The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-10-28
SENATOR'S EXPELLED
I DURING CIVIL WAR
~ THE WINTER or 1861 kESOi.O
TIONS WE'RE INTRODUCED
AFrECTING SEVEN.

New York rimes; pcmands from va.
.inus organizations and individuals ia
d,nertnt parts of the country for the
oxrulsion 81 Senator Ia <ptru- and
oiher membt'rs cf congress Tor their
antiwar activities haVe not aroused
more. than an academic interest In
Warrington az yet. but many members
have been putting Ia spare moments In
Auntlng through the records for expul
SION cases az the past.
a is In the records of the second scs-
sion OF the Thirty-seventh congress that
tho search for expulsion cases Is most
fruitful That was the session az the
Civli war congress beginning on pecem-
her 2. 1861. the session corresponding
IN relative time. 60 the session Of the
,fcsent war congress that viii begin on
the first Monday Of next December.
IN the winter of 1861, resolutions
,serc introduced for the expulsion of
seven senators and two members Of the
house The house got "a the work first.
On the opening day OF the session IL
expelled Representative John ". Reid
uf Missouri. who had taken up arms
AGAINST the Union. Two days later Rep
reseniaiivc Henry &. I;urnett of Ken
iucily wJ-s expelled Tor being "in open
rebellion" and presiding over meetings
IN his state that were In sympathy with
The south
One Resigned.
l,f the seven senators under FIRE at
that session three were expelled hy
unanimous vote. ene by a vote Of 3s TO
"A in No ~
arired two -thirtis--enc was allowed 20
seslgr. and I'm the case ot the other two,
the votes in favor OF expulsion were too
small
Senator James v. Simmons OF RHODE |
ISLAND WAS the member who was al |
sowc9 to resign. There was nothing in !
siis case which fits any phase of the sit. |
uatinn today. He was accused OF an
ducing the war department to purchase |
80 600 breechlcading rifles and OF re-
eeiving $4,000 from the makers Of the |
riiics for his services.
Senators John. C. breckenridge Of |
Kentucky and Waldo T.. Johnson OF |
Missouri were expelled very early in 1
the Session. and with practically no
debate because they were In the Con
federate army.
In the case of Senator Trusten Polk
Or Missouri. who was expelled by unan-
imous vote on January 10. 1862. the
Observation-Disclosures n md
something more nearly approaching
conditions now prevailing. Polk worked
q gainst the war and the Union 10y
means Of propaganda and by aiding Sc
ccseion newspapers.
<.fN in. 1
ncs.ta introduced a resolution for the
expulsion az Senator Lazarus W. Pow
eii Of Kentucky. Powell han spught in
vain against the expulsion OF his col
league, breckenridge. earlier in tse sns-
s.S4. bat wnen 1sfs ewH turn came tst
fight TO retain his seat his most bitter
was his new colleague. Sena
tor Garrett Davis of Kentucky. a strong
Union man. who had been elected by the
Kentucky Legislature to succeed Breck-
eniidge.
Failed tO Expei Powell. |,
The resolution against Powell was
,asod on the charge that i'm June of
SCI after eleven states had voted to
;ecede from the Union. he had presided
It o big meeting of sympathizers with
he Confederacy at Henderson. KY. This
Meeting adopted resolutions denouncing ;
Lincoln and demanding the
emoval of federal troops from the
outh. Unlike Br,ckenridge.' who was
n camp with his Confederate command
when he was expelled Powell stayed in
Washington and fought against his re- :
noval.
Hy all odds the most curious case was
lat of Senator Jesse ID. Bright of Indi-
,na who was expelled by a vote of 32
@ IN. on February S. 1862. after a long ,
ieht .
Sent Letter 70 Davis.
Bright sent a personal letter to JEFF
erson Davis, president OF the Confed- /,
,Tacy, introducing a friend who wanted
a sssii firearms. This was on March 1,
S5I. senator Bright tried to justify1
his remarkable act by explaining that
he. letter was written before the attack
~ Fort Sumter and that lac did not
hink at the time Of writing IL that
here was going to be war. lie did not
Gem to attach any particular signif-
;ance to the fact that his friend wanted
o sell guns to the Confederate govern
nent but declared that his letter TO
Jefferson Davis was nothing more than
o would have written TO anybody at
NY time anywhere to help friend.
The judiciary committee recommend
ID that the resolution for Bright's ex-
,nlsion should not be passed, but in
his case the committee was overruled
iy the senate.