Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-12-14

sissippi, who has been elected member of
the foIty-third Congress from that Stale,
and the bill was passed bya vote of Ill
ayes to 10 noes. The readar may feel Gu
rious TO know how the bill passed By so de-
cided a majority. That information is fur
nisbed by Mr. Bingham himself. After
Mr.. Lamar's petition praying the removal
of his disabilities had been read, Mr.. Bing-
ham said:
Il desire to add that the petition which
has been read Is accompanied by one sign
! ed by the Governor Of the State, the Uni
ted States district judge, by the United
| States district attorneys of both the north
ern and southern districts of Mississippi,
| by the United States marshal Of the north
| ern district, where MIR. Lamar lives, by
several United States assistant assessors
and collectors, by several circuit
judges and chancellors, ell leading
Republicans in the State; and, in a
word, by most of the United States oihci-
ais in the State | also have before me a
letter from tbs Gu ief justice OF the
Safe, one from bis associate, Judge Sim.
rail-, one from Judge Fisher, and one from
| Chancellor Hooker, (reeeived since oar re
| port was 1nade,) each asking that these dis
abilities be removed. These gentlemen are
all Republicans and undertaking supporters
of the Administration in its policy of recon
struction of the States lately in rebellion"
1t will be noticed that very few Of those
who voted for Mr.. L2mar, his immediate
constituents, had any voice or influence in
securing TIE removal of bis disabilities.
Very naturally the reader viii ask, Why is
this? Because their wishes would not ex-
ercise feathers weight in determining the
action Of Congress. The voice ofthe pee
pie who are most interested in having Mr..
Lamar represent them in Congess-the
men who voted for and elected him-would
havey had no more influence in deter
mining the favorable action Of the msjority
in Congress than gust of wind from the
Gulf of Mexico. If he could not have Sc
cured the influence of large number of
Republicans and undertaking supporters
of the Administration" his disabilities
would not have been removed and he would
not have been allowed to take his seat. This
may be a humiliating confession, but
the speech Of Mr.. Bingham shows that it is
literally true. That little speech Of per-
hsps three minutes shows that the legisla-
ton Of Congress is conducted in the inter-
| est and for the benefit of the Republican
| party, and that the wishes and interest of
the people, especially of the South, consti-
tute but a secondary consideration, if in
deed, they are taken into account at all.
| Mr.. Bingham based his demand for the pas
sage Of the bill upon the sole ground that
'1eading Republicans in the State" who
were "undeviating supporters of the Ad-
n4inlstration," favored the removal of Mr..
Lamar's disabilities, and that alone secured
its passage. A little episode that occurred
just before the bill was passed shows the
animus of the engineers Of the movement.
Mr.. Perez, q carpat-oag Republican from
Mississippi, asked Mr. Bingham to yield the
floor to him.
Mr.. Bingham. Does the gentleman want
to move an amendment TO the bill?
Mr.. Perez. do.
MIR. Bingham. l cannot yield now for any
Amendment. Is the gentleman's amend
ment in the nature Of general amnesty?
kIr Perez. 1t is. l know Of no reason
why any gentleman Of certain class
should not have his disabilities removed,
unless there was something which occurred
at the time the disabilities were incurred
to render such a removal inadVisable.
MIR. Bingham. I cannot yield for that
purpose.
Immediately after the passage of the bill,
Mr.. Acker, Of Pennsylvania, moved that the
rules be so suspended as to allow him to
introduce and the House TO pass a bill to
remove al political dis abilities and to grant
general amnesty. But the motion failed
because two-thirds did not vote in favor Of
suspendiug the rules. The vote stood lO1
to 50, and 81 not voting. The eighty-siX
were all Republicans, who were afraid some
of the few Southern men yet laboriDg I'M
der the disabilities imposed by Congress
might he honored by their fellOw-citizens
with seat in the body of which they are
members. Among them were Roder-
ick r. Butler and Horace May
nard, Of Tennessee. These men are as
vindictive toward the Southern people as
the most Radical Republican in New Eng
lard. Wendell Phillips is no. a whit worse;
and yet one of these men is Southern born
aud the other has lived in the South for
nearly the third of = century. They would
rejoice TO see every man in the South not
Radical Republican placed under d'sabili-
: 'es that would forever prevent his holding
ON ce, or even voting.
II g estimated that there are not over
two bu, 7dred men still under dissbilities-s
vary smA n number indeed to excite the
fears Of a q eat and successful party-and
Of these not n, ore than half held civil office,
and It is not hikely that any consider
asla number of them, perhaps not
"a bakers dozen,| would ever be
candidates for a position under the Govern
ment. The prescribed ara stated in the
act passed at the last session of Congress
70 remove political disabilities to be "Sen-
ators and Representatives of the Thirty
sixth and thirty-seventh Congress, officers
in the judicial, military and naval service
If he United States, sheads of departments
and foreign ministers Of the United States"
who lest their PLACES to aid the South in our
late ciya war. A Washington correspon-
dent of the Louisville COurter-JOurnd has
been investigating the matter, and he
makes mention of the most prominent
among the disfranchised as follows;
"Taking up the list of Senators and mem
hers of the Thi1ty-sixth Congress, we have
the following: ,
oBaniamin Fitzpatrick, Senator from AL
abana-a gentleman of quiet tastes, who,
if living, has not been heard from since the
war, and is not likely TO come up again Tor
office. [He is dead 49,
"Bon. Clement g. Clay, Jr., United
states Senator from Alabama, has entirely
withdrawn from politics. He leads very
retired life, ard his health at last advlces
WIS very feeble. He is not likely TO De an
asDirant fer public houors, whether at home
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