The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1866-05-01
1t is a "Rumpo or a Damned
BarebOneso C0ngressf

John Van Buren, thinks there is q
mistake in calling the present Congress
the Rump, and insists that it should be
called the Barebones Congress. In a re-
cent speech, in Connecticut, be said:
Now, it is fattery to call this Congress
a Rump Congress. ELaughter.1 It is a
great deal more like a parliament thatsuc-
ceeded and which was known as the
Barebones Parliament, in which there
were members with all sorts of names, as
described by a writer of that day, who
says ("B~Rn's Travels in England"
page 279:)
SCromwell," says Cleveland, "hath
beat up his drums clean through the Old
Testament. You may learn the genealo-
gy of our Saviour by the names Of his
regiments. The muster master has no
other list than the first chapter of St.
Matthew. The brother of this Praise
God Barebones had for name, If-Christ-
had not died for you : you : had been
damned Barebones; but the people tired
of this long name, retained only the last
word and commonly gave him the appel
lation of, Damned B~arebones."
Now one would not have to go long
through the present Congress and the
Reconstruction Committee before finding
a gentleman who exactly to the
description Of Damned Barebones."
Laughter
Of the extraordinary character of this
Congress, Mr.. Van Buren, says:
Why, just look at It'll Eleven States
are unrepresented in that body, and about
half of the residue are utterly misrepre-
scented by men elected in time of excite
ment, when there was no fair opportunity
for an expression of opinion, and under
circumstances that have entirely changed
since their election. This body is sitting
in Congress, nominally under a Constitu-
ton which says Representatives and d.
rect take shall be arportioned among the
several States which may be included
within this Union, according to their re-
spective numbers. Each State shall have
at least one representative" The Con.
stitution also says: THE Senate of the
United States shall be composed Of two
Senators from each State, chosen by the
Legislature thereof for six years, and
these Senator's shall have one vote
Now look at that body. with eleven
States entirely unrepresented, under a
Constitution which declares that each
State shall have one representative in
Congress, and hat the. Senate of the
United States shall be composed of two
Senators from each State-eieven States
entirely unrepresented in either House of
Congress What more? Why, under the
Constitution which requires each House
to judge of the election and return of its
own members, they pass a joint resolu-
tion, by which they take from themselves
the power separately to judge of the re
turns of their members and proclaim that
neither House shall admit any person
from. the States formerly in rebellion till
both Houses have acted upon the subject
by a legislative act or otherwise. What
more? Why, while in this disorganized
state, mutilated and imperfect, a man gets
up in the Senate and charges the Presi.
dent with whitewashing the South. an
other man says that the conversation Of
the President, believe with Dixon Of
your own State, in which he simply gave
his views with regard to the duties Of Con
gress, "would have cost Charles I his
head in the day in which he lived
Such a body as that, | say, is an illegal
anconstitutioaa lossemJldge. 1t is IN poin,
Of lao, a mob; and, in my judgment, the
Mayo. of Washington neglects his duty
in not dispensing them as such. Tap
plause and laughter. And this is the
noble army of the Constitutional defend
ers which the Republican convention Of
this State endorses, and which the people
are called upon to sanction and APP
prove!