Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-11-03
From the Cincinnati COmmercial.l
The Clerk of the mOus6e.

Wendell Phillips, some months ago, made
his proclamation that the tate OF the nation
was in the hands of the Clerk of the last
House of Representatives, who, by law,
holds over until the new Congress elects a
Speaker, and whose duty 1t is to prepare
an official list of members. Mr. fhlhlps
avowed that In the frmness OF the Clerk In
excluding from the roll the names OF menu
bers from reconstructed States, was vested
the only hope of National salvation. This
was the rock or sandstone upon which we
reposed, and he expressed melancholy
apprehension that the Clerk might not be
a man of solidity.
Mr.. Edward Mcpherson, the Clerk OF the
House, would have been q singular person
If he had manifested any considerable OPP
position to this and kindred efforts to mag
Nifty his office, but he would have COM
mended himself to the judicious, II he had
been careful not to show disposition to as
sist In the process of the exaggeration OF
his consequence. We find In the Neto York
Epening Post, a Washington. letter dated
October %, containing the following:
'yThe Clerk of the last Congress, by law,
holds over till the new Congress elects
Speaker, and it is his duty to procure an
official list of members. He calls the roll
when the House meets, and when the cleo
tiOn of Speaker takes place he uses this roll.
Great power is conferred upon the Clerk,
but it could not be otherwise. Mr.. Nc
Pherson has informed his friends, without
reservation, that he will not place upon the
official list OF members any person claiming
to be elected from State that has been in
rebellion against the Government. To do
differently would be to decide, himself, one
of the most important questions before
Congress; for to let In eighty Southern
members at the outset to vote upon the sub
ject OF their own recognition, would end
the controversy in their favor at once"
That members of Congress elected In
States that were involved in the rebellion
will present themselves in the Hall of the
House of Representatives on the first Mon
day of December next, is certain. "Knock-
ing at the door," is a figure OF speech.
There is 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. Ben
jamin Eggleston and General r. B. Hayes,
of Ohio. i'W I.'. 4F '.. H ~
Tennessee we suppose may be counted
State that has been In rebellion against the
Government. Mr.. Mcpherson has--if the
Posts correspondent is well informed, and
we have no doubt he is-told his friends
without reservation, that he will not place
the names of Maynard, Stokes and Others
of the Tennessee delegation (the applica-
ton of this example to all the reconstruct
ed States is clear) upon his official roll.-
Perhaps motion will be made directing
that he shall call all the States and the
names of their Representatives; and per-
haps he will refuse to do so. Can he imag-
inc that the decision of this momentous
question rests with him alone?
An instructive precedent will readily be
cited by readers of Congressional history.
On the I'd of December, 1889, at the open
ing of the twenty-sixth Congress, Hugh
Garland, Clerk OF the twenty-fifth Congress,
refused to call the names of the members
from New Jersey, because the seats of all
the members of that State were contest
ed. For three days there was an excited
and wild debate, the House being both un-
organized and disorderly. On the fourth
day the clerk was directed to call the roll
again, and commencing with Maine had
proceeded according to the geographical
situation of the States, as far as New Jer-
sey, and was about to say that he would not
call the names of members of that State,
when John Quincy Adams, who had not
had anything TO say about the controversy
up to that moment, suddenly took the floor
and said: 81 rise to interrupt the Clerk"
Instantly there was profound silence in
the Hall, and Mr.. Adams said:
"We degrade and disgrace our eonstitu-
ents, and the country, because the Clerk of
the House, the mere Clerk whom we en-
ploy, and whose existence depends upon
our will, usurps the throne and sets us, the
Representatives and vice-gerents of the
whole American people at defiance, and
holds us in contempt. And what is this
Clerk of yours? Is he to suspend by his
mere negative, the functions of Govern
ment, and put an end to this Congress? p
He refuses to call the roll 1t Is In your
power to compel him to call it, if he will
not do it voluntarily. (Here Mr.. Adams
was interrupted by member, who said he
was authorized to say, that compulsioh
could not reach the Clerk, who had avowed
that he would resign rather than call the
State of New Jersey.) Welh sir, let him
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" 4
Mr.. Adams submitted motion to require
Of the Clerk to call the roll for the State of
New Jersey, and there was general out
cry of show shall the question be putt"
All knew the Clerk would not put it. Mr..
Adams said: ~ intend to put the question
myself" That solved the difficulty. Rich
ard Barnwell Rhett, of South Carolina,
sprang upon desk, and moved that the |
Hon. John Quincy Adams, of Massachu-
setts, take the chair, as presiding officer |
and officiate until the House be organized |
by the election of its constitutional Off
GERS. The motion was put and carried. |
Mr.. Adams was escorted to the chair, New |
Jersey was called and the House organized.
Ii Edward Mcpherson, "the mere Clerk" |
"usurps the throne" and attempts to play
th0 role of Hugh Garland, it will not be
difficult to find one who can follow the
Adams precedent in bringing order out of
chaos. 1t was easy for the courtiers of
Ferdinand to make an egg stand on end
after Columbus had shown them how 30