Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-10-09
MULLINS ON R0DERICK.
A Spicy Episode in Congress.
A Radical Estimate of the Cadet
ship and Pension PedIar.
From the CINCINNATI Commercial, Oct, Z.

Feom the Cincinnati Commercial, Oct, T.
Notwithstanding the traffic in cadet
ships, and despite the public charges of
forgery. made by the Commissioner of
Pensions, Roderick Random Butler in
sists on presenting himself for re election
to Congress from the First Tennessee Dis
trict, and is supported therefor by his
party.
The public has certainly not forgotten
the eccentric and peculiar James Mullins,
who served as member of the Fortieth
Congress from the Fourth District of Ten
nessee, and who was fierce fanatic of
the Republican party. Mullins, how
ever, was conceded to be honest, although
perhaps rather ultra in his way of show
ing it, When RodeIick Random Butler
presented himself for admission to the
Fortieth Congress Mullins fiercely refused
to consent to his being sworn in, alleging
that Butler was renegade and rascal.
The Committee on Elections took the
matter in hand and permitted Butler TO
make proof of his loyalty, which he did
by showing that he had paid pair of
boots as the price of assassinating a rebel
captain named Waugh, and had contract
ed to sssassinate one Sam. Mcqueen for
the premium of suit of clothes. This
satisfied the committee, who reported in
favor of giving Butler his seat, but it did
not satisfy Mullins.
Ia a speech made in the House, on June
Is, 1868, and printed in the Appendix,
part 8, Second Session, Fortieth Congress,
after proving Butler to have been on all
sides during the rebellion, and guilty of a
multitude of disEonora0le acts, Mullins
e'goes for" him on the assassination ques-
ton as follows, aud which will well repay
a perusal
4 SIN these two instances, Mr.. But
Ter, according to his own proof, is legally
and morally guilty of the subornation of
assassination, ard is, therefore, just as
much an assassin as those who committed
and attempted the infamous deed
SIN the history of all great criminals it
is their first and greatest aim to conceal,
by every artifce that devilish ingenuity
can fabricate, their dark deeds of villainy
and murder. However vile and depr wed,
however lost to all sentiments of common
humanity, they dread TO be held up in the
elaring light of truth to the gaze of man
kind, as a spectacle of ignominy and an
object of universal execration. But this
gentleman, unlike the common villain,
despising the shame and condemnation of
public opinion, disdsining the contempt
of all good men, sCorning the spirit of
Christian civilization, and mOcking at the
law which Furnishes the assassin, comes
I'D before the Congress of the United
States, and with a blushless, shameless
face, with all the brazen effrontery of a
devil incaInate, points to the bloody gar
ments of his murdered fellow men, and
says: This is my deed; this is my
recommendation to a seat in Congress;
this is the proof of my loyalty
"Will this honorable body accept the
gentleman's completely in the crime of
assassination as proof of his loyalty and
as a virtue2 Will they admit to seat in
the Congress of the American Republic
man who is shown to be traitor, q per-
Juror and an assassin If this is the
course you propose, if this is the prece-
dent you intend TO establish, 20 eXhume
from dark and ignominiOus grave the
decsying bones of the assassin who, in an
hour of national rejoicing, struck down
our beloved Lincoln, and plunged the ma
ton into the depths of mighty sorrow
gather up his bones, build splendid
msusoleum to his fame, place them in its
sacred vault, and in letters of gold let this
epitaph perpetuate his glory: TO the
memory of Booth, the assassin of an
American PRESIDENT
fill haxya TpGp1CI from
the condemnation of all mankind, and
exalted to honor and 10 glory the memory
| of every murderer and assassin that ever
stained with his deeds of blood the his
toric page! The victims of the gentle
mans unhOly revenge were rebels, 1t Is
true; they may have richly deserved
death as penalty for their offenses. But
was there not a free and open field in
which the gentleman might have display
ed his valOr and flashed his maiden sword
| in honorable warfare, or if he did not
choose this method of chastising them,
were there no laws of the land which the
gentlemen might have availed himself of as
means of his vengeance, instead of re-
sorting to a crime blacker than treason
itself, Of which no man but q co,0drd
wGS ever knOlOn to be guilty.?
"And yet the gentleman voluntarily
brings up and displays to the world his
completely in their murder as a recon-
mendation to q seat in this Congress and
as a proof to his loyalty! have said
what have said, not out of any motives
of a personal character, but from a sense
of duty to my constituency and to my
country, and if the gentleman is offended,
feel l am not responsible. 1t is his
record that has spoken, not :"