Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1866-04-10
THE UNITED STATES SENATE.
ELECTION OF SENATOR STOCKTON.
The Presidents Veto Overruled.

u. S. Senate of one of its members,
Senator Stockton, of New jersey,
and still later dispatches affirm the
overthrow in that body of Presidents
Johnson's veto of the "Civil Rights
Bill"
The election of Senator Stockton
was done in opposition to the report
of the Judiciary Committee, Ia ma
jority Of whom are Radicals), in his
favor. That Senator was in favor of
the Presidents veto, hence the veri-
table reason, no doubt, why, he was
victimized on the altar of partizan
tyranny. The vote by which this
fragrant wrong was consummated,
stood Il to 81. There were three of
Mr.. Stockton's friends absent on &C
count of sickness. This vote followed
the reconsideration of a prior vote
which sustained Mr.. Stockton in the
right of retaining his seat, result
which was brought about by Mr..
Stockton voting for himself which he
felt compelled to do in order to coun-
teract the perfdy Of Mr.. Morrill,, Of
Maine, who had agreed to pair off
with Mr.. Wright, of New Jersey,
who was sick and absent. Morrill,
voted to GUST Stockton though
pledged not to vote at all unless Mr..
w. was able to be in his seat and
vote. Mr. Wright not being able to-
be present and Mr.. Morrill, voting,
Mr.. Stockton considered it his duty
to vote against his own expulsion.
Though defeated on the first trial the
Radicals did not give it up. They
reconsidered the vote by which it
decided that Mr.. S. was entitled to
his seat and after long and sharp
debate voted him out.
The New York Journal of Com
MERGE in commenting on the despi-
cable conduct of Mr.. Morrill, and his
co-adjutors in this worse than arbi-
trary proceeding, holds the following
language:
He appears still to have hesitated, and
when the time came he allowed two calls
of the votes to pass in silence. Then Mr..
Sumner shouts across the Senate Cham
Der, and a pressure is brought to bear
on him. He rises and requests to be
permitted to record his vote. The very
hesitation and delay are fatal to his
honor. 1t was not clear even to his own
mind that he could vote consistently
with his promise to Mr.. Wright. But
Radical pressure knows no honor, no
pledges, no idea of moral right, when
a Radical object is to be accomplished. |
" Let us expel Stockton and we can over
ride the Presidents vetoes," was the argu-
ment, and Senator Morrill, voted. Mr.. |
Stockton proved equal to the occasion
He had no pledges to break, but he had to |
face the notion that it was indecorous for |
a man to vote in his own favor. He is a |
gentleman, as we well know, of the finest |
and most cultivated feelings. We can I'M
derstand that he would under other cir |
refuse to do what Summers
and Norris would never hesitate to do if i
they had en- object to accomplish. The |
vote Of Mr.. Wright, Senator from New |
Jersey, was lost by Mr.. Morrill's violation |
of his pledge. Senator Stockton voted for |
himself manfully, and thus gave the vote |
of Mr.. Wright it's value, of which it was |
the Radical plan to deprive it, and made |
New Jersey respected in the Senate.
What trust can be reposed in men who |
neither honor God, obey the Constitution, |
nor fulfill private promises
Last scene of all came what was
to be expected-the passage of the
" Civil Rights Bill" over the Presi-
dents Veto by an excess of only one
vote more than the tWo-thlrds re- |
quired. And now, it remains to be |
seen, in view of the bad faith and
injustice shown in the above humili-
ating episode, and with the constitu-
tional objections entertained by the
President to the bill in question,
whether he will or can be subordi-
mated to give it the force of his Off
cial sanction and application. A
contemporary recently touched upon
this subject as follows, while treating
of the probable denouement which
awaited the final action Of the Senate
upon the bill:
Presidents have of late years been sus-
inc IL Palpable violations of the Con-
stitntlon when the object was supposed to |
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