The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-08-04
An HONORABLE MAN.


which assembled on the fourth day of
March, for the purpose of transacting such
business as might be rendered necessary by
the incoming of a new administration, the
record states that the Vicc-P President direct
cd the secretary to call the roll of the Sen
ators elect Whcreupon, among others,
"thc Honorable John II. Mitchell, of Orc
gon, came forward, and the oaths prcscrib-
ed by law were administered to him." and
he took his scat as Senator of the United
States from Oregon and, as such, partici-
patcd in the business of the session. A
scat in that body may well be coveted and
be the object of IN honorable ambition
The highest the most honorable, the most
august legislative body in the world very
few of our ablest and best statesmen aspire
higher. To a patriot and statesman, who
serves his constituents well. who values
country more than party, honor and intcg-
rity more than mere position, and who has
an eye single to an honest discharge of
duty, as well as the ability to discharge it,
IL may be, and often is, an Office which one
may hold at will, even if it is-as in such
cases it always will bc-unsought in the
first instance, and, afterwards, retained
without personal effort. Our history is
full of such eXamples-we have them, also,
in Nermont-and tried and true statesmen
have often retained their seats in the Sen
ate from the day of their admission until
al,
| fields of labor, or called to rest from
their labors on earth forever Such
Senators have graced our annals from all
sections of the country, north, south, cast
and west but, with here and there and cx-
ception in individual states, the good old
custom would now be more honored in the
| breach than the observance. Kansas,
Iowa and the reconstructed south have
step in advance of the others, in aflixing
another stain upon the American name and
upon the history of the United States
Senate and one, too, under which, we
fear, we shall be compelled to suffer for
the next six years.
The latest mails from Oregon bring lis a
copy of the petition presented to the cir
cult court for Multnomah county-an eX-
cellent designation if it means "much
names"-by n man, who signs himself
John NJ. Nipple" asking the court to
change his name, under authority granted
by the legislature-of which it seems he
was a mcmber-for such purposes. The
petition is autobiographic in its character,
and states that he has resided in Oregon
some thirteen years, and has been known
as John II. Mitchell, although he was the
son of 'John Nipple" and his own name
was John Mitchell Nipple" In this pc
tition, which was filed in court sometime
in July and has not, as yet, been acted up
on, he does not state why he changed his
name: but, to make the whole matter
clearer, and show how the dignity, honor
and Importance of the United States Sen
ate is, from year to year, being increased,
we WILL in few words, supply the missing
link. He is native of Pennsylvania,
where he received common school cduca-
ton, studied and for brief period, prac-
ticcd law. Circumstances induced him to
marry one of his acquaintance, who had
been former play and schoolmate The
marriage did not prove very congenial-as
marriages which are the choice between
two evils rarely do--and one morning he
was not to be found, having deserted his
wife, children and creditors, besides leaving
other deficits in his accounts, and departed
for parts unknown. The petition emitting
these facts goes on to state that he was,
by his assumed name, elected TO the COM
mon council of Portland. and became city
attorney of the city that he was elected
and served four years as a member of the
state senate of Oregon, being president
thereof two years and that at the last
session of the legislature he was elected
United States Senator for the term of six
years, and that he has been "sworn into
and admitted to a seat, rs United States
Senator in the United States Senate, and is
now IL member of that body" He says,
also, that he ''has become the possessor
and owner of large amount of landed
property which, by the way may account
for his present position. He closes by a
request that his name may be changed, in
) order to set at rest all doubts in reference
to the title to his property and that which
he has conveyed.
Such is the Honorable" John Nipple
Mitchell, senator of the United States,
J and such is one of the men who is to assist
l in making our laws and in sustaining the
honor and dignity Of the nation for the
Q next six years OF course he will retain
3 his seat. The legislature of Oregon may
give him the legal right, henceforh, to be
known as Mitchell, but they cannot affect
, his past acts 1t has been repeatedly deci
ded, by the highest courts that deeds to OIL
from person under an assumed name
g were valid, upon proof of identity, and
perhaps, the senate will hold to the same
= rule as to the votes of the members of q
5 legislature for United States Senator. II
0 will, probably, make no difference with his
position there what particular view they dc
take of him. lie was known as Mitchell
3 and only as Mitchell as such he was elect
} ed to the senate; as such he was admitted
+ sworn in and took his seat and as such ht
will undoubtedly retain his seat. Although
7 no vote was actually taken, this principle
was practically decided in the Caldwell