Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-04-01
THE UNsEATING OF SENATOR
STOCKTON


Radicals in Congress, that body has institu-
ted an investigation of the rights of the sit
ting members to their seats. Senator Stock
TON, Of New Jersey, is presented in the Sc
cret cabal which seeks to rule or to ruin the
country as fit subject for the skin Of these
miserable tinkerers of the Constitution,
these selfconstituted orligarchs, who are
DESTROYS of wreaking vengeance upon the
Southern people, and who were as mild as
Sucking doves" during'the war. Distrust-
ing the people and denouncing the Presi-
dent, they are now alone maneuvering to
carry their infamous schemes through the
Congress, relying upon something to turn
up in the future to cause the people of the
country to sustain them. The object was
the name in the case of VOORHEES, and
Brooks and STOCKTON, though different
pretexts were put forward. In the last nam
ed, embodying as it does, an outrage upon
both fact and law, we present the comments
of the National InteIligencer, and upon it ask
opinions. 1t reads in this wise:
A Senator has been expelled for nom
conformity TO party. Let the event stand
as an epoch. We have frequently charged
revolutionary designs upon the Radical
party in Congress, and have cited again and
again the palpable tendencies of measures
disguised before the people as statutes, but
contriyed really for the overthrow of their
liberties. We have deplored the demorali-
cation which pervades the Capitol, and de-
nounced the dishOnor publicly incurred by
citizens in high station, unconscious of their
shame. But what is to be thought of a vote
in the Senate of the United States, expel-
ling Senator from sovereign State, with
out charges, under the grossly inadequate
subterfuge that, as pure question of law,
ne was not only elected, against the eX-
pressed judgment of every recognized jurist
on the floor? The right of Senator Stock
ton, Of New Jersey, to his seat involved no
question of fact, but one solely of law, on
which the learned Committee on the Judi
ciary, embracing some of the most eminent
lawyers in the country, and led by its able
chairman, Mr.. Trumbull, had pronounced
emphatically and impregnably in favor of
the sitting Senator. An analysis of the
vote in the Senate shows that, on question
Of lar, every distinguished lawyer in the
Senate was in favor of the sitting Senator,
who was, nevertheless, thrust out
But the detail and incidents of this shame
full scene in a deliberative body of such high
dignity, acting upon case involving what
ever of honorable scruple belongs to the
Senatorial character, are such as could not
be exposed withou: some modification in a
ward caucus of groveling intriguers. The
only member of the Judiciary Committee
who had opposed Mr.. Stockton-Mr. Clark
of New Hampsire-had asked and received
postponement, in order to have opportuni-
ty to offer his fimsy contribution to the dis
cussion. Now postponement was asked by
a distinguished and able Senator of his own
party, Mr.. Dixon-confned yet to his cham
ber-and by the colleague of the person
whose rights were to be passed upon-absent
on the faith of Senator's pledge of honor.
and now sick-and by half the Senator's
present; but Mr. Clark had the hardihood
to oppose it, This clearly enough shows
where the feeblest intellect on the committee
had found motives for dissenting from its
Judgment of law. Not content with so much,
the same Senator attempted TO foist into the
representation of fact, viz: that Mr.. Stock
ton had received less votes than some of his
comprehension that would have been the
plain sense of such an amendment as he
first offered, standing ON the journal.
Mr.. Morrill,, who had, for partizan rea-
sons on Monday last, deliberately published
his untrustworthiness among men eff honor,
was yet competent for a bargain with Mr..
l,4t,
flying himself to thrust out fellow-Senator
by pretending to owe pledge to one who
had Just repudiated his own. But when
Messrs. Foster and Morrill, "paired off,
| they doubtless understood each other.
Mr.. Stewart, of Nevada, whose opinion in
favor of Mr.. Stockton seemed made up on
| Monday, doubtless contrasted it with Mr.
| Summers recent congratulations, and de-
| cided, in fear of retractiOn of the latter, to
| dodge the vote. Appeals were made to Sen
ators as statesmen, as brethren and as gentle
men; but they refused to postpone. The
| power that is always at war with its boun-
| daries," overruled all considerations but one,
viz: that it would be relatively two votes
! stronger if Mr. Stockton were out. The
aged and venerable defender of the Consti-
! tuition, Mr. FOOTBALL will believe-could
| nave our one opinion on SUCH case as MI
| Stockton's. He is soon to be more Shall
it be confessed to the world that Senator
of reputation in both hemispheres arose in
the midst of this discussion to misrepresent
the views of the oldest member of the body,
known at the time to be dying? What can
be sacred if the chamber of death evokes
no respect-if the breath of dying states
man can be caught like the gossip Of an
eavesdropper, and, while death is clutching
his heartstrings, voice be falsely put into
his mouth to entrap those who revere him !
Who is the Senator for whom the death-bed
of age and greatness can hallow nothing
1t is the elegant and ornate SUMNER This
deliverer of ideal bondsmen, this weeper
over poetical catastrophes, this expounder
of political aesthetics, insults the dying to
defraud the living. He declared that the
venerable father Of the Senate had asserted
himself opposed to the admission of Nh
Stockton. 1t could not have been credited,
standing alone. But another Senator posi-
lively contradicted it on the faith Of Mr..
Foote's personal declaration.
Whittier do We tend?