The Portland daily press., 1870-12-17
BY TELEGRAPH.
TO THE DAILY PRESS.
XLIss CONGRESS---Third Session.
SENATE.

u u
XLIss CONGRESS---Third Session.
| SENATE.
| w WASHINGTON, Dec. 16.-The Vice Presiden
laid before the Senate communication iron
MIR. Drake, saying that he had on the 13tl
inst. transmitted to the Governor of Missouri
his resignation as member of the Senate, t.
take effect on the 10Th inst
A resolution by Mr.. Morton was adopted
| requesting the President to communicate t.
the Senate all information in his possession
| relative to the disorders and outrages on Unior
men in North Carolina.
Mr.. Sumner presented memorial from VIII
liam +. Wells, George I. Bgelow and many o
the most eminent merchants of Boston adverse
to the proposed annexation of San Domingo
| setting forth their belief that the same would
be great calamity to the country, leading to
great frauds and corruption and probably te
war with the French part of the island, which
could only be avoided by a subsequent pur-
chase OF that part the government Of which
| would involve large annual expenditure
without any compensating results; the effect
| OF which would be a widespread belief that
the present war tax on incomes was kept Up
| for the purchase of foreign territory. Referred
to Committee on Foreign Relations
Mr.. Sherman, from the Finance Committee
reported back adversely various bills for the
abolition of the income tax, and upon bis re-
quest the said bills were placed upon the cal
lendar.
Mr.. Cole, from the Committee on Appropri.
| tions, reported bill making appropriation for
| revenue cutters, which was passed.
At 120 T. NJ. the Senate resumed the con
sideration of Mr.. Schurz's resolution looking
| to general amnesty, and Mr.. Drake was
| awarded the floor for the purpose of replyin5
| to his colleague.
After alleging that but for the introduction
nfo mol
contest into the Senate of the United States,
his colleague was entirely responsible, he said
that his motive in replying was not merely with
view to his personal vindication, but that OF
/, noble party as ever held the destinies OF ally
State in the Union The extraordinary and re-
markable speech of his colleague was without
provocation. He could not conceive why the
hosts led by his colleague, who had their victo-
ry when they traited the Republican banner OF
Missouri in dust, should not have been content
with their triumph upon the soil of that State
but seek to carry it before the nation. Critic.
Using reference to himself that thirteen wears
ago he had acted in the slavery interest of DO.
lllical candidate in Missouri, he attributed the
motive for the statement to the desire to hold
him up before the Republican Senate and ma
ton as an object of condemnation and distrust
But supposing be had been pro-slavery man
in 1857, did that cons itute justification of his
colleagues tack il 1870, though for ten years
pertinent his colleague should not pardon him
his sin.
Gen. Schurz here desired to interpose for q
word Of explanation.
Mr.. Drake declined to give way, remarking
that his colleague had over four years of sena-
torial life remaining, in which to answer him
after he had gone hence.
Mr.. Schurz-I merely want to tell nv col
| league forgive him. [Laughter.] Mr.. Drake
expressed his appreciation of his colleagues
| unexpected outburst of clemency; adding that
in his opinion it was better to be new Repub-
| lican and faithful one than an old and treach-
| erous one. Applause in the galleries which
the Vice President promptly suppressed he
did not consider that title to slay the party in
cold blood could be derived from longevity
within its ranks. If it could then be he was
| thankful that before he could attain his col
| learned such wicked and murderous purposes,
| he would have gone beyon reach of those in
| fuences into healthful sphere of action. He
did not wonder that his colleague had AZ.
| tempted vndication of hmse before his Re-
| publican colleagues in the Senate, where
| presence.
| Whether or not Lis attempt at vindcation
had succeeded would appear by the verdict Of
the Senate, which would follow at the end oi
the discussion. His colleague, before he was
two years warm in his seat had struck at those
who sent him to the Senate, and had acquired
| that taste of blood which possession of power
could enable q man to shed in the household o.
his friends. feeling, perhaps, that be had held
the destiny of the great Republican party in
his hand to do with as he would. He (Schurz
| had come to Senate to SOW seeds of dissention
which were to ripen by splitting the party in
| twain from one end of the land to the other
| That purpose his colleague entertained. Il
| would fail here, and his would be the fate o
| him of old who would "rend the oak and think
not of the bough." Mr.. Drake then eulogized
the victory of the radical Union party of Mis-
souri, during the last ten years; its instru-
1 ,knlek rus%I &l4 -cX l.
ment measures in saving the State to the
Union, its sagacity in foreseeing the necessity
| of removing disabilities when warranted by
public safety, the credit Of which was unfairly
usurped by new liberal movement To these
| measures the loyal men of Missouri were in
debted for that protection which was denied to
I the loyal element of Kentucky aud Tennt ssee
| His colleagues victory, therefore, had been al
the expense of the loyal men of Missouri, tt
whom he owed his elevation to the highest
Constitu lion of the United States. His mode
| of thanking them was not original. Some
| better justification than he had yet attempted
| was necessary, else it would have been better
for him politically had he never been born.
The disruption of the Republican State Con
vention and the so.called liberal movement
| were referred to by Mr.. Drake as features o.
the presidential scheme to give the State tt
| the Democrats. The ostensible cause of the
| controversy arose from the determination O
| the majority to take franchisement apart from
the platform in advance of any expression o.
| any popular sentiment for or against the prop
| osition. The amendments to tue constitution
being then before the people for Independent
action, the minority led by his colleague re.
fused to submit to the will of the majority, and
not only separated from the party but began 8
| war against Gen. Grants administration; ig
nor,ng it in their platform; and his colleague
| ridiculing as fnlsome fattery the language O
| the resolution on the subject adopted by thu
convention. His colleagues attempts TO de
| fend his course upon the high ground of prin
ciple was answered by the fact that he had
made single point of policy a pretext fol
striking blow at the fundamental principle
that the will of the majority should rule. In
dependence of thought and action were vel
enough in their places, but not as means o.
party destruction. Quoting from the cam.
Governor, J. Gratz Brown, to show his antpa
thy to the Republican cause, the speaker dis
missed the subject with the remark, "He has
gone to the Democracy, and may the Lord
have mercy on bis SOUL" (Laughterl
In answer to the assumption that the party
faith was pledged to enfranchisement, he sale
the general amnesty resolution OF the Nationa
Republican Convention of 1868 was merely ar
expression of opinion that disabilities should
be removed upon the happening of a contin
gency, to wit: when they were no longer re-
quired by public necessity; that such an ex
preston could only have national bearing
and was of no effect in the regulation of the
internal policy of individual Republican States
like Missouri. Among the probable conse.
quences OF his colleagues course was the cleo
tion of Democrat to succeed him Drake
and possible Republican defeat in the 4exi
presidential election by the loss Of the electo
| raj vote of Missouri.
In regard to the Presidents interference il
Missouri politics he (Drake) chearfully accept
ed the responsibility for his advice to the Presi
dent in the matter, that he believed no man
bad a right to position under a party while
warning against it. Upon the question of
new party he understood his colleagues posi-
tion to be that while the Republican party
was dead in trespass and sin it yet con-
tained elements of regeneration OF a new party
This reminded him of country court tina
wanted to build a new Jail and passed three
resolutions; first, that they would build new
jail; second, that they would build out Of mate
rial composing the old one, and third, that thu
old one should stand until the new one wa
built. lGreat laughter.)
Who was to regenerate the Repuhllcan par
typ Possibly that was the purpose of. his col
leagues mission to America. After refuta
ton of the charges that he had ever spokel
disrespectfully OF Germans, MIR. Drake added
his colleague in his recent bolt had carrie!
with him almost the entire German vote o
Missouri and he believed his colleagues inten
ton was to carry that vote over to the Democ
racy He also believed his colleague had con
ceived the more daring thought OF becemin!
political dictator of both the Republican AM
Democratic parties through this control of tn
great German vote in this country IN both par
ties. This was the secret of his collie igne's 1ol'