Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-10-15
PATRICK woods
FRENCH, 10 the Bar Of the Housr for A.
snuIting, IN Richmond, Va, Congress
man " bo tBsnIied His Race.

man " no iBsuIted His Race.
Especial dispatch to the Cincinnati Enquircr.I
WASHINGTON, ID. c.. October 10, 1884.
sTRAINrsG THE QUESTION or PRIVILEGE.
Mr.. Rlaine's connection in early life with
the Know. Nothing organ Of the State OF
Maine, and his mole recent connection
with the infamous Madigan circular, IN
which religious preludices against the
Catholics was attempted by him to be uti-
lied for bis party purposes, is in perfect
oecord with his own general record and
the sentiments Of the New England Re-
pubicans. who have constantly asserted
that the Irish and Germans were on low.
or plane Of civilization than the negroes
This has been their usual reply to Demo.
Gratis from the South who complained OF
The evils OF negro suffrage and negro rule
in the southern 1t ties.
The case Of Patrick Woods, an Irish citi-
zen OF Richmond, Va, in May. 1870. Illus
trates perfectly the tenor OF Blaine's feel.
ings and those OF his present ally Ben.
Butler. The Richmond district was then
represented IN Congress by Charles III.
Porter. one OF the horde OF carpet-bag mis-
croants who infested the South in those
days. Porter. in a public speech prior to
his election, said that the negroes were su-
perior 10 the dirty Irish and Dutch. This
led Woods 10 make an attack on Porter on
the streets OF Richmond. AT time while he
was absent from Congress on leave. How
ever richly meTited the punishment for
this vile language may have been, Woods
ad nevertheless committed an assault and
battery, for which he was promptly arrested
and held for punishment by the Virginia
tribunals Of justice.
This, however, did not suit the Republic
can majority Of the House OF Representa-
tlves. OF which Blline. Butler. and Bing-
ham were the types. They took the extra
ordinary position that all ordinary ARRAY or
assault in the city Of Richmond was VIOLA
ton Of TIE privileges OF the House OF Repre-
sentatives. SO Pat Woods was arrested by
virtue OF q telegram Of the Sergcant-at-
Arms, the writ OF hdbeGS corpus OF the
Virginia Court set at naught, and this Irish
man Of muscle and hot blood brought
TO Washington city and 10 the bar
Of the House for the Speaker, James G..
Blaine, Of Maine, 10 "fiX him with his gilt
tering eye." Randall and Kerr in vain
tried 10 intcrpOse. Woods was ordered of,
not TO trial by jury, but TO sort OF Star
Chamber inquest before the House Judi
ciary Committee, OF which Bingham was
the ruling spirit. This COMMITTEE reported
q resolution TO imprison Woods for three
months.
The whole proceeding was SIMPLY
piece OF Republican hostility TO Irish
Democrats. There was nothing to show
that Woods ever intended the slightest Dis
respect TO the House or interference with
its sessions, duties, or prerogatives. lie
did not even know, as he testified on oath,
that Porter was a member OF the House.
\ l.. hnEVrNar PDrtpr
fouliy slandcred his race and nationality.
and he had tired 10 get even by giving him
good drubbing.
In the course Of the debate the most au- |
dacious assumptions were made by Butler. |
Bingham, and other Republicans in respect |
TO The sacredness OF the persons OF men, |
bers. The musty precedants OF the House |
Of Commons OF Imperial England in the 1
days OF arbitrary power and class distinc- |
tiOns were ransacked and invoked to give /
the odor OF sanctity and iny0labilty TO |
persons OF the carpet baggers and other /
Republican members OF the House every |
where aud under all circumstances. such |
Democrats as Eldndge, Cox. Woodward, !
Kerr, and Potter warmly disputed the |
existence Of these ari,tocratic and ar5i- !
trary privileges, but the Radical majority |
were inexoraJlc, and Woods was sent 10 |
jail for three months under the order OF
Dir. Speaker Blaine. Not once did James |
q. Blaine show the slightest evidence that |
he recoiled from the folly and rage OF his
party associates for this poor, Ignorant
freshman. His bias in the chair was
against the prisoner. As matter OF fact
there is no doubt that Blaine aud his party
were really in full sympathy with the de-
Togatory and offensive remarks that Porter
made about the Dutch and llish being III
ferior 10 the negroes.
II Blaine had been opposed to this high
handed proceeding he could have broken 1t
up as easily as he did the effort to interfere
with the land grant Of the Little Rock rail
road. II was only following out the old
line and tenor OF his political life when, as
Secretary OF State, he allowed McSwecney
and other Irshmen TO rot IN British
iails without trial or even n statement
Of the offences with which they were
charged. Indeed, II he had protested
against these proceedings OF the British
Government il would have been an easy
matter for that Government to reply to
him by referring him to the ease OF Patrick
Woods, who had been tried and punished
without jury trial, and the writ OF hdbedS
corpus cOntemptVOusly set at naught and
violated by Mr.. Blaine and his party
friends. i'm the teeth OF the Constitution
which they swore TO support. Ben. Butler
was one OF the most bitter OF those who
bounded on this proceeding against an
Irish citizen OF the United states, and he
knew well the whole time that he was VIC
lating the Constitution TO punish Woods
for rcsenting an insult TO the Irish race.