The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-02-01
To the Bastile.

the 9TH Congressional District Of Virginia to
put the browning outrage upon the revolu-
tionary proceedings of the present Congress.
On Saturday last, when Ger. Anderson and
| ex-Gov Wells, members Of the Returning
Board of Louisiana, were before the. bar OF
the House. to answer for alleged contempt
Of that body, in refusing to answer certain
the privilege Of conference with their COL
leagues, who had just arrived, there was an
evident disposition to refuse the request.
Indications favored their nominal punish
ment, us several members intimated that
that was the proper punishment to intlict.
Judge Harris, however, in virtuous wrath,
did not look so mildly upon the highest po-
litical officers OF q State, and gave it as his
opinion that they should be confined in the
common Jail Of the city, where the riff
raft and scum of the rurlieus and haunts of
vice OF the city are incarcerated. Here were
two gentlemen Of education, refinement, of
high official and social position in their ma
tive State, who, acting under their oatfis Of
office and sense Of official trust, disputed the
authority of Congress to disregard all the
high privileges and rights of sovereign
State, and chose to maintain the dignity and
independence OF the Commonwealth under
| whose great seal they had acted. 1t was an
issue that the most reckless revolutionists
might we'll have paused before supporting.
1t involves the very framework of our po-
ltical fabric, and the State officials who
were there representing the rights of the
State, should have commanded the respect
full consideration OF every member of the
body before which they had been arra;gned.
But Harris dignity had been offended, and
with an imperial wave of the hand he pro-
posed to consgn them to the common jail
| the American Bastile The gentleman, we
think, has vastly overstepped the limits of
prudence, to say the least. Entrenched be-
hind an INSCRIPTIONS majority in Congress,
| he may flatter himself that he will escape
the censure that so outrageous suggestion
calls for. The people Of his district, how
ever, will not be so easily satisfied. When
they remember Mr.. Harris own action in
the Goode-P latt contest, his utter disregard
of the evidence in the case, and the subordi-
nation Of Justice and right to the behests of
! the most reckless partizan bigotry, they may
account for the present position of their
representative, as indicated by his thirst for
political vengeance. Mr.. Harris committee
had reported in favor of Platt. The COM
mittee was composed of q majority OF Demo-
Gratis. Mr.. Harris was the chairman of the
committee. The evidence showed that Platt
had received majority of the votes cast.
But it was predetermined by the political
| marplots of Virginia that Goode must be re-
tanned in his seat. To justify this conclu-
sion, Mr.. Harris had to reject the vote of the
Gosport Navy Yard, upon the grounds of
intimidation or coercion. 1t was mere
pretext. 1t was the yeriest shadow of pre-
tense. Fraud, in almost every form, and
Intimidation of every phase had been prac-
ticed by the friends of Goode. These facts
were known, yet Mr.. Harris, acting under q
| solemn oath, commended that Goode was enti-
| tied to his seat, and partizan Congress sus-
tanned the outrage.
| Mr.. Harris could get up in the Congress
of the United States, and in the capacity Of
chairman of the Committee OH Privileges
aud Elections, declare that Goode should be
seated. because he assumed that men had
voted for Plat rather than lose employment
at the Navy Yard. Had this been true,
there would have been some excuse for his
action, and had not ten-fold more transpar-
ent wrongs been committed by his own
| party friends in the same contest. He could
urge such q reason for favoring q party
fraud, and cody consign to the Bastile two
gentlemen who had thrown out various pre-
cincts because they were controlled by De-
mocratic murders and intimldations without
parallel in the political annals Of the
country. .--s-.., ..--..-l.-..---- e,
/ Whatever the imaginary offence OF Messrs.
Anderson and Wells, for which Mr.. Harris
would assign them a cell in the common
JAIL we venture the assertion they do not
bear any darker faint of wrong-doing than
| Mr.. Harris action in the Goode-Platt con-
| test.
| TO the "common Jail - was q brutal pro-
position, and Mr.. Harris has not heard the
| last OF it.