The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1867-04-03
A sharp Colloquy.

Aspicy debate occurred in the House of
Representatives on Monday last, the Sen.
ate on the joir: resolution appropriating
S1,0O0,O00 fer The relief.o destitute peo. ;
pie at the Scuth. All debate being or.
dered TO be closed in FIVE minutes, Messrs.
Banks and liiteham' withdrew their pend.
ing amsndmss, and Mr.. Bingham Of.
fered an amendnlent to strike out of the
joint resolution the words appropriating
one million Of dollars and inserting these
words: "And to that end the Secretary
of War is hereby authorized and directed
through the Commissioner of the Freed
mems Bureau, to apply SO much as he
may deem necessary for the purposes
aforesaid, of the expended monies here.
tofOre provided to supply the freedmen
and refugees with provisions and rations."
In the course Of the debate Mr.. Butler
spoke of Mr.. Bingham as having gone
over to the other side of the House, not
only in body, but in spirit, and reminded
him Of what that great and good man,
President johnson, had done while Pro.
visional Governor of Tennessee in taxing
the wealthy rebels to support poor fami.
lies.
Mr.. Bingham said it does not become
gentleman who recorded his vote fiftya
time, { (Eldridge suggested 81 times,) for
the arch,traitor Of rebellion, for the Pres.
idency of the United States, to under.
take to cast an imputation either on my
integrity or my honor. 1 repel, with
scorn and contempt, any utterance Of
that kind by any man, whether he be the
hero of Fort Fisher taken, or the hero oil
Fort Fisher not taken. Roars Of laugh
ter from both sides of the House.
Mr.. Bingham proceeded: / also stand
here, sir, in the name Of the American
people, to repel with scorn any attemp,
to levy charities by con6scation in viola
ton Of the Constitution of my country
That, sir, is the proposition which the
gentleman lButler) dares to utter in the
American Congress, in the sacred name
Of Charity. Applause and laughter.1
Mr.. Butler rose to reply, but the Chair
man announced that the time to which
the House had limited debate had ex
pired.
Mr.. Butler asked the privilege of tn,
ltoass . reply.
The Chairman said tho gentleman coulC
not ask that privilege when the House
was in Committee of the Whole.
Mr.. Butler then asked unanimous con
sent to speak ten minutes.
Mr.. EIdridge expressed the hope tha
the House would not bottle up tho gen
tleman from Massachusetts. Laughter.
| Unanimous consent having been given
Mr.. Butler expressed his infinite obliga
tions to the House for its kindness, ant
after speaking some, closed as follows:
| If during the war the gentleman from
Ohio, Bingham] did as much as l,
should be glad to recognize that much
done, but the only victim of the gentle
mans prowess, that l knew Of, was an in
nocent woman hanged upon a scaffold, biz
only victim in the war was one Mrs. Sur
ratt. can sustain the memory of For
Fisher if he and his associates can sus
tain him in the blood of woman, triet
by military commission, and condemned
without sufficient evidence, in my judg
ment.
To which Bingham replied: Does tn,
gentleman moan to say, by his sweepin,
Judgment, that il is also on the hands o
those brave Iien who were constituted b,
the warrant Of your President, 0 court t.
pronounce that fpal Judgment, without
which nobody could be executed Sir,
repeat in the language of man, tn,
latchets of whose shoes the gentleman
was not worthy to unloOse, who said tha
we should patiently hear first, and con
slider and pronounce judgment afterwards
In the language Of the Lord High Chan
cellor Of England, notwithstanding tn,
utterance Of cynical poet, that be wa
the greatest, wisest and Of mankind,
will say that, whether the blood of limo
cence is on my hands or not, l leave t,
the charitable judgment Of men and fu
ture ages.
Bingham was Judge Advocate at tn
trial Of Mrs, Surratt. ut