Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-03-13
UNITED STATES SENATE.
The Heirs of Ex-senator Sebas-
tain Ask the Resembling
of the Resolution EX-
peIling Him.
lack. Chambers Successor Takes
a Tilt Against Pinchback.
EXTRA SESSION.

WASHINGTON, March 12.-The Vice
President presented a memorial Of the
bei Of VIM. K. Sebastian, Senator from
Arkansas in 1851, sking that a resolution
expelling him from the Senate be Teseind-
ed. It was referred 10 the Committee on
Privileges and Elections.
The Vice President laid before the Sen
ate a report of Surgeon Frank w. Reilly, Of
the Marine Hospital Service, in regard to
the yellow fever epi6emie Of 1873, which
was ordered TO be printed and laid on the
table.
The consideration of the resolution for
the admission Of Pinchback was resumed,
and Mr.. McCreery, Ct Kentucky, spoke in
opposition to it.
The resolution WAS further discussed D.
Messrs. salisbury Of Delaware, and Chris
tiancy of Michigan. The latter spoke in
opposition to the admission Of Pinchback,
agreeing with the report made to the Sen
ate by the late Senator from Wisconsin,
Mr.. Carpenter.
Mr.. Christiancy Rad his speech, which
was mainly an able legal argument against
the admission Of Pinchback. In cOnclu-
sion, he said:
To me, the whole process Of formation
of the State government of LOuisianaseems
to be circular-begi ming where 1t ends
and ending where it begins; and with what
ever velocity it may be made to revOlve, 1t
never moves a step forward from the point
where it started. Ii leaves this kellogg
government, which has assumed to elect
Senator in Congress, just where and what
it was in its Origin--not a Legislature or
| government Of the State of Louisiana, but
a body set up, installed and kept in power
and imposed upon the State by the Ex-
| ecutive DepartmeR, of the Federal Gov
eminent, and deriving all its authority from
| this Executive action. But / am as well
satisfied as l can be Of anything which does
not admit Of mathematical demonstration,
that the President has no wish or intention
| to usurp power which does not belong to
| him. Yet, called upon as he was for
prompt action for the suppression of appre-
| hended violence and instruction, and
prompted by a humane motive Of giving
! protection to the cO-ored population, hun
| dreds of whom had on several previous Oc-
| casions been butchCred in cold blOOd-a
motive which does honor to the man and
in which l confess / sympathize with him
/ and without having all the evidence before
/ him which we have before us, nor as l
| think, the best lega advice, it is not strange
/ that he should have failed to see clearly the
| true principle involved, and that he should
have erred, as any other man under similar
| circumstances might have erred. But look
| ing, as l think the facts show he did, up
on the government he had set up
as merely temporary, until Con-
/ gress should take the matter of
| bis hands, and DOUBLING, as think he did,
/ the validity Of the kellogg government, he
/ did what a wise and true-heaTted states
man should have done under the circum-
stances. He called upon Congress to make
| proper provision for the case, and take such
measures as they should deem proper, and
he has called upon them repeatedly from
'that day to this, but be has called in vain,
! and Congaess has neglected to act. In all
this 1 see no evidence of that deliberate
usurpation or intention to establish an IL
responsible despotism which has been
enlarged, and I repel the charge as one Of
the extravaganees Of heated partizanship,
| which often leads men to believe what in
after years and upon due reflection they
discover to have been wild and absurd.
But here and now we are en-
deavoring to discover and apply
the truest principles which should
| govern the question Of the admission OF
Pinchback as Senator, and if we are wise,
we shall act upon no principle which we
should not be willing to see applied to our
own States; for, as in case Of individuals,
no man can violate the rights Of another
without endangerirg his own, so we, as
Representatives of States and their people,
cannot violate the constitutional rights Of
another State or its people without endan-
eering our own States and our own people
In the mutations which are constantly tax
ing place and must continue to take place
in this and every ether popular govern
ment, the time may come when our present
positions may be reversed, and when those
now in a minority may hold the power Of
enforcing their OWL views Of government
and the poisoned chalice We now present
to the State and people Of Louisiana, MAJ
be commended TO our own lips. Let u:
therefore disregard all mere partisanship
and act upon the broad principles Of equa
Justice, which is the highest craftsmanship
and refuse to establish a new, and at least
questionable principle, which may return
to plague the inventors.
When Mr.. Christiancy concluded hi:
speech, the Senate proceeded to the con
sideration Of executive business.
At $40 the doors were reopened and tn
Senate adjourned.