Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-11-23
Filling the Vacancy.

The Burlington Times of Tuesday
last does US the honor of quoting entire
our short editorial or the subject of fill
ing the Senatorial vacancy; and then
remarks. ''as the editor of the HRRALn
is Governor Dillingham's Secretary of
Civil and military Affairs, the conclu-
sions of the article evidently indicate
the views of the Executive on the point
in question.
We once knew Unitarian minister
who attended the ordination of a Trini-
tartan Calvinist and listened with deep
interest and apparent satisfaction to a
sermon made up of the most whitening
denunciations of Liberal Christianity
Being subsequently Intercepted with
regard to his appreciation of the dis
course he said that he was greatly in
terested, as he had been many times be-
fore, in observing the peculiar psyche
logical manifestations Of the speakers
mind. In like manner, comparing small
things with great, we have been consid-
erably interested in the course of reason
ing by which the editor of the Times ar
rives at an "evident indication of the
views of the Executive" Doubtless
the editor has read Blackstone and the
Constitution" as well as Hedge and
Whately. According to our recollec-
lions of the last mentioned DR.. Dryas-
dust, every legitimate argument can be
thrown into the syllogistic form; and
the process of reasoning by which the
editor of the Times reached the above
conclusion must have been substantially
the following:
Major premise, ("universal affirmative, "
Everything which the editor of the HER
AID writes for that paper indicates the
views of the Executive; .........
Minor premise The article on Filling
the Vacancy was written by the editor
of the HERALD;
Conclusion Therefore this article
evidently indicates the views of the
Executive ON the point in question"
Only admit the premises, and the con-
clusion follows, as a necessary logical
sequence. Probably the editor Of the
Times has established the premises to his
own satisfaction; Int he has doubtless
| in his own experience realized tnv ,o,">
of the same dry old Doctors instruc
lions about lurking Fallacies," and
"Equivocal Terms" ...-..a-..
With regard to this question of fill.
ing the vacancy, 1t would be impossible
to get up an interest in its discussion,
except as a literary exercise in a society
for mutual Improvement. AS was re-
marked by correspondent Of the same
Burlington Times-who by the way, fol
some unaccountable reason, seems to
have resorted to an inferior kind o.
special pleading to make out case
"no one here, (not even the Supreme
Court) can decide the point. The Sen
ate is the sole judge" r..
Still the Introduction Of a few drop!
of plain common sense into legal dis
cussion will sometimes have a gooc
effect. 1t is like dropping a chemica
test into certain clondy mixtures; it a
once pyecpitates all the muddy technical
tiles Of the lawyers to the bottom, ant
leaves the real matter in hand clear ant
transparent. On Thursday evening
Nov, o, at q late hour, Messrs Nicholson
and Waite as committee in behalf o
the House, waited on the Governor, an,
informed him that the house on thei
part had finished the business of tn
session, and were ready to adjourn with
out day. Whereupon the Speaker, i
usrtwafHJ @e9Oev,s'.,r Tie 1o~sH a0ithout dal
pronounced his farewell address, ant
asked permission to express to eacI
member &" q heartfelt good bye. ~
Whether this event took place q few
seconds before or after the lamente,
Senator at Woodstock breathed his last
we know not, but in very few hour
after this virtual adjournment, tn
members had scattered to their homes
so that not a quorum could have bee
got together. 1t is well known tina
the formal adjournment on the mornin,
subsequent to the actual close of tn
session is the merest farce, not half .
dozen members being present at tn
time. Now for full grown man or ;
potent, grave and reverend senior, K
argue that the Executive is powerless il
such case, seems to US so uncommon
Sense-ical, that we find it difficult to &C.
count for the anomaly. OF course We
shall bow to the majesty Of the Su
Supreme Court, whatever its decision
may be. g
| sg We hope that none of our readers
will fail to give an attentive reading tc
r.