The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-04-26
Value Of One Vote.

During the present session Of our rump
congress. the house of representatives, on
purely partisan grounds, has unssated three |
of its members-Msssrs. Baldwin, of Michi. |
gan, Voorhees,, of Indiana, and Brooks, of
New York. These gentlemen were all legally |
elected bat the were politically opposed TO |
the disunionists, Sumner and Stevens, and |
therefore dismissed. % others will be, as fast
as it becomes necessary to carry out the iofa |
nous plans of tho radical plotters. Their
scarcely disguished aim is to change the form
of our government, and to establish central
despotisn, by which they may perpetuate
their own power. The New York CONNER
cial Advertiser, strongly republican as it is,
pointedly rsbuked its political friends in con-
gress at the time of their shameful course. and
pronounced it ''simply disgracefuP as almost
openly urged on party grounds, and for pure
ly partisan purposes" We cannot refrain
from giving here the closing remarks of Mr..
Voorhees, on the question of the legality OF
his election. For fearless and outspoken man
illness they are not excslled:
Mr. Speaker, have but little more to say. and
but one favor to ask. You know, and know,and
the house and the country know, that have the
legal majority of the votes but if the report OF the
committee to be sustained, let it be done on its
true ground. 1 have beeu your fair foe have
met YOU in open honorable warfare, and am en-
titled at least to candid hostility At your hands.
have neither skulked or lodged on this hoor, ano
if sacrifice is required TO appease the political
Moloch which has so long presided here, you have
selected the proper victim. He will not shrink
from the blow God bsing my helper, this polite
| al gibbet shall not be matter OF reproach TO me
or mine. If you wish to ''purge Parliament and
reduce this already fractional congress to stH
greater Uniformity CT opinion,you hold the axe, aho
defy its edge az we'll as the malice of the execu-
TONERS. Strike; but you cannot kill banlsh m e,
sir; my heart is NOT here 1t 10 In my beautiiu
western home. lam thinking OF that people VINO
| have so often covered me with their affection a.
| with shield in the hour of storm and Danger, to
| whom will gladly 60. lowe them moreiof their
confidence than l can ever pay; but at least one
merit they will al ways eoncede to me- have never
shrunk from the yindication OF their nights ano
NAV the light OF heaven be denied to my eyes when,
for the sake of position place, prove recrean'
| to their principles
| Sir, now let the house proceed. The gentleman
| from pennsylvania MrStevens1, two days ago, IL
| connection with the election contest. then under
| consideration, said ssThe question may seem Il
| some gentlemen to be very small matter, but II
view Of thick coming events one vofe may proce %
| be of great ralue hsre''
The chief element Of radical strength how
ever, is in the senate, and the expulsion Of
MI, stockton was neces sary to carry the 'civ
| il rights bill'' over the presidents veto. Mr.
. Dixon would have been present, sick as n
was. had not Mr.. Stockton been expelled, AM
their votes would have sustained the presl
. dents veto. Thad. Stevens was right In say
i, ing some pote may proue to be Of great ratue.
:. Thirty-seven is a constitutional quorum In tn
senate, when all the states are present; bu
TWENTY-FIVE senators being excluded by les
# than qurom, a minority are able to annu
| the whole power of the executive
1t may be that the authors OF these vii
schemes for obstructing union and perpetual
;, ing discord may be allowed to keep out OF tn
on bic councils twenty-five senators, 10y al,
Q but not radical, whose return would be the b
!. ginning of a restored constitutional order
!. Possibly the American people may be suth'
. iently subdued to submit tamely to the polio
% which the dominant party seems determine
q to force upon the country and to whatever th
g. Central Directory" may dare to impose
=. They may have become SO debased As to 70
low the example of other republics in yiel'
ing their liberties to bold and ambitious den
j. aeopuss but we shall not believe it till the
willingly indorse or basslJ submit to the
T. wicked purposes.