics and high debating powers
exhibited by your member on this occasion
won for him universal applause from all who
witnessed the uncounter. Single-handed
he whipped Blair, Wickliffe, Mallory, May
nard, and the whole crew of Border-State
men, IN contest wherein those experienced
public men in vain contended against him.
Mr.. Wilson's report on the censorship of
the press was published in all the great lead
ing papers of the country, and commended
by most of them for its clearness Of
statement and cogsncy Of reasoning. His
arguments were adopted by Congress, his
resolution on the subject being carried by a
rousing majority, not withstanding the NUT
terings from the State Department.
Onthe Pacific Railroad bill, he achieved
substantial and valuable success. Messrs
Blair and Hall, of Mo-, were on the Commit.
tee, and, of course, Mr.. Wilson had to work
with the whole House against an adverse
report. He spoke briefly on the subject,
and had two or three amendments incorpor-
ated into the bill, valuable to the measure it.
self and specially so as connected with its
bearings upon our own State.
think do not state the case to strongly
when say that his triumph in the bill re-
organizing tho Supreme Court was the finest
success achieved by any new member for
more than score Of years. Your readers
know how the old Supreme Court was or
ganized, having Eve judges from the South
to population Of 10000, 900, and four in
the North, to a population Of 10000, 900,
and that the Northwestern Circuit alone was
about equal to that Of tn, whole five South
ern circuits! This monstrous citadel of Sla-
very, Mr.. Wilson determined to storm and
overthrow it. He did storm it, and it is
overthrown When he first submitted his
plan to the Judiciary Committee. it was re-
jected by every other member! But with q
perseverance unsurpassed, he argued, and
argued, and argued, till he had the satisfac-
ton of reporting the bill with the unani-
nous consent of the whole committee and Of
seeing it pass the House by a majority Of
two to one. 1t is now the law, and your
own fellow citizen, Samuel F. Miller, is As
sociate Justice of the Supreme Court for the
circuit composed of Minnesota, Iowa, Mis-
souri, and Kansas. The conflicting Interests
Of different States being considered, it is safe
to say, no measure was ever surrounded
with more difficulties. That Mr.. Wilson
steered it safely through allis confirmation
strong as proofs Of Holy Writ that he is q
fine parliamentary pilot. Some ofthe ablest
and most experienced members were oppos-
ed to him, but his triumph was complete.
The test-oath bill was Mr.. Wilson's work.
Your readers know that it is designed to
keep rebels forever out Of public Offices
Amended by the Senate, the House refused
to concur, and the bill was at last drawn up
by Mr.. Wilson, except IS to the amendment
excluding the President from its operation.
ia The firstconfscation bill reported to Con-
gress was drawn up by Messrs. Bingham of
Ohio, and Wilson, of Iowa, as . minority re-
port of the judiciary Committee. They re-
ported two bills, in fact--one for oonfsca-
ton of property, aad the other for the eman-
cipation of the slaves Of rebels. The his
tory of the legislation on this subject has
been laid before the world. Mr.. Wilson
was firm from the start for copfiscation and
emancipation both. His hboss in the Com.
mittee Of Conference which at last gave as
the bill we now have, maugre the wretched
resolution explaining it, were sctiye and efi-
Gent.
In all the measures having direct influ-
ence on the interests ofour State, and Of
which have before spoken, be has work.
ed like horse," and in all successfully =
The way he got the Des Moines Land Grant
through the House was admirable. By
courtesy, it had to be referred TO the Public
Land Committee, which was down on his
motion. But that Committee had just been
called, and would not be called again dur