The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1881-04-30
SPEECH Of
HON. L. @. c. LAMAR.


session. The President of the Unite,
States called us together on the 4th day o
March. We are here, as part of thu
treaty-making department of the Govern
ment and also as u part of the executive
department. We were called here for the
purpose of adjusting our relations with
foreign nations and confirming appoint.
ments nominated by the President. This,
and this alone, is the business for which
this body was convened. 1t is here in nc
legislative capacity, but simply, | repeat
as branch of the treaty-making and eX-
and yet, sir, though that long time has
elapsed, this body has scarcely entered
upon the discharge of the business which
it was called specially TO consider.
This attitude of the Senate is an exit IL
ordinary one and has no precedent in the
history of this country. 1t is the result OF
a determination of thirty-eight Senators,
aided by the Vice-President, not to allow
it was called to consider until it shall first
disorganize the Senate as it now stands,
and to reorganize it with reference to GER
tain party ends, which will endeavor to
disclose.
repeat, sir, that the announcement has
been made that the business for which this
body has been cOnyOked shall not be en-
tered upon until certain officers OF the
Senate are depOsed and certain other per-
sons named in resolution on the Clerks
desk shall be installed in their places
and so determined is this purpose that
from day to day these thirty-eight Senators
go through the form of attempting to do
what is manifest they cannot do, and then
persistently refuse to do what il Is manifest
they can do, what they were called here to
do, what is their constitutional duty to do,
and what they admit the pressing interests
of the country require them to do.
Not only that, sir, but il report be true,
and it is nowhere denied, they intend to
continue this state of things Indefinitely.
One Senator, the Senator from Pennsyl-
yania, (Mr. CamerOn,) declared that the
accomplishment of this purpose had be-
come a mere question of endurance, and
he proposed to sit it out. When another
Senator upon this side of the Chamber, in
response to that suggestion. declared that
it was his purpose and that of his associates
to meet that endurance with an equal en-
duranee ON his side even if IL should take
to June or December-the end of the SEES
siOn-another Senator, so intense and pro-
scriptive seems to be this purpose, arose
and said that he regarded that declaration
of purpose by the Senator from Georgia,
(Mr. Brown AS II declaration which con-
nf ,raason "a Tho institutions Of This
VI uu"'o" W '"' '"''''o"' ''''
oo NJ Sro5o,t ,h;s IL o,,vo ,..rs,tio,
win no, s.", J;shnnar;na one for tSn
yana,nr ,,ttar;,,' 4, J;snIa;nai an,, snah IN
tant;on "it' n certo;uix nny re s
'', to-, al, f'In. S.' nr ,h;a
III, IL -; IS ,r,,n 4, Jaroi,,os nnn
,hoso ,h;rty- viz" So,,tors torr;n, ap rnl
.nons;hiiitv n ~ ho moi trno how stands
Ia ,nattar an Win tha Sanator aL;naits
I n,nmns, 20 anai,,,a III ,,rnnns;ti"n nn, -
4 tarp,ino yhntIax II IL ,r,o nr ,,n,r,,o
avhnt H. ~ MAT tSir,,lai',ht Sna,nr,
ana'hoiS nc ma hod, oyo do,orm,inaj
hat hnrorn Tho busin,oss for vvh;ah III
senate ' was calied Shall be nrncoedeJ with
oa,,ai,, aa,aars az III, In, shaiI hn a.
nosed and other nnrsops INT I"" in tbair
places and when noticc IL gIiven that tha
hi rty-airht Sanatars mon s,his ida ' viii MI
~. ~. ~. - - ~ r. IL
a', ro,o,, 10, !, ranr, -, ~ 20 ,nny
'a,,ppr v' r,',o oP;,Js Lnd,, ~ a"o p ia
'hat H. yoroi,,t;on anJ ,roa!s1, IN ;ts mn mr.
,nse and ebaractar '" :" ''' Pun
" here H. Tho eIeme,t of treosop mr. rovo-
hat II Tho Sana,n n,as disor,,..,i,o or
.ather nnorgoni1ed ar tbero Sere ya,,o.
les in The ottiees' Instead of heine rnIiv
,ollippeI and prepared TO proceed with
,Iisiness as IL now Is. opposition 10 the
fling of those vacancies protracted TO the
nd Of the session would be factious, UNI
PATRIOTIC. reprehensible but such is not
he ease here. THE senate is fully eo,iipped
n every respect: its clerks are at the desk
Is Sergeant-at.Arms is at his post and |
he pages and messengers are all alert i'm |
he performance of their duties.
1 can very well see that during A session |
T important amendments were To be made |
r treaties to be negotiated. or If other
hings were to be done, and a minority |
bo,ild announce its purpose that none Of |
hese things should be done until The eypi-
,ould place itself before the country in a |
osition of factions partisanship. But
ere nothing of that Kind exists. II is
mply A proposition upon the one side by
,irtv-eiGht memhers one-baIf of this
ody' that the whole senate shall nroccod
, Tie discharge of the business for which
was called together and which every
enator upon the door admits il TO be liz
an stitutional dutv to attend 10 and wbich
resting urgency.
Mr. President. think of IL ono moment
ve arc charged with announcino a doc
inc renlete with the eIements ~ treason
nj reyaintion for making motions AGAINST
HIGH moi even a NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. noint oS
rder will lie treason and REVOLUTION for
,aking nations with reference 10 which
M even n narlimentarv innIirv can he
ado
I hall NOT nursue this s,hio,t ,nv f,r-
- ~, aprnaaa,i ~ 80 - o.l,irayI. ,,',,
',r IL ps,; ~ oo W '.;., ~
~ " -. w a., ,I;s ,i,,, a., ,d hs ,1
r,,la ~ ~ III in,i,i nd III ,'ri,oi,,, W
~ Gons,;,',,io, ;,,isaJ P.'aI,isi
~, So os.,or a. ~, 'hava ,iana, II,,o,, ,hs
,ss p1"; a ,Ia n uva I'LL, SpJJn 'so
~ wy" ~ ~, ,,,a,, =, s,,,a,',,, 4, s
'oIs rnor ov IN sona o. LIZ Ne rnaad;ras
~ ,, "p ;,., '.o,i,a ~, -, M
nc, ha ,s,t,ad rhoir uppn 'i - s s,,
';ned hv he ,,nSrouan ,,s,sos -, ,ho hody
III 49, ~ H. ,arr ,ar,,s ~ tha nroeIy
~, Nh ~ ~. nno ~ ~ hora '"' P''''
a srio VII. n,,ia nv. -, r,
,nds ~" ,,3;, 1n ,nn 80, W. 10. ~ ~
IN ~ VII I, 'ny ~. E'o,,,t,a WI!
e,,,a ' i,,,;a H., ,,,, r;S,ht -, az
'op a,,r ,,iR;so seesD;oa anJ
~ III, 80 h,ii,oi s,,S ,.arai,,.aJ 30
~, yV'y - s'd ~ "a hns;nnss GngtIon,av
i, t ~ an ~ liz .s;r,v",,,h, ,,an,,nr.
~ J' In .n, ia W. p,as;iay, sSish ~ ra'
u w oy ~. ,,.o,s III nm, 49, a., .nd
=, ~, ~, ,,, ~ .sa ,ri,as
az. .' IT, so III, ia,.;t,, 90 az say,
1,ss ss "eh H. s,t,oars 4, H. ~
80, ~ ~, ,,,;,aa;,s ILL.,. 4, 30 ha dona
~ ~ 'ne n ~ sny a. =. ~ " ,s"o
!. raas,;,,pi,;o,, ,anno, ,a,anr n, this