National Republican., 1877-11-27
The Contest in the Senate.

The struggle in the Senate yesterday was
among the most interesting that has oc-
Cured for years The Democrats, with
their recruits from the Republican side,
were very coufidant of an easy triumph in
their conspiracy against the political intcg-
rity of the Senate. They regarded the
overthrow of the legitimate majority in
that body as an accomplished fact. and
acted purely upon those assumed premises.
As we had predicted the report of the
Committee on Privileges and Elections in
the case Of KELLOGG, of Louisiana, was oh
jected to, and hence went over for twenty
four hours. This cleared the deck for ac-
ton, and the fight began on unfinished
business, which was Senator TuURMAN's
motion to discharge the Committee on
Privileges and Elections from further con-
sideration of the case of NJ. c. BUTLER.
Pending this question Senator DAVIS, of
Illinois, took the floor, and occupied some
time in defining his position in
sustaining the resolution, about which
he must have felt want of
satisfaction, or he would not have occupied
the time and attention of the Senate in
what appeared more in the light of per-
sonal explanation than defense OF his own
action.
Senator EDMUNDs then took the floor
and, with his usual acumcn skill as a par
Humanitarian, and power of argument, op-
posed the passage of the resolution. He
was followed by Senator PATTERSON, who
gave his reasons, as far as was prudent TO
divulge them, why he should vote for this
resolution and the ultimate admission of
BUTLER. In his remarks he declared
himself Thoroughbred Republican,
and that in his vote to admit
BUTLER he was only discharging his duty
faithfully to his constituents. lie insisted
that BUTLER's admission was called for not
only by the Democrats, but by the Rcpub-
lcans of his State. He referred to the recent
account In the NATIONAL REPUBLICAN, of
his interview with BUTLER in the corridor
of the Senate on the subject of his vote in
opposition to giving the case of KELLOGG
precedence over that of BUTLER, and sub
stantially denied the correctness of our
statement. In reply to this denial on his
part we can only say, as we have said before,
that We are reassured by the eyewitness
of that interview that our statements are
fully sustained by the facts and, if it was of
sufficient consequence, the proofs to that eff
feet would be produced. We are now more
fully satisfied that we were not misiniormed
lhan ever before.
During Senator PATTERsoNs remarks
Senator CONovER inteEjected an explana-
tion which was uncalled for, but which lit
orally gave himself away. He insisted that
he was under no obligation to BUTLER to
vote as he did, which, by implication, was
an admission that he was under obligation
to vote ultimately for BUTLER's admission
as Senator. After that remark, no one
could oubt that there Is bargain or un-
de rstanding that he is to sustain the cause
of BUTLER whenever vote is taken on that
question.
When Senator PATTERSON had concluded
his remarks and subsided Senator CHRIS
TIANCY took tho floor and characterized
the effort of the Senator as being more re-
markable for its illogical features than for
any other peculiarity. He insisted that the
legal Legislature of South Carolina was
that known MS the CHAMBERLAIN Legisla-
ture, and which elected Mr.. CoRBIN rs
United States Senator. The HAMPTON
Legislature is not and never has been the
legal Legislature of South Carolina, and
hence Senator PATTERSON could not vote for
BUTLER as the legally-clccted Senator. This
speech was short and incisve, and let the
wind out of PATTERsoN's soap-bubbles at
once, producing a general collapse of his
Oratoical air-oastles.
The contest being fairly opened on this
skirmish line, Senator EDMUNDs brought
his artillery to the front and opened his
batteries with most damaging fire, which
carried CONSERVATION into the enemy's
camp. He introduced resolution, as a sub
,titute, directing the Committee on Privi-
eyes and Elections to investigate certain
allegations that have been made through