The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1867-05-30

Of censure a i,1,. Every member
being obliged to attend carefully
each morning to the condition of n 9
revolver before he enters either the
House or Senate is a disgrace to the
nation, and makes Congress hall of
DULLES. / think there is one effectu
al method to prevent this crime.
Let such be the unvarying action Of,
Congress itself that any man who re-
sorts to this violence may be thor
oughly assured that when he so lifts
his hand he commits political suicide
that his public career is closed
that in no circumstances, under no
pressure of frendlyappealo or evidence
ofpublic service, will the Senate ev-
er confirm him tor a public office, or
the Housewife him one dollar TO pay
him for any alleged public service
Let, beside, a special statute make
him forever incapable of voting or
holding office. Such an offender
should be ever after civilly dead
Then no bully will allow himself and
no drunkard will be allowed by his
friends thus to insult Congress and
disgrace the nation. There is d par
ticular fitness i'll demanding this ac-
ton Of Congress-. The punishment
is inflicted By the virtue Of the body
disgraced, and reaches its victim in
the exact spot where he is generally
most sensitive, isselfishness and his
ambition. Instead of this Rousseau
disgraces the Capitol and sins against
the principles Of our institutions;
yet within year the Senate gives
him a position for life, with large
salary and great opportunities
What more could be done to tempt
others to follow this example? Every
member who voted for his confrma-
ton did all the opportunity allow ed
to keep up and foster this crime. -
General Eosseau names many men
as aiding. in his confirmation. j have
no evidence that any one Of them is
justly liable to the reproach he thus
brings against them. If they are,
then surely they are too ignorant, or
too unfaithful for their places; and il
/ were member Of the Senate
would never vote to confirm any one
Of them for any Office whatever. In
this matter the accessory is as bad as
the actor, What a contemplate mass
the herd of Senators of whom the
Executive bought this confirmation
"fouling their own nest" in this scram-
bic "for loaves and tishes."' The bet
ter the man, and the greater his pub
lie services, the more striking and
impressive would be the lesson of his
rejection. IfRousseaus military lec-
ord had been as bright and spotless
as that of Wadsworth or Of Sedgwick;
if his civil career had been side by
side with Stevens, his rejection on
the ground name, would have all
the more deserved, and done all the
more good. 1.-The were what Grin
nell described him Il never read the
debate he could not be low enough
TO allow the Senate to excuse him
from the punishment. Neither a
mans insigniticance nor his impor-
lance shou'd shield him from his fate,
Freedom of debate is sacred. IF a
member cannot answer arguments OF
disprove facts, he must submit to
them. If mere abuse is heapcd up.
on him, silence is his answer. Abuse
received in silence harms only the
speaker; and only child unfit fol
office let's it make him the slave OF
his passions. This oct asion is the
proper one for another remark. In
my lecture at Brooklyn / noticed the
absence Of Senator Wilson when
Rousseau's case was voted on, and
said it was unjustifable. Mr.. Wilson
writes me that his absence was una
voidable, and justified it on two
grounds.
l. Illness in his family obliged hip
to leave Washington. ! am sure the
public will give this excuse all the
weight it deserves.
2. He excuses himself on the
ground that he was "paired off,.
hope the public will give to this ex
cuse all the weight it deserves, which
is-just none at all.
No Senator has right to "pairoff'
on important questions. We send q
man there, not only for his vote, but
for his presence and influence in de
bate. Unless inevitably called away,
he is bound personally to watch, and
with his whole soul and strength, re.
sist disastrous measures. General
Rousseau alludes to the fact that Iowa
has left Grinnell out Of her Congress
ienal delegation. To the inter and
damning disgrace Of that State, this
is true. She enjoys the bad eminence
of being the first free State that ever
thus publicly Endorsed a Southcrner's
insult to one Of her Representatives
If | lived on her soil / should make
one effort to raze out this stain, and
if | failed, quit the spaniel State for
ever.
s WENDELL PHILL1ps.
~ rv,U,r m