The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-01-30
THE noRTHERN CONGRESS.
SPICY DEBATE.
SENATOR B RIGHTS CASE.

The sabjoined debate Of the Yankee Oon.
Indiana, was nnavoidably crowded ont OF
our issue Of yesterday, because OF the great
press Of late aud interesting news:
& The csss Of Mr. Bright was then taken MP.
Mr.. Davis,l lUnion,J Of KY. made an expla-
nation OF what Mf. Harlan had said In re.
gard 10 the law against teaching slaves.-
Where he (nlr. Davi13 lived they had schools
and sunday schools where the slaves were
taught to read. He own slaves, when born,
were baptized according 70 the rights OF the
church to which he belonged, and female
slaves we're given In marriage Just the same
a. white people. mr.. Knstt himself, who
church, and specially employed u preacher
for their edification. One great cause Of the
rebellion, which he omitted to speak Of yes
tsrday, was the div vision Of the hechurch--North
aud south.
Nr. Harlan, (Rep y of Iowa, said, that on a
former occasion. in debate on this subject,
several Senators from the south stated essen.
TALLY the same facts, but were rebuked by the
Senator from Virginia (Nlr. Mason) with the
declaration that IL WINS the policy OF the south
not to teach the slaves. ,~vf
Mr.. E0Wan, (Rep.,) ofPa., said that he had
q very siighI acquain ntance with the Senator
from Indiana, and had alway s~opposed him
IN Ais political dogmas. He lMr. sU0wan)
was ~ much In Avof Of putting uown the re-
belli0n as any one. He claimed that in exam.
iI1tng this case the Senate m must be governed by
the saB,e rules as il they were as jurors.
Is that Of tyeakon. There cannot be any half
way charge or halfway guilt. The Senator
must be guilty OF treason or nothing. If
there was wax between the North and the
South, aud the Senator from Indiana aided
the South, he would, OF course, be guilty of
treason.
/ Nlr. Sumner. (Rep., Of Mass, said that he did
not understand there was such n War, but
TnfG hi III a<r, h a
levied war against the Government, and they
were traitors.
OF. Uowan replied that if it could b proved
that 1t was the intention Of MIR. Bright to aid
the traitors, there could be no doubt OF his
treason. 7 he first fac, to consider is, was
there o state OF war at the time the letter
was written7 There were then three or tour
parties In the United States. One of them
believed in secession. Another party did not
believe in secession, yet thought if the states
seeded we had no right TO force them back.
At the head OF this party was ] as. Buchanan.
another party thought that us the Southern
states had gone on in their secession move.
lments until March, and had formed a Gov
ernment, IL was impolitic now to coerce
them. Another party opposed secession, and
was willing 10 take 4Dy means whatever to
put it down. He lnlr. Cowan) understood
that Mr.. Bright belonged to the party which
did not believe in secession, but thought it
impoiitic to attempt coercion, as it would
only serve to more completely dissever the
Union. At the first, all that the South aske d
was, that the United states troops should be
Withdrawn from their States and at the
time the letter Of the Senator from Indiana
was written, the southern Commissioners
were here treating, indirectly, perhaps, with
the Government for buch a withdrawal II
there was at that time Communication be-
tween the North and South, and If the Sena.
tor from Indiana thought the rebellion was
not consummated, and there as to be no
war, II was not treason to write the letter he
III n Tn rd fN ho suh l.,x%a
there was TO be q new ttoyernment formed
there cOuld be no harm in sending such q
letter. He (Nar. Cowan) thought that did
hotamount to much, as 1t was simply follow
tMI. hrighp moved. He (Mr. Cowan) was
willing to admit that the writing Of such q
letter was q great folly |; but he thought that
Mr.. Bright might have looked at the matter
from another standpoint, aud he (nlr. Uowan)
was not willing to afix the stigma OF treason
from such doubtful testimony.
Mr. Harris. (Rsp.,l of n. Y, said: Up to
tho called session Of July last but q single
Senator has been expelled for three quarters
Of, q century. In the early history Of our
ducing several tribes OF Indians from their
allegiance to our Government and had at
tenn pied to attach them to the British Gov
erDment For that high misdemeanor, rs it
IL called Inconsistent with the performance
Of his duty, as the record states, he was ex-
pelled. Anothsr Senator was supposed, some
time after that, to, be engaged in the Burr
conspiracy, and was brought to trial for that
offence before the Senate. But q constitu. !.
tional vote was not obtained, and he subse-
qtlently resigned. But, sir, since the 4th OF
July last, nearly one-third of this body have
been expelled. These vacant seats ars con-
slant and impressive memorial of the extent
ard desperate characrer of this treason which
has not only des0lated, this Senate, but orr
whole co.1try. Now, sir, we ara called upon
TO take another step. Senator's were expelled
because they we've openly adhering to the en-.
comfort. Now, sir, we are asked TO sxpel
from the body a Senator who presents him.
self here, claims and occupies his seat. dis.
charges the duties Of q Senator, and professes
to be loyal to the Constitution and the Union.
This, sir, in my judgment, is a great stride
beyond what we have already done
As understand 1t. Senators are now act
ing ss q judicial tribunal, determining upon
the rights Of Senator. and they are to
be governed by no such principles, sublima-
ted a. they may be, as those suggested by the
Senator from Kentucky. He told MS that the
Senate was TO be controlled by no common
law or parliamsntary usage, but It was to
was un6t for parliamentary duty. It is we'll
for this Senate that this doctrine had not
been prom ulgated at an earlier day. If 80,
the Senator from Massachusetts, {Mr. Sum.
neT) would never have been permitted to
hurl his polished, burning shafts against the
barbarian of slavery, and the clarion voice
Of the veteran Senator from New Hampshire
(Mr. Helel would long since have ceased to
resound In this hall. And there are other Sen
ators who have long been suspected OF being
too much imbued with q certain unhealth =
doctrine to have held their seats by any Ger.
tain tenure, IL the Senate had been allowed to
expel Senators because, in the judgment of
the Senate, they were unfit for parliamen-
tary duty. The great question now on trial
in our nation 10 whether 1t shall live, or
whether, bsca use the fingers OF treason are
clutchad at Its throat. 1t shall cease to exist.
In times like these, which stir every patriots
heart, there is imminent danger that We
may be led to do an act, In q case like this,
which will fix q precedent which shall be
pernicious In its influence hereafter. There
IL no more melancholy teaching In the his.
tory OF English jurisprudsnce than the
facility by which, from forced and arbitrary
constructions, the best men Of the times, in
nocsnt and patriotic men, OF whom neither
the times nor their country were worthy,
were condemned for treason. The Sidneys.
the Russels, the Hampdens, and other wor-
THEA like these furnish US an admonition
that we should be cautious. Mr.. Harris then
referred to the letter, claiming that If tbe
would have been harmless; that Lincoln
had gotten mp this ffre. arm, and 1t was put
In at Lincoln's suxgtstion, and the letter was
q simple letter OF introduction; and II Sum-
ter had not been attached, and there had
beeu NO war, the lottsr would not b ave been
noticed. and closed a. follows: 1t seems to
ne. II the Senate were to expel this senator
without coming to the conclusion that he
was guilty Of . reasonable design, 1t would
be railty 81 the greatest injustice toward tha
senator and toward the Senate.
Mr.. Ten Eyck, (Rsp,l Of N. J., had not the
aco etnt tance OF the Senator from Indiana
be1ond q mere speaking one, but that should
not alter his course in this case. The simple
1Gct was the finding Of two letters ON the per
son of Thomas D. Lincoln, written by the
Senator from Indiana, ono of which was ad.
dreesed TO his Excsllency JET Davis M.
Lincolu,s treason conld not be Of the darkest
kind, q he had only been held to bail for the
crime. The District Attorney Of Ohio was
verv careful to retain this letter, a. evide ence
Of Hr, Lincolu's treason, and II was found
on the person Of the lattsr flve and hall
month after It had bsen written. Was it
ever delivered to Js9. Dsvist He quoted