Nebraska advertiser., 1870-02-17
THE VOTE OF OUR SENATORS.

4
We publish to-day the speech o.
Senator THAyER on the admission o
Virginia. We have before published
that of Senator Triton. Our Senators
were divided on this question, as were
many other good Republicans, and we
see no cause Of complaint as to either
Of them. They undoubtedly acted in
accordance with their honest convie'
lions. Republicans in Nebraska and
elsewhere, also differ on the question
named, and it is not strange that in
Nebraska, each of ouF Senators find
members of their own party, agreeing
with the one and differing with the
ether.
From q private letter received from
Gsnator Triton. on this subject, we
extract the following:
q ON Che 10th OF April, 1869, Congress
passed an act for the submission Of a
Constitution of Virginia to q vote of
the people, and provided that before
the State could be admitted 20 the
Union she would have to ratify the
Fifteenth amendment to the constitu-
ton Of the United States, viz: 1.-THE
right of citizens Of the United States to
vote shall not be denied or dbridged'6y
the United States, or any State, on dc-
count o rdce, color, or precious cORdi-
zion of serUftUde."
The President Of the UNIFIED States
said in his message of Dec. 9th, 1859:
"In Virginia the election took place
9Th Of July, 1859; the Governor and
Lieut.. Governor elected have been in
stalled; the Legislature met and did
all required by this resolution, and by
ali the reconstruction acts of Congress,
and abstained from ali doubtful au-
thority. I recommend that her Sen
ators and Representatives be prompt
ly admitted to their seats, and that the
State be fully restored to its place in
the family of States"
The House Of Representatives pass
ed a Bill at once for the States admis-
sion, she having previously, also, rati-
fed the Fourteenth amendment Of
the Constitution.
In the Senate, an effort was being
made to impose other conditions upon
her before her admission, when about
twenty Republican Senators decided
with President Grant, that, in as
much as she had gone as far as the
most radical States, she ought to "be
promptly admitted And among
these were the lawyers of the Judi
Ciary Committee. With them I voted
Sno" against certain amendments,
and Senator Thayer voted "yea."
We are not disposed to either extol
or condemn in this case, because we
do not consider this issue, if any, of
SUFFICIENT Importance to demand such
q course. AS before said, other Sena-
tors and RI Representative yes in Congress of
the Republican party, whose radical
ism none doubt, thought and voted on
both sides of the Virginia question.
Il Is said by those who differ with
either of our Senators, that they do
not represent the Republican party in
Nebraska. So far as wehave observed,
there Is about the same difference with
other members of the party in Nebras-
ka, as with the Senators, and conse-
quently no great issue.
Mr.. TIPTON voted for Morton's pre-
Rmble which certainly obviated the
necessity Of any further conditions
being imposed, in as much as that
caused Virginia, if admitted, to admit
that she passed the Fifteenth amend
ment ola good faith, as a precedent
condition" and hence any faltering
on her part would be cause for such
penalty IS might be found cOnstitu-
tiopal.
As 70 Senator Upton, with whom
. eotemporsry has taken issue public
y. we have only to say, as a journal
1T representing his immediate home,
that while a knowledge of his radical
ism would have warranted the con-
elusiOn that be might vote against the
Bill IS 1t came from the House, there
e. no dissatisfaction with his vote un-
der the circumstances, which he has
fully and satisfactorily explained in
his speech, and in a former letter, and
the one now published,