The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-03-23
Bfnxham's and Buffers Remarks ON
the Southern Relief Hill.


Bingham's and Buffers Remarks ON
the Southern Relief bill.
HOUSE OF REPREsENTATIvEs-THU
Mr.. BINGHAM.-It does not become
a gentleman who recorded his vote fifty
times fMr. ELDRIDGE suggested fifty seven
times] for the arbitrator of the rebellion
for the Presidency Of the United States to
undertake to cast an imputation either on
my integrity or on my honor. Irepel with
scorn and contempt any utterance Of that
kind by any man, whether he be the hero
OF Fort Fisher taken, or the hero of Fort
Fisher not taken. [Roars Of laughter on
both sides Of the House, the Democratic
side of the House manifesting peculiar en-
joyment of the scene, and encouraging Mr..
BINGHAM.l also stand here, in the name
of the American people, to repel with
scorn the attempt to levy charities by con-
tiscation, in violation of the Constitution OF
my country. That, sir, is the proposition
which the gentleman (Mr. BUTLER) dares
to utter in an American Congress in the
sacred name Of charity. Applause and
laughter
Mr.. BUTLER.-I have never conceale d
the fact, which is now so Extensively putt
forward, that / voted for Jefferson Davis in
the convention of my party fifty-seven
times. ! thought him the representative
man Of the South, and hoped thereby to
save the threatened disunion which APP
peared in the distance. | was foiled, and
disunion came. The difference between
me and the honorable gentleman from Ohio
| is this-that while Jefferson Davis was
&H1pr of the United States, and was
c. ling to be friend of the Union,
supported him; while the gentleman Mr..
| BINGHAMl supports him while he is
traitor. | have changed my support.
| Laughter / saw the error Of my ways,
and repented. But ! did not expect a
blow to be aimed at me in that direction
from the side of the House which sup
ported him then, has supported him ever
since, and is still supporting him and his
friends. Laughter and applause. Mr..
| BINGHAM's seat is on the Democratic side
of the House.-Reporter.l | did not
mean to impugn the honor or integrity of
the gentleman from Ohio only said that
thought he was leading the other side OF
the House.
Mr.. BINGHAM.-If the gentleman had
qualified his words by saying he thought so,
| | would not have said one word.
Mr.. BUTLER.-I never speak anything
| I do not think. Laughter and applause
| will try to repeat the words used. l
said the gentleman had gone in spirit, as
he had gone in body, over to the other side
of the House. | thought so then; | think
so now. l said so then; l say so now.
Laughter.l And l cannot take it back,
sir. Manifestations of encouragement
The gentleman has had the good taste
to attack me for the reason that /
could not do any more injury to the enc
mics of my country. l did the best
could. Other men of more ability could
do more, and no man is ready to give them
| higher plaudt for their valor, their discre-
ton, and their conduct than myself. Be-
cause / could not do more, | feel exceed
| ingly chagrined. If, during the war, the
gentleman from Ohio Mr.. BINGHAM did
as much as did in that direction, shall
be glad to recognize that much done. But
the only victim Of the gentleman's proves
that | know of was an innocent woman
hanged upon the scalfold. His only victim
in the war was one Mrs. Surratt. | can
sustain the memory of Fort Fisher if he
and his associates can sustain him in the
blood Of woman tried by military COM
mission and condemned without sufficient
evidence, in my judgment.
Mr.. BINGHAM asked and obtained five
minutes to reply. He said: After ten
years of service in this House, gentlemen
will look in vain for any remark OF mine
personal to mortal man on this floor save
when was gratuitously assailed by others.
| have observed the amenities of debate
and the amenities of personal conduct out
of the House in such form, trust, as en-
titles me to the respect and consideration
of those who know me best. But the gen
tleman, Mr.. BUTLERl while he talks OF
matters of taste, chooseSt to constitute HIM
self my judge touching the integrity
of my conduct as a sworn representa-
tive of the people; and when he comes to
make his reply to me, feeling that he had
done dishonor to himself and an injustice
to me, undertakes to qualify his rash judg-
ment by saying that he only said he thought
so. Sir, if he had said at first that he
thought so, it never would have disturbed
my equanimity, for would have concerned
| myself Just as much about what he thought
as l would about "who killed Cock Robin"
Laughter
The gentleman has shown the same
want of consideration for the rights of
others in the remarks which he has just
made, by favor of the House. BY what
right does he constitute himselfa judge, to
say of me, and to say of men who were his
peers in the field of conflict when the
earth quaked, that the blood of innocence
is on my hands? Does the gentleman
mean to say, by his sweeping judgment,
that it is also on the hands of those brave
men-who were constituted, by the warrant
of your President, court to pronounce
that final judgment, without which no.
body could have been executed? Sir, L
repel it, in the language of a man, "the
latchet of whose shoes" the gentleman
was not worthy to unloose, who said that
we should patiently hear first, and consi-
der, and pronounce judgment afterward.
In the language Of the great Lord High
Chancellor of Observation-Disclosures
the utterance of a cynical poet that he was
1.-The greatest, wisest, meanest Of mankind"-
| will say that "whether the blood Of in
nocence is on my hands or not, leave to
the charitable speeches Of men and to fu-
ture ages" On the great question con-
nected with the assassination of the chosen
of the people, by which he was cut down
in the presence of his rejoicing country
men, not for his crimes, but forhis virtues,
murmuring, as his great soul went up to
the common Father of us all, "Charity to-
ward all, and malice toward none," it was
fit that the means by which his taking off
was accomplished should be ascertained
and determined. When summoned to do
it, | protested that was not equal to the
task 4; and those that called me to that
work know best with what reluctance en-
tered upon it. But with my own present
convictinns and with the records that have