Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1868-12-18
How JohnsOn's Message was Re
ceiYed. aa


The country may properly conRratu-
late itself upon having got the last Of
Andrew JOhuson's annual messages.
It is such a document as was never be-
fore sent to Congress, and it received
such treatment as no other message eV-
or received. The indignation il excited
at the capital was something with
which the people can not help gympa-
thizing, and the condemnation poured
upon the head of the bad man whose
name it bears will, doubtless, be echoed
from one end of the land to the other.
The Senate received the message from
the Presidents private Secretary at eX-
actIv / O'Clock, There were not many
persons in the galleries, for the popu-
lace expected scene at the other end
of the capital. The clerk began its
reading just as printed. Copies were
distributed among the Senators. He
had read about ten minutes, not having
reached the astrOcious paragraph in
which the President advocates repudi-
alton through nou-payment of the IN
terest on our bonds, when Conness arose
and Indignantly moved to dispense with
the further reading of the document
The wrath and contempt of the Senators
had been gradually rising. One could
see that easily enough from the CALLER
les. The proposition to quit reading
was however no less novel than as
founding, and at first q decided
majority of Senators seemed to be op-
posed to such severe treatment Of the
emergency. Garrett Davis caught at
his breath and managed to say that the
motion was most extraordinary. Yes"
responded Conness, "and the message
is most extraordinary, such one as no
other President ever sent to Congress"
Warming to his subject he went on to
say that It was TRADE of abuse, an in
decent attack upon Congress- a tissue OF
malignant falsehoods. This language
caused a decided sensation. Several
Senators rose to speak. Two or three
appealed to Conness to withdraw his
motion. Others urged him to press 1t
to vote, and there was some confusion
Vice President Wade called for vote
on the motion to stop the reading, ana
on the "UlVG UOce" answer, declared that
it had carried. Davis and others want
ed a yea and nay vote, and 30 that was
ordered. Meantime, there had been
some private consultation, and as its
result COnness said he was willing to
withdraw the motion if it was thought
best. Cameron replied he would at
once renew it, and so it was not with
drawn. Howe said the message was In
decent in its character. The Constitution
does not give the President any right
to send us such a message. Nor does
it impose upon US the duty of listening
| to such q message. Morton and Wilson
coneurred in pronouncing 1t full of mis-
representRtions,.D Dut. thought the Senate
had better have it read through. Cam
eron characterized it as unfit to go on
the Senate journal, and wanted 1t
l thrown upon the table at once. Gov
ernor Morton reminded the Senate that
the President had the right to cOmmu-
nicate his views in his own way, add
| ing that he himself thought the mes
| sage as bad a one as it could be. VIII
/ son spoke Of it as the rawlings Of bad,
disappointed man. Drake characteriz-
| cutive which was not worth while to
mind. A majority Of the Senate seem-
/ ed to think otherwise, for when at this
i It was carried without division. Thus
the Senate, outraged beyond restraint
refused for the first time in its existence
/ to hear a message from the White
| House. While there was some division
of opinion among Republicans as to the
| propriety of allowing 1t to be read,
/ there was none In condemnation OF its
| doctrines, or in protest against its wick
| ed plea for the late rebellion.
In the House the greater part Of the
document was quietly received, but as
the concluding sentences were reached
the House under the lead Of Wash
burne aud Schenclz, by a vote Of 128 TO
3S, flung the message upon the table,
| to lie there with other dead things, as
Highly, Of California, said. AS IL this
great proceeding was not enough, Il
next refused to let the message be print
ed for general circulation, and also ro.
fused TO refer It Ia the ordinary way
to the appropriate committees for ex-
animation