The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-06-23
From Washington.
WASHINGTON, June

WASHINGTON, June II.
The case of Pat Woods was the all-absorbina
! topic of conversation last evening. The fact;
concerning the assault upon Congressman Por
ter are as follows Porter and friend were
walking along Broad street, Richmond, when
they met Woods, who was considerably under
the influence of liquor. Porter accosted Woods
with Chow are you, Pat" and Woods respon-
dcd by saying he didn't allow any ID Radi-
cal to call him Pat; after which he knocked
Porter down, Porter being followed ''to grass
immediately by his friend, and then by two
negroes who placed themselves in contact with
the bclicose, but diminutive Woods. Porter
puts his finger in his mouth and hurries to
Washington to take measures for soothing his
wounded honor AS he stood up in the House
to make complaint that little Pat Woods had
hit him in the eye, he looked for all the world
like an overgrown school-boy complaining OF
one of his mates. The members listened to
Porter's doleful tale; and resolved that Woods
must be brought before the bar of the House.
The resolution in itself is an outrage. and
without precedent There is no warrant for
the step. The personal attack was no invasion
of representative rights, no infringement OF
the privileges of member of Congress. 1t is
another of the little acts of hectoring over the
country W lllS)lIC Icdl VI SOuSiCSSs
But the manner in which Woods was arrest
ed was an even greater outrage. He was ar
rested on a simple telegram and literally kid
mapped Mr.. Woods counsel had sued out a
writ of habeas corpus, returnable yesterday
morning and it was served on the United
States Marshal as he was getting on the Fred
ericksburg cars at $50 p. IN. Friday evening.
The Marshal had no warrant to detain Woods,
vet he refused to obey the writ of habeas corpus,
saving he had consulted counsel, and he
brought Woods on to Washington. The Rich
mond papers say Woods was under bonds to
appear before Judge Guigon to answer for the
attack on Porter. His arrest by Congress is an
infringement of State jurisdiction, and is
without precedent in this country. 1t is an
act of petty tyranny, and another express
sion of the contempt OF Congress for the States
If Congress can take this man out of the hands
of the proper legal tribunals, and in defiance
of the writ of hdJeas corpus and place him in
a Congressional prison, it has also power to
hang him from the statue of Liberty on the
ant for Woods to be bjectcd to Congressional
handouts, but his case makes excellent mate
rial for the fall campaign. If this impudent
Radical Congress will persist in sowing dra-
CONS teeth, it must not be surprised at the re-
suit.
Another story on Whittemore the cadctship
peddler has leaked out, and can be vouched
for as true to the letter. Some time before
Whittcmore resigned, to avoid being kicked
out of the House, there WAS a charitable testl-
val of some sort, and tickets of admission were
sent to each member Of Congress White
more evidently thought he was the only person
thus honored, and, going over to Il ncighbor,
he endeavorcd to strike up trade. Said
Whittemorc, producing his ticket: Every
member is expected to take ore of these tick
cts and hand over So; I've got just this one
left and will let you have it," The member
addressed had ticket in his pocket, but said
nothing, beyond declining to purchase. Then
Whittcmorc tried another member with no
better result. How many more he may have
approached is not known.
4 Democratic member of the House propo-
scs to advocate Whitemores admission on the
following grounds This is a representative
government, and Congress has no right to die
tate to the people whom they shall select to
represent them The Housc branded White
more as thief and with that brand upon him
he went back to his constituents. They have
reelected him. The inference is that in his
district the thieves are in majority. But the
House has no right to say that those thieves
cannot be represented. Whittcmorc must
have his scat.-(or. Baltimore Gazette.