Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-08-21
AMES.
His IneIigibility TO Any 9fiee in Missis-
sippi.
How He was Condemned in the United
States Senate.
10 occasional Correspondents

From an Occasional Correspondent
HOLIY SPRINGS, Miss, August 10
when Ames was elected to the senate
in Is70, be was a military officer station
Ell il Mississippi, by order Of General
Mcdowell. He had no residence or cit
izenship, save such as was acquired by
any soldier who marched through the
state with Sherman. Ames's right TO
represent Mississippi was inquired into
by the senate, and his language to the
committee was:
Upon the success of the Republican
ticket in Mississippi, was repeatedly
approached to become a candidate for
the United States senate. For a long
time declined-I wrote letters declin-
ing. A number Of persons in Aiississip-
ID. visited this city to find arguments by
which / might be induced to become a
candidate. / hesitated because il would
necassitate the abandonment Of my
whole military life. Finally, for per
sonal and public reasons, 1 decided to
become a candidate, and leave the sr
nv. Ny intentions were publicly de-
clarsd. and sincere. The intentions
thus declared were not only 20 become q
candidate for the senate, but TO remain
aud reside in Mississippi even made
arrangements, almost final and perma-
nent, with person TO manage property
I intended to buy. This was before l
left Mississippi. My resignation was ac-
cepted 10y the President before he signed
the bill TO admit the State"
The conclusion of the committee on
these facts is, that General Ames was
not, when elected, an inhabitant of the
State for which he was elected, and that
he is not entitled to take his seat.
The committee therefore recommend
the adoption Of the following resOlU-
ton:
Resolred, That AdelbeIt Ames is not
eligible 10 the seat in the senate of the
United States TO which he has been ap-
POINTED.
This committee, making this report,
is constituted of the ablest constitution
lawyers Of the United States, Messrs.
T-umbull, Edmonds, Thurman, Conk-
ling and Carpenter. Each of them sign
ed the report, and each made a speech
supporting it. Ames said to this CON-
mittee that ''its doubtful If should have
become a citizen if had not been elect
e5," aud on this Mr.. Carpenter COM
mented before the senate, saying:
The proposition is conclusive, and de-
s.ructive OF the claimants case. How
can 30 be answered? shall passion au-
sEer It? Shall party feeling answer it
ii this high place? Why, sir, ii has
Ieeu said that the votes Of senators have
been solicited on this question by
those inter- sted in pending measures,
because OF votes General Ames might
ormight not give if introduced in season.
aCsn such things De,
And overcome rs like a sum uneT's cloude'
God forbid! Far distant be that day
yvh,.n the eject os States, assembled here
10 On ard their liberties and the privileges
which these privileges preserve, shall SO
far forget themselves as TO be governed
bv considerations such as these. Should
Tive TO see the time when such iudg
uerts Of tlis tribunal shall be rendered
upon such persuasions, ] might exclaim
in the words of another, "'Twere mer-
ciful if a thuuderbolt should visit the
temple and burn up the records of our
disgrace"
All this is Radical and not Democratic
testimony, and Ames would never have
occupied a seat in the senate if partisan
ship had not triumphed over truth, ard
Isvy, and statesmanship. Recently Ames
had bis good wife at Natchez, and made
A sort n pretended purchase Of a house
and lot cf one Noohins, but there was
nothing paid, and Ames's honest wife
wouldn't remain In Natchez. She is
now down east, absolutely refusing to
share iG the practice Of the pslpable
fraud sought to be imposed upon
the unlettered colOred people Of
Mississippi by unscTupulous carpetbag-
rers. VIII the negroes Of Mississippi
make this man their candidate, who
has been branded as foul lmpostor by
the Republican Judiciary committee OF
the Senate Of the United states? Every
negro that votes for Ames viii be DIS
,~raced and pronounced unworthy Of citi-
2enship the world over when such plain
,,rotests are placed before the country
fyv fhe great statesmen and leaders OF
the ReDubIican party acting under the
sanctions OF official oaths. Let the ne
groes. at all events, if they must rule the
state. give the people masters who are
part and parcel Of the country; who did
not come hither simply for the purpose
of enriching themselves with hOnOTs or
Offices. and then, when elected, retiring
to some distant Long Branch to LEAD
lives OF easy OpuleRee upheld by money
wrencbed from the tOiling cOlOred peo-
ME of the south. Let the negroes at
least give Us q negro governor or a de-
cent sCalawag, IL such exist. To select
Ames II to confess the utter nnworthl-
ness Of MississippiaHs, white and col
cred.