The south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1879-1883, 1883-01-09
Hen. ]. Proctor ..Knott.

hte kNirticiuHu uUo scTFcu Uid Cohs
sii'lency in Congress twelve years,
anil II Is perhaps not too much 10 say
that no Representative from Ken.
lucky ever made record more hon.
orable to himself or more creditable
TO his native State. Trained in the
old Democratic school Of strict con.
struction, and identified with the
common mass of his fellow citizens
by birth, by fortune, by association
and sympathy, his career has boon dis
tinguished, not only by the sternest,
fidelity to the constitution of his
country, but an able and fearless adj
vocacy Of the interests of the people,
against every encroachment OF rero.
lutiOnary factions, every scheme OF
corruption, and every demand of ex.
traysgance, willis not even breath OF
suspicion has ever furnished his pub.
liz nr private character.
lie was admitted to a seat in the
Fortieth Congress in 1851; he was
placed at the loot of the committe
on Mines and INNINGS, but this OBJ.
scure assignment did not prevent
him from speedily asserting his supe-
riority IN tho new arena to which lie
had been chosen. His first speech
was in favor OF the admission OF his
colleague, Hon. Jno. Young Brown
TO his seat, which for purity of die
ton, cogency OF reasoning and accu'
racy of learning has rarely been
equaled In any forum and which
placed him in the front rank of con-
stitutional lawyers in the House.
Ills next effort was in opposition to
Mr.. Stevens suffrage bill, which
showed him as much at home in the
broad field OF statesmsnship, as in the
moro limited sphere of legal discus
sion. His masterpiece, however, was
EN- argument delivered during the
second session Of the .Fortielh Con.
gress,-in opposition to bill to pun
ish ex.Confederate soldiers for hold.
ing Office State or Federal, without
having been relieved by Congress
from their so. calel disabilities, which
won for him the highest encomiums
of tho scholars and jurists of the
country, and which has been pro-
nounced by competent critics as one
OF the most remarkable specimens OF
forensic logic in our language.
In the Forty first Congress Mr..
Knott was placed upon the commit
tees OF the District of Columbia, and
PrivateLand Clsims,in both of which
he rendered valuable service to the
country by his resistance OF numcr-
Gus schemes of extravaganza and cor,
rup,ien. In this Congress he deliy-
cred his celebrated Duluth" speech
which not only made his name a
household word among English
speaking people every where, but has
been translated Sinto almost every
language in Europe. Yet remarka-
bic as that famous effort is universal.
ly admitted to be, Mr.. Knott had on.
ly the session before delivered a
speech on the wasteful extravaganza
OF Congress, which although far loss
celebrated, is thought by many TO be
fully equal, ifnot superior 10 il, moi
: only in beauty Of diction, but in the
pungency Of its satire, and the bril-
liancy of its wit. Those two speeche s
did more than anything else to call
popular attention to the recklessness
of public expenditures, and to arrest
he proniSacy Oh the period
Upon the organization Of tho For.
ty-fonrth Congress, Mr., Speaker Kerr
appointed Mr.. Kuott Chairman OF
the Judiciary committee, and well do
the legislative annals of that memo
rable period attest the wisdom OF that
choice. His lucid and lawyer.like
arguments in relation TO the dis,ribu-
ton Of the Geneva award, his mas
terly defense of the Jurisdiction OF
the Senate on the impeachment of
Secretary Belknap, or in fact almost
any of his numerous reports as Chair
man of the committee would have
been sufficient TO sustain his already
well earned reputation, but 1t was
upon the various, exciting and mo-
mentary questions growing out OF
tho count of the Electoral vote, that
he became most eonspicuously dis.
tinguished, and 1t is perhaps not
going too far to soy, that had his
counsels prevailed, our country would
not have been disgraced by the pres.
ence of fraudulent usurper in its
chief executive Magistracy. Thor.
oughly convinced not only that the
go called Electoral bill would result,
defeating the will of the people, as
expressed at the polls, but was most
dangerous violation of the Constitu.
tion. Mr.. Knott opposed its passage
n one of the ablest speeches of his
life, refusing even TO vote for any Of
the so-called commissioners, or tc
take any part whatever in organizing
the machinery by which 1t was to be
carried out.
AS an indication of the estimate
which is placed upon the ability and
l integrity of Mr.. Knott by those &C