The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1881-04-30

this extraordinary action and the cXtraoI
binary delay which it has produced.
What then is the reason why these gen
tlemen insist upon subordinating the fllin
of the vacancies in the judicial system 0
the country, of appointing minister
abroad, of perfecting our treaties with for
eign nations, to the single and sole purpos
of turning out few officers admitted to b.
competent and efficient and putting II
Others whose competency and efficiency ar
| yet to be testedi
What is the reason? 1t certainly canno
be in reward for distinguished political ser
vices to the party, which, ! believe, is tn
doctrine of another school of republican
politicians, for the most prominent gentle
men proposedto be put in that position arr
men who have signalized their talents ant
their activity in opposition to that party
not only in the last campaign upon whicl
| the republican and democratic parties mel
in conflict, but also in the preceding cam
paign, where the nominated candidate fol
the Secretaryship supported other banners
and other candidates than those undcl
which the republican organization Of hi,
state was mustered. Upon the contrary, il
the beginning of this debate Senator who
avOws himself responsible for the nomina
| ton of one of these gentlemen upon THU
floor announced himself not republican
but an independent. He declared himself
| to be Il better democrat than my friend
from Georgia MIR. Hill himself, but that h,
was an independent, and would not sup.
port the democratic nominations or bt
bound by Il Democratic caucus, although II
appears that he is perfectly willing to bt
bOund-no, sir, not to be bound by, but tC
bind in shackles and manacles the repub
lican caucus. So then it cannot be for the
purpose of rewarding political service that
this extraordinary position, this eXtraOrdi-
| nary delay has been superinduced.
| The question grows in urgency What
is the pressing and all-contrOlling reason OF
public policy or of public interest that
| puts us in this extraordinary attitude oil
inactivity and inaction? IL certainly can
not be-any great zeal in behalf of loyalty
to the Union. That is often rallying cry
| and n justification for many extraordinary
measures. 1t is not proposed to put gen.
tlemen out who were infected with the her
esy of secession id order 10 put in others
who have been distinguished for their 10y
atty, for il l mistake not the title of one OF
these candidates to our confidence and suf-
frages as presented by his sponsor on this
floor Is that he was captain of cavalry and
did gallant service i'm the Confederate army.
l Know there is Il distinction drawn and
repeatedly drawn by Senators on the other
side, that while they will condonc and for
give connection and implication with Sc
cessiOn and the secession movement, they
will not do it, they will not grasp hands
''across the bloody chasm," or any chasm,
with any man connected with that move
ment who will not confess his sins, profess
repentance, and admit that he was wrong
and they were right. But, sirs, that cannot
be the motive here, inasmuch AS the Senator
who brings forward one of these candi-
dates and avows his responsibility for him,
also avowed upon this floor that he was
true to the Confederate cause, did it service
upon the plains of Virginia, and that he has
no apologies to offer for it here or else
where.
Now, sir, while this stubborn, intense,
inflexble, unyielding determination to put
these gentlemen into office before any Of
great Interests of this country can be at
tended to by this body. evinces on the part
of these gentlemen wholesome and salu-
tary advance in liberal sentiment, II does
not furnish, i think, an adequate motive
for the zeal, for the determination to sub
ordinate every other great interest Of the
country to this single object.
Then, sir, what is the motive; what is
the objecty There must be something.
What is it? Why do you not tell your
reason Tor ity i challenge you, gentlemen,
/ defy you to announce it; ! taunt you to
the avowal of it. 1t certainly cannot be,
do not believe it is, from any sympathy
with the accursed doctrine Of reputation
which all of you have so often held up to
tribes of the earth. l know that no SEN
ators upon that side have any sympathy with
that doctrine. They have already, those of
them who have spoken, repudiated repu-
diatiOn, in the most unmistakable and em-
phatic language. u
Then, if 1t be neither civil service reform,
nor the reward of political service, nor the
conformation Of service to the cause Of Sc
cession, nor any newborn love of repudi-
alton, what Is your motive for holding
this body here away from the discharge OF
its exalted duties upon mere question OF
the distribution of u few offices! Well,
sir, although not avowed, the true reason
has been disclosed i'm one way or another.
it appears that there was schism In the
Democratic party of Virginia. 1t also APP
pears that the majority section of that
party, the section that controlled the or
ganizatiOn, did in conjunction with the
public creditors make q settlement of the
debt of that Commonwealth acceptable TO
both that they stood for the discharge of
public obligations and the preservation Of
the plighted faith of that grand and glor-
ous old Commonwealth. 1t appears that
mother wing dissented from the regular
raised the banner of revolt
against, it and against the public creditors
If the State, denouncing the bill upon
which they had settled as "a brokers' BILL"
md proposing to settle upon other terms
only to themselves.
At this point message in writing was
received from the President Of the United
States through Mr.. Q. L. Pruden, one Of
lis secretaries.l
was saying that a division had taken |
place in the Democratic party OF Virginia
hat majority of that party, constituting |
Is regular organization, had, standing up |
IN the doctrine of inviolable public faith,
ettlcd the debt upon terms acceptable to |
he creditors of the State, and that see |
ion of that party had bOlted and raised |
he banner of revolt against that settle |
nent, and had by a combination with the |
legrO voters of that State, taking them in |
arge part away from their Republican
eaders, defeated the Democratic party and |
rot possession of the Legislature.
The question has been brought here in |
he distribution of these offices of the SEN
tie, and we find the Republican Senators,
members of this body, by their
ction proclaiming their readiness and viii
ingness to combine with what the whole
country calls the repudiating wing Of the
Democratic party in Virginia.
Now, sir, do not charge those senators
With any sympathy for the reputation
doctrines ascribed to that faction, but do
ay, and L challenge contradiction, that
hey have proclaimed to the country that
whenever any part or section of a party
hall bolt from the Democracy Of South
IN State under the banner OF reputation,
Inder the banner of a refusal to pay the
ublic debt of that State, the Republican
'arty WILL do not say countenance re-
In spite Of IL will embrace
hat repudiating faction, give IL the
trength and support Of its recognition,
nd clothe its leaders with the prizes of
ational offices and emoluments.
Is it not so, sir? Why, sir, what did we
witness a few days agoi The Senator from
Tirginia MR. Johnstonl addressed this