The Portland daily press., 1864-12-27
Anew Thoughts on the Senatorial Dues
sE&k 4, ttnn -. y.

"
from the press of the State than we had sup
posed would be given to it; not that the
ouest,ou is assuming undue importance, but,
in view of the distinguished character and
nosition of both candidates, we did not sup
pose SO much feeling would be exhibited in
relation to the personal question of Which Of
the two should be the elected servant of the
people.
We have heretofore touched the msser
with caution, and we trust with due ysgafp
to the delicaey and propriety Of ourposl'lon
as near neighbor, personal friead 'nd ielio"-
citizen of one of the gentlemen HnoSe nA'ne
is prominently before the pubic eye IN con
nection with the selection = Dc maue. we
do not intend in whate'er VIC may NJ" VI
hereafter say upon tbD question, to depart
{ from the general rue OF conduct we have
heretofore observed.
To our miad there is manifest justice in
/. the demspdof those who urge the election of
M Rassenden, and we fail to see how exact
,ust,ce can be regarded under the circumstan-
ces, in setting him aside to create place for
Mr.. Hamlin. The point we have in mind was
ably presented in an article copied in the dali !
ly fof Saturday morning, from the Machias
Republicaa. After referring to Mr.. Fessen-
denis eminent ability, his sagacity, his readi-
ness in debate, his reputation, his intellectual
vgor and his experience, the Republican
adds: a
Under these circumstances why should not
Mr.. Eessenden be his own successor? The
vacancy has occurred in his seat. IL MIR.
Hamlinss seat had become vacant, by the ex-
piration of his term, and it was known that
he was willing to serve another term,i al
though he has been In the Senate longer than
Mr.. Fessenden, we presume the legislature
would re elect him by the unanimous vote of
the Union party There would be no man In
the state of sufficient ability or popularity to
exclnde him from public life. We would
avoid any inyidious comparison between these
two distinguished citizens. Maine is proud
their public services and their national
reputation. But we do say, that Mr.. Fessen-
dens friends have never had power enough
TO use effectually even his honorable name TO 4
drive Mr.. Hamlin, out of the national councils
before he should choose himself to retire.
Whether Mr.. Hamlin should return to the
Senate is a question that will come up when
the term of the Senator, who succeeded to
his seat, on his Withdrawing from it to hold
tL6 tC6 IF0blu6uCys Sudll udt6 oXplIoQs IL ID
not question which 1t Is comedy to agitate,
when the thing to dois to provide successor
not to hinself but to his former colleague
Mr.. Fessendea'ss friends will never consent to
such an adjustment of the Senatorial question
as shall place him in a rank inferior to Mr.
Hdnalin. They will not permit statesman,
whose acknowledged abilities have earned for
him the rank of leadership in the American
Senate, to be driveninto retirement simply to
f0u AL ~ al
an officer, who voluntarily gave up his place
to another, still holding it in order to wear the
honors Of higher Office. -
Mr.. Fessenden's temporary labofs in the ar
duous position of Finance minister were not
such vacation Of his Senatorial Office. He
did not seek the place. He resisted as long as
he could the importantly OF the President and
Of his colleagues, pleading his Inadequate
health and his aversion to the cares and res
possibilities ofsuch post. He only accepted
at last on the assurace that, after a brief SER
vice he should be relieved.
1t seems to us there is great foreeiin the
point here made and that it is Well taken. It
is well known that the U. s. Senators are div
ided into classes, one third retiring with the
end of each Congress, so that it requires six
years to change the entire senatorial board
Mr.. Hamlin has been in one of these classes
and Mr.. Fsssendenia another. The expira-
ton of term is now approaching which must
be provided for, but it is not an expiration in
the division in which Mr.. Hamlin has been
classed, but In the division in which Mr.. Fes-
sender has stood. Mr.. Hamlin voluntarily
vacated his seat to accept the second place in
the gift of the people; not to leave the senate
but to be placed over it, at its head, as its pre-
siding officer. When he retires from that po-
sitlon,-voluntarily assumed, when he steps
from the presiding officers chair he finds his
chair. filled by Mr.. Morrill,, and what do his
friends propose? Not that he should wait till
his old seat becomes vacant, but that he be
placed Ia the seat heretofore occupied by Mr..
Fessenden, and from which he stepped aside
near the close of his term; and which is not
now occupied by any one who asks or ex-
poets to retain it beyond the 4th Of March. A
and are occupying seats in rail car. A
voluntarily gives up his seat to q friend. An
hour later, finding B temporarily absent from
his seat, which remains unoccupied, he sits
down in 1t, and then claims to holdtt BY virtue
Of having vacated his own in favor OF friend.
4 N Is
The parallel is sufficiently obvious to render
comment unnecessary. .-s-- = - =
In the Oxford Democrat edited by Hon. j..
]. Perry, we find leader upon the Senatori-
al questionin which Mr.. Hamlin's election is
favored, and in which it is claimed that
he stands on precisely the same ground with
Mr.. Fessenden in relation to vacating the sem
Htorial seat against his choice. We quote a
paragraph:
The people took Mr.. Hamlin out of the
Senate and made him Governor and subse-
quently Vice President Of the United States,
and we happen to know In both instances he {,
would have preferred to have retained his
place 10 the Senate. The people through the
President made Mr.. Fessenden Secretary of
the Treasury, high and more honorable posi-
ton than his d place In the Senate, yet his
friends say he was not pleased with the ex-
change. 5IaM wQr4a GIe Mt1
This shows only partial parallel. 1t is
true, in 1856 Mr.. Hamlin was required by the
people to lend his name for the gubernatorial
nomination, to redeem the State from the ad-
verse party, and he consented, as we are in
formed, with much reluctance. He did not
wish TO sacrifice his position as senator, AID
impair his prospects Of reelection, by vaca-
ting his seat and filling the Executive chair of
the State; but the voice of the people was i'm
perative and he yielded. The result is known.
BE was. triumphantly elected Governor, he
resigned his seat in the Senate to take effect
at the very latest day consistent with his inau-
guration as Governor, and then the legisla-
ture, determined to regard fair play, re-elsct-
ed him as his own successor, and he actually
resigned as Governor aud was again occupy
ing his seat IN the Senate before the legislature
mad closed its session. II these facts do not
snow that Mr.. Hamlin was properly remem-
Oered by grateful constituency then we do
not read them Alright; and we insist that Mr..
HesSenaen's case presents almost perfect
narallel and sho,,11 L