The Richmond palladium., 1862-02-08
Spe ech Of Hon. HENRY s. LANE,
> In he y. s. Senate, Jan 2Ist. 1869;
On the Expulsion Of Jesse d. Bright.

..4ts In he u s. Senate, Jan. 2Ist. 1869;
On the Expulsion Of Jesse D. Bright
Mr.. President. after the very able and in
teresting and exhaustive debate to which "
have listened, il would seem to be in ba
taste for me to delain the S ,nare much lona
er by any remarks Of niue. But the pecu
liar relation that the great Safe which
in part have the honor to represent upo
this floor bears to the question under cor
sideration, the deep and abiding inter-'
which the people of that State may natura
ly be supposed to feel in the proper decis
ion OF the question, and the grave characte
and transcendant importance of the discus
sion must plead nv excuse.
There is also reason. personal to mysei
why il may not be altogether improper 70
me TO give TO the country and to the Senat'
the reasons which control my action upor
the present occasion. 1t will be remember
ed by the Senate that, three years ago. th'
Legislsiure of the State Of Indiana, believ
ing that the election Of my colleague TO .
seat in this body was unconstitutional anC
void. elected me to that same seat, and thai
came here to contest his right 80 sea,
up)n this floor, under that legislative cleo
ton. l am not here now to open again
that discussion, although. il it were proper.
j. would give me great pleasure to do So -
/ remember the incidents OF that contest
perfectly. You remember them. believe
then, rs believe now ss / believe in my
owncxistence, as believe in God above
me, that that was partisan decision. in vio-
lation OF law, ard in violation OF the Consti-
tuition of the United States and OF the State
of Indiana; but l refer to it now. not Tor the
purpose of reopening that discussion, " hich
has already passed, bn' simply for the pur-
pose OF assuring the Senate that no recollec-
tion of the Injustice perpetrated against me
upon ttat occasion; no memory OF the out
rage perpetrated upon the honor, the inde-
pendence, and the CO ,s,it tutonal rights of
Indiana. mingles with my consideration of
this question. am here now. if l know
myself, to consider it as new and original
question. upon its own merits. If know
myself, have no feeling Of personal i'll will
or unkindness towards my colleague. My
heart is too iull OF gloom and sorrow and ap.
prehension on account of the condition to
which traitors and treason have brought the
country to leave room for personal psrti-
san feeling. / see before me my torn, DIS
trac,ed. and bleeding country. tn 1t country
which have sworn to support, and that
! excludes from my vision all other objects.
upon an OCcaslOn Hke tniS, nc IS no patrtOt,
nay more. he il no man, who will not tram
pie under his feet every unworthy suyges-
ton aud every selfish motive shall en-
dsavor, in approaching this discussion. to be
free from. partisan or pc, sonal preju lice -.
You will readily believe. Mr.. President, that
il is no pleasant duty which now calls for
asqOoni;n spout taS1s.snaA~ai.~-.A.AA.an me. &c
the pathway of duty is plain. however. un-
pleasant or difficult it may be. shall tread
that pathway. l shall follow my convictions
of right and duty and the lead ut my princi. ,
Piles, even though they shall lead me TO tn,
hames. ofmartyrJom. Mr.. President, 10 an
hour like the present we should endeavor TO
raise ourselves to the height Of this great ar
gument, involving. rs it does, the character
and conduct Of one of our associates, Q mem
Der OF this high body, involving the consti-
tutionsl rights Of a sovereign State of the
Confederacy; involving the honor, the in
terest, the peace. the welfare, and. it may
the very existence OF the only free Govern-
ment upon earth. The confidential relation
whicl, the Senate bears to the executive
branch, of the Govcrnmeut. the high pow
ers with which the Constitution clothes the
clothes the Senate. the psrilous times in
which we live. make IL our first, most i'm
pera'ive. most sacred duty, to SEQ tha. none
but true and loyal men should be permitted
to hold seats in this body.
This, Mr.. President. being the nature of
the great discussion upon which we. have
entered. we shoull approach it with calm
and dispassionate reason, with enlightened
patriotism, with aprotound sense OF the pub
lie duty that rests upon us. On an occasion
like this we should by the purity of our con
duct vindicste the digniIy OF human nature
and the granduer of human conduct. How
stands the question before the Ssnate and
before the country! Before l enter upou
the discussion OF the subject. permit me to
do Justice, ample and full justice, 10 my col {
league upon this floor. Upon the first day
Of the present session. my colleague told
me- that he desired. invited. and requested
the utmost scrutiny OF the Senate into his
conduct. give him the benefit Of that {
manly avowsl OF a desire for fall iavestiga- I
ton.
A resolution was introduced by the Sen. I
ator from Minnesota for the expulsion of my j
colleague. reciting letter written by him {
on the Ist of March. 1861. We can only 8
read that letter in the light Of cotemporsne-
ous events. in the light of the eli cumstances (
the country at the time the let
Ter WAS written. l canno, unbosom any i
man and look iuto his intentions and his mo- I
lives; that power is reserved to Omniscence {
alone nor do pretend to judge of The mo-
sives of nv colleague; simply Judge OF his I
actions. determine in my own mind this.
IS would any other issue of fact. upon ths
evidence on 6l- before the Senate aud before
Ibe committee. do not desire to travel Z
out of the record to find . case against any Z
one. If the evidence does NOT warrant ex- i
pulsion. he should not be expelled, il there
i no proof of treason or disloyalty against 8
him. my colleague should not be expelled j
upon mere suspicion. The report Of the j
Committee on the Judiciary is grant you. G
acrcumstance Prina tacie 10 favor Of my i
colleague; and ordinarily. with my high re- '
spect and admiration for that disting uishe.l /
commIt'ee. | should not perhaps feel at lib .
erty to differ from their conclusions; but it
may be that the committee had before them d
explanations and statements which are no, /
now before the Senate or before the country. d