Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-03-03
LOOK no THE SENATE

session Of tie United States Senate on the
evening of the 9th ut. The following
amendment, which bad been recommended
by the Finance Committee, was read:
"That the Secretary Of the Treasury l.
hereby authorized to pay to such persons
as we're actually employed in the collection
of internal revenue in the Rebel States.
prior to the LIST day Of August, 1866, COM
pensation at the rate prescribed by law. and
an amount sufficient for that purpose is
hereby appropriated out Of any money In
the treasury not otherwise appropriated -
The following episode then occurred:
MIR. Trumbull hoped this would NOT be-
adopted. These persons we're appointed in
direct violation Of law, as they could not
take the oath Of Office.
Mr. Sherman said the circumstances
which induced the committee 10 report this
we're very simple. The Secretary of the
Treasury found il impossible 10 get men IN
some Of the counties Of the Rebel States to
discharge the duties Of assistant asses.
sors who could take the oath. Accord
ing to law, they must live in the county in
which they held the Office. The Secretary
was compelled 10 dispense with a portion
of the oath in particular cases, and il was
now asked TO pay these men only mp to the
lst Of August Last
Mr.. Sumner said the Secretary OF the
Treasury was guilty Of an illegal act; nav.
more, a crime Re violated law IN an
pointing men who could not take the oath.
and when complaint was made he replied
in a notorious falsehood that there were no
Unionists IN the South who could take the
oath. This was nothing more than noto-
rious untruth Congress had been too leni-
ent togard the crimes Of this officer. He
Mr.. Sumner would not vote to pay these
Rebels. Let the Secretary pay them out
Of has own pocket Mr. Sumner having in
the course Of his remarks referred 10 Mr..
sherman az attempting 10 cover upa crime,
Mr.. Sherman rose az the conclusion Of
Mr.. Summers speech, and said this language
was parliamentary twas ungentleman-
ly; IL was false il ought not 20 have been
uttered in .he Senate. He Mr.. Sherman
had nothing 10 say in reply 70 what Mr..
Sumner had said about the Secretary of the
Treasury. He believed Mr. Sumner had
had a difficulty Of some kind with that
officer
Mr.. Sumner rose 10 interrupt Mr.. Sher
man, who, however, declined tc yield the
floor.
Mr.. Sherman explained the circumstan-
ces attending the appointments referred to.
The aggregate amount required for the
claim would not exceed $4,000.
Mr.. Chandler said he was the author Of
the original proposition now under discus
sion. The Committee Of Commerce re.
ported bill Of this kind some time ago,
because he knew that whatever crime there
was ia the matter belonged 10 the Secretary
Of the Treasury. Congress ought either 10
iInpeach the criminal or pay the claims
Mr.. Sumner-Let the Secretary Of the
Treasury pay it out Of his own pocket
Mr.. Chandler-He amt able. He's a
pauPer. He can't pay the hundredih part
Of il.
Mr.. Tumbul said there was more in
yolved m thisqHestion than few thousand
dollars, II was the principle whether Reb-
elsor loyal men should be placed ID Office
in the Rebel States II would noido TO
say that this was inadyertance 0a The part |
of the Secretary, for one Of the FIRST things |
done by the last session of Congress was to /
cali his attention 70 il.
Mr.. BUekalew, in commencing q few re-
marks in defense Of the Secretary of fhe |
Treasury, said that Mr.. Sumner and Mr.. |
Chandler spoke under the protection given
them by the constitution, that they shall |
not Ice held responsible elsewhere for what 1
is spoken in debate. They had no idea of |
being held responsible to the Secretary for |
calling him a criminal and pauper TWAS
not for him Mr.. Buckalew TO question |
the taste Of such references 10 a high pub |
lie officer who cannot defend himself on |
this floor, and can only be defended in |
such remarks as other Senators may offer |
10y way of reply TO such charges
Mr.. Chandler said he used the word |
pauper in a comparative sense. He meant |
90 say that he would be pauper IL he was
compelled 10 pay the claims suggested by |
Mr.. Sumner, unless he had stolen more |
than he thought he had. He Mr. Chand- |
Ter didn't mean 10 say that the Secretary |
couldn't buy loaf Of bread. He came |
here from little bank ont in Indiana. and |
took a clerkship of some kind, which paid |
him about $1,000 That was twice as much |
as he was worth. He Mr.. Chandler /
wouldn't give him more than $1,000 a |
year 10 be a clerk in has bank or in his
dry goods store in Detroit lie made /
good enough clerk, bat when he was raised |
10 the Office of Secretary he turned politi- /
clan, and he was a better politician than a
Secretary.
Mr.. Sumner. He is very bad poll
uclan,
Mr. Chandler He is a worse Secretary. |
He knows literally nothing about politics /
and less about finance ..
Abiding to the remark Of Mr. Buekalew, |
that Senators were not TO be held response |
bic elsewhere for what they said here /
Mr.. Chandler said he had no desire to |
shield himself from responsibility. What |
he said here he was accountable for else |
where 20 the Secretary Of the Treasury, or |
10 anybody else. -..... ....
Mr.. Lane felt impelled to say few |
words in vindication Of the Secretary of the |
Treasury He had known him for thirty /
years. Instead Of being an unimportant /
officer OF a little bank in Indiana, be was, /
for twenty years, President Of the State 1
Bank Of Indiana, which had thirtyibrsnches |
and q capital of 1--WE millions of dollars /
he Mr.. Lane had nothing 20 say in de- |
tense of the Secretary s action in appoint /
ing Rebels % Office, only 10 say. that the /
Secretary felt bound 10 DO what he had /
done, in pursuance Of his duty 90 collect |
the revenue. These men were appointed /
on the Recommendation Of loyal assessors |
and collectors ia the South he might 4
have made mistake, but there was 4 strong |
claim of equity for the men IL was now pro.
posed TO pay. They had discharged their
duty, and it did not become a great aud
magnsnimous nation TO DENY a claim of /
Sl25 each 20 a few men who had been app
pointed on the Recommendation of officers
Of the government
Mr. Wilson offered substitute for the
pending proposition, declaring that in EN-.
ployiug persons who could not take the oath
prescribed 10y law As assistant assesSors IN
the Rebel States Ia the collection Of ihternsl
revenue, the Secretary Of the Treasury
acted in violation Of law, bat the persons 50
employed, being guilty OF M ofense, are
entitled IN equity TO be paid. and the Secre-
tary OF the Treasury is authorized TO pay
them the amount due them for their ser
vices 10 the lst ef August, lS6G.
Mt. Chandler SAID the fault Vas with the
principals, and no, With the assistants
When Rebels were appointed a. aszessors
they appointed Rebels as assistants n vas
so IN the North a. well a. in the Sanih In
Michigan, when Andrew johnson appoint.
ed Copperheads 10 office, they always select
ell Copperhead assistants He preferred