Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-04-06
Senator Malone and His Assistants.

We give below an epitome OF Senator Mahone's
reply to those southern senators who have de-
nounced him for his alliance with the republicans
| In the organization OF the senate For the pur-
pose Of showing the relation OF himself and his
| colleague TO the various questions which have ag-
itated Virginia, he reviewed the political history
Of the Old Dominion for the past ten years, en-
livening the record by many pointed and sarcas
tic comments upon the career and opinions Of SEN
ator Johnston. lie said; "senators should be
willing TO deal with their constituents answer
for mine. To him that would nsinuate that my
action in regard to the organization Of the COM
mttee Of this body and the proposed election OF
officers has been controlled by impure considera-
tons land am 10th to believe that any senator
has 30 intended), in the language OF another say
III thou sayest I am not peer
To any lord Of Scotland here,
Highland or iowland, far near,
Lord Angus, thou hast led.'
| Now permit me TO say that senators can no
more realize my regret than they can measure
my amazement that my colleague (Johnston)
| should have felt it incumbent on himself to join
the assaulting column in this chamber. He first
introduces the question OF my political consis-
tency, or, II he prefers inconsistency, and next
| he would introduce me TO this honorable body
not as his colleague, but as a repudiator Of public
obligations. The sense OF justice OF my fellow
senators renders 1t necessary for me to apologize
| for noticing my colleagues criticism on the one
| hand and his perversons on the other. However
| much he and his cohorts may endeavor by the
cheap logic Of the attorney to demonstrate what
| ought to be, | am by my convictions and my
| sense Of honor what ! am. In this partic-
ular I have largely the advantage OF my
colleague; for, II take him by his record,
diminutive as it is, he neither knows what he is
nor what duty he came here to perform" Senator
Malone gave an exhaustive history Of the fnan-
cial affairs of Virginia during the last decade, the
| substance Of which was given edtorially in the
wATcBMAN Of March 23d. lie called upon the
senators from West Virginia to tell the country
what that state had done with reference to the
payment Of one-third OF the debt contracted by
the commonwealth OF Virginia He criticised the
action Of his colleague In not defending the peo-
pie Of Virginia from the accusation that they were
dshonorabe, -dishonorable, too, in the opinion
| Of men who represented states which by arbitrary
legislation has reduced their debts from s243, 000,
900 to SS4,OOO,0O0. Paying his respects to Mr..
Voorhees,, he inquired how that gentleman found
it compatible with his principles to associate with
states that had "repudated," but not "read-
| justed" He had never heard Mr.. Riddleberger
express favorable opinion even Of the views Of
| the senator from Indiana on the national debt.
| He also quoted from John W. Daniel, one OF the
leaders Of the Bourbon party in Virginia, denounc-
| ing the iniqutous measures Of federal finances
and proposing to reverse them. As TO the senator
| from Georgia (Mr. Brown, who seemed TO be
| so much troubled about readjustment, he ques-
toned whether the world had ever, produced a
man who could so readily readjust himself to all
conditions and all circumstances. That gentle
man had got ahead Of the people and OF the dem
ocratic party Ia the effort to dissolve the Union,
and the first governor In the south to confs-
cate private property in the courts of Savannah,
and seize Fort Pulaski before the act OF secession
Rumor had 1t that the presidency Of the confeder
ate states was the gentlemans object at that time
| In the struggle that ensued, he (Mr. Brown was
earnest for the cause until its fortunes began to
waver, and then abandoned it with his militia
After the war; he was next heard OF in the
| Chicago republican convention. In fact, that
gentleman might say, with the poet laureate's
brook:
| "Men may and men may go,
But go on forever"
He was next heard of as a radical candidate for
the United States senate, but was beaten by a
more moderate republican-the late Joshua Hill.
He next appeared as the appontee of the carpet
bag governor Of Georgia the prince of carpet
baggers, Bullock-to the office of chief justice of
that state, which position he subsequently re-
signed to take the presidency OF railroad COM
pany. Now that gentleman was here as the leader
of the democratic party, and his explanation was
hat had I'D at.,,,
doned him, but that now it had righted itself and
rallied on his (Mr. Browns) grand reserve Of I'M
dying and Interchangeable principles. That gentle
man had alluded to "rumors Of bargain" II
| there were any truth in those rumors then he
Mr.. Mahone) was indebted, for any advantage
he might draw from 1t, to the fact that the sena-
tor from Georgia did not know Of the opportunity.
On that point he INT Mahone) would answer all
the inueudoes OF senators distinctly and gravely.
and with due regard to the dignity and decorum
OF the senate. He hurled back with scorn and
contempt every imputation that his action had
been induced by any other consideration than
that Of the promotion OF his peoples interests and
Of the welfare Of the whole country. He might
occupy the senate for an hour with rumors as to
the manner in which the senator from Georgia
| (Mr. Brown got TO the senate and the gentleman
should learn from that fact the valuable lesson
that every senator should be left to adjust his
| accounts with his constituents He avowed his
responsibility proud responsibility-for the
| introduction of Mr.. Rddleberger's name as a
candidate for office, but professed his readiness to
withdraw that name IL it were true las report had
| it) that democratic senators would then withdraw
their opposition to the election of officers OF the
| senate He admitted the correctness of the news
paper statement read last Saturday by the senator
from Kentucky INT. Beck Ms to the speech Of the
colored delegate Moss and the motion for his
| expulsion made by Mr.. Riddleberger, and he pro-
| ceeded 10 explain that matter, intmatng that II
the motive for expulsion had been on account Of
| color, the senator would probably have regarded
| the motion AS recommendation to Mr.. Riddle
| berger. This opposition to- Mr. Riddleberger
was in view OF the coming election In Virginia
1t WAS the desire to uphold Bourbonism there; 1t
was the desire to uphold party which, while
openly processing obedience to the constitution,
held by mental reservation purposes hostile to the
constitution; it was to uphold party there which
did not believe in the right Of the freedman to
| vote it was to uphold party that while nom
inay accepting the Cincinnati platform, in which
a full vote free ballot and an honest count had
been demanded, has introduced a constitutional
amendment requiring that no man should cast
paid capitation tax. This effort was to uphold
| party which defed the democratic creed and
which had undertaken. by methods OF indirect
ness, to disfranchise the colored man. That was
the purpose, and whether his colleague had voted
for that DISTINGUISHING clause he could not speak
| He (Mahone) had never given that doctrine his
assent either in public or at the ballot-box For
| one, he wanted no political serfs in Virginia He
wanted no longer any condition Of personal servi-
tude He asserted the right, sacred to all men. OF
| free, untrammeed ballot, priceless ballot, and
whatever might be the professions OF gentlemen
on that subject, he stood prepared here on this
| floor by the courage Of the men who were behind
him at home, to assure the country that In Vir-
gnia at least there should be a free suffrage, a
priceless suffrage full vote and an honest
count. He stood here to guarantee the en-
| forcement OF the laws by the brave men
who stood at his back In the cause OF freedom.
| He would tell senators that his friend Riddle
calculated, and would survive any record nvesti-
CATION. The record refuted the statement that he
| (Mr Mahone) had been elected by the Bourbon
funding party. He had been the candidate OF
| the people, who had nominated him at the polls
| by majority OF over twenty thousand In an cleo
| ton where the senatorship had been made an is
| sue. He knew OF no consideration which could
| have induced him to take seat in this senate or
| to have held any place at the hands Of the Bour-
bon funding party Of Virginia He was under no
| obligations 10 II or its champions here or else
| where. His allegiance, under God, was to his
country, and his first duty 10 the people Of Vir-
| GINA 1t was true the readjusting party had in
| structed Its electors for Hancock and English but
1t was equally true that it had forborne and pur-
| posey forborne from instructing for those candi-
| dates as the nominees of the democratic party.
lie referred to the manner OF his election, assert
| ing that there had been combinations against
| him, and that the democratic party, which, like
| Caesars wife, stood above suspicion, had been
willing to trade a seat In the United States SEN
| ate for few country offices II that was the
| democracy that the gentlemen on the other side
loved, none OF II for him. The purpose Of the re-
adjusters was to stay the retrograde movement OF
/ b.l. .lNar