Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-02-23
VindicatiOn of Hon. j. +. NIcKin-
ney.
from the Dayton Empire,
HON. il M'KINNEY.

| HUM Js II. NJ hlNNE1s
Among the recent Democratic Congress
men who betrayed their party and constitu-
ents, by ''dodging" the vote on the Aboli-
ton Constitutional Amendment, the name
of Hon. j. f. Mckinney, of the 4th Ohio
district, was reported, greatly to his hurt
and to the modification of his friends. He
was of those, it was asserted by the Wash
ington reporters, who were ''in the city
when the vote was taken," but who failed
to appear at the critical iuncture, &c. The
damaging nature of all this was very great
ly enhanced by an accompanying intima-
ton that bribery had been resorted to-Mil-
Ter, of Pennsylvania, having said that he
had been offered 100000 to be absent him
self when the vote was taken. Since then
we have waited in silence for the explana-
tion which we confidently believed Mr..
Mckinney would make of his conduct, and
now having received it, and finding it alto
gether satisfactory, we take especial pleas
ure in laying 1t before our readers. 1t ap-
pears in The Pi9uc Democrat, and we copy
it entire:
In Washington dispatch to The Cincin-
natl Enquirer, of February 1st, it was stated
that Hon. j. F. Mckinney, among others,
was not in the House to vote on the Con
stitutional Amendment" In justice to Mr..
Mckinney, and in order to correct any false
impressions that might be created by The
Enqdrer'S dispatch, we make the following
statement of facts:
On the 18th of January, Mr.. Mckinney
received a dispatch in Washington, that his
little daughter was dangerously sick. He
left Immediately for home, and arrived here
in time to see his child die, and followed it
TO the grave on the following Monday. He
started on his return to Washington on
Thursday, so as to be there on Tuesday fol-
lowing, when the consideration of the
amendment question was to be resumed.
After an extraordinary journey of delays
and accidents, he arrived in Washington on
Monday night. From the anxiety and ex-
element caused by the circumstances of
his visit home, and those attending his trip
back, Mr.. Mckinney found himself unable
to leave his room, but made arrange
ments that, if his vote would defeat
the passage OF the proposed amendment,
he was to be informed, when he would go to
the House and cast his vote at whatever
risk to himself. Upon the preliminary vote
it was ascertained that the friends of the
measure had from five to seven more than
the necessary two-thirds vote. Under these
circumstances Mr.. Mckinney did not think
his duty to his family and to himself would
justify him in risking either life or health,
simply to record his vote, when such vote
could not effect the result.
We know that Mr.. Mckinney felt more
anxiety to vote upon this question than any
other that has been before Congress, during
the time he has been member.
The statement in The Eaquirer's dispatch
that Mr. Miller, of Pennsylvania, had been
offered one hundred thousand dollars to be
absent, Mr.. Miller himself says it is not
true. He says he never said that he had
been offered any sum for any such purpose,
and that no proposition of the kind was ever
made to him.