The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-11-03
The Clerk of the House.

/ Wendell Phillips, some months ago. made
| his proclamation that the fate Of the nation
wss IN the hauds Of the Clerk Of the House
OF Representative. who. BY law, holds over
until the new Congress elects a spesker,
/ ana whose duty 10 is t0 prepare al oficiat
/ list Of members. Mr.. Phillips avowed that
/ IN the hrmness Of the Clerk in excluding
| from the roll ali the names Of members from
reconstructed States, was vested the only
I hope Of national salvation. This was the
| rock or sandstone upon which we reposed
and he expressed a melancholy apprehen-
| sion that the Clerk might not be q man Of
solidity.
Mr.. Edward Mcpherson, the Clerk Of the
House, would have been a singular person
II he had manifested any considerable op-
position 20 this aud kindred efforts 70 mag
nifty his Office, but he would have commend
ed himself to the judicious, If he had been
careful not to show disposition 70 assist in
the process Of the exaggeratiOu Of his con-
sequence. We find in the New York Even
ing Post, Washington letter dated October
%, containing the following;
'"The Clerk Of the last Congress, by Law,
holds over till the new Congress elects
Speaker, and il is b duty TO procure az
official list Of members. He calls the roll
when the use meets, and when the cleo
ton Of Speaker takes plsce he uses this roll.
Great power is conferred upon the Clerk,
but It could not be otherwise. Mr. McPher-
son has informed his friends, without reser-
walton, that he VIII not place upon the OH
eial list Of members any person claiming TO
be elected from a State that has been in re- |
be lien against the Government. To dodif-
ferently would be 10 decide, himself, one Of |
the most important questions before Con |
gress; for TO letin eighty Southern members |
at the outset to vote upon the subiecs Of |
thier own recognition, would end the eontro- |
Yersy in their favor at once"
That members Of Congress elected in
States that were involved in the rebellion
viii present themselves in the Hall Of the |
House Of Represeni iatives, on the first Mon |
day Of December next, is certain. "Knock- |
lug at the door" is a figure of speech. /
There it no military or other guard at the /
door to inspect the passes of members, and /
pronounce upon their validity. Horace /
Maynard and Colonel Stokes Of Tennessee, |
will not encounter any more difficulty IN /
walking into the Hall, than the Hon. Beuja- |
min EgglestOn and General r. B Hayes, Of |
Ohio.
Tennessee we suppose may be counted /
State that has been in rebellion against the /
Government. Mr.. Mcpherson hss-if the /
Pests correspondent is well informed, and /
we have no doubt he is-told his friends /
the names Of Maynard, Stokes, aud others Of |
the Tennessee delegation (the application Of |
this example TO all the reconstructed States /
is clear upon his official roll. Perhaps q /
motion viii be made directing that be shsll /
call all the States and the names Of their /
Representatives. and perhaps he viii re-
fuse to do 80. Can he imagine that the de-
cision Of this mOmentOu5 question rests with =
him alone?
An instructive precedent viii readily DO |
cited by readers Of Congressional history. |
On the 2d Of December, 1889, at the opening |
Of the twenty-sixth Congress, Hugh Garland, |
Clerk of the twerty-ffth Congress, refused |
to call the names Of the members from New |
Jersey, because the seats Of all the members /
Of that State We're contested. For three /
days there was an exci'ed and wild debate, |
the House being both unorganized and dis |
orderly. On the fourth day, the clerk was 4
directed 10 call the roll again, and csmnsnc- |
ing with Msine had proceeded according 10 /
the geographical situation Of the States, as
far as New Jersey, and was about 10 say /
that he would not call 5he names Of mem |
bers Of that State, when John Quincy /
Adams, who had not had any thing to say |
about the controversy Up to that moment, /
suddenly took the floor and said: 81 rise % 1
interrupt the Clerk"
Instantly there was profound tilence in |
the Hall, and Mr.. Adams said:
We degrade and disgrace our constituents. |
aud the country, because the Clerk of the /
House, the mere Clerk whom we employ,
and whose existence depends upon our will, /
usurps the throne aud sets us, the Repre- /
sentatives and vice gerents OF the whole /
American people AZ defiance, ana holds IA /
in contempt. Aud what IS this Clerk Of /
yours? Is he to suspend by his mere mega
tive, the functions Of Government, and put /
sn end to this COugress2 He refuses TO call 4
the rolll Il is in your power 20 compel him i
to cal Is, il lie VIII not do it voluntarily.
( Here Mr.. Adams was interrupted by a
member, who said he was authorized 70 say,
that compulsion could not reach the Clerk, |
who had avowed that he would resign rsth- |
er than call the state Of New Jersey.) Well !
SIR, let MIN resign, continued Mr. Adams.
and we may possibly discover some way BY /
which we can get along without the aid Of /
his all powerful talent, learning and /
genius.
NJ. Adams submitted q motion TO require 1
Of the Clerk to call the roll fer the state Of /
New Jersey, and there was q general outcry /
n chow shall the question be put 2' All |
knew the clerk would not put it. Mr. Ad- |
ans said: 81 intend 70 put the queation |
myself That lYcd the difficulty. Rich
AID barnwell Rhett, Of South Caroline,
spraug upon a desk, and moved that the |
Hon. John Quincy Adams, Of Massachusetts, |
take the chair, a. presiding officer, and Of |
hciate until the House be organized bv the |
election Of its constitutional officers. The |
motion was put and ca ried. Mr.. Adams |
was escorted 10 the chair New Jersey was /
called and the House organ zed. If Ed |
Mcpherson, ''the mere clerk" "usurps the |
throne, and attempts 10 plsy the role Of
Hugh Garland, IL viii Lot Be diaicalt to fnd I
one who can folioW the Adams precedeut |
in hIiugiug order out Of chaos 1t was easv
for the Courtiers Of Ferdinand TO make an
egg stand on end after Columbus had shown
them how so remarkable feat might be- ac-
com nDlished Gin CogH