DES MOINES, Feb. 8.
Each House had a single session to-day, and consequently the amount of business to take note of is not great. In the Senate an attempt was made by the opponents of the bank note bill to pass a bill for the receipt of U. S. demand notes. Their object was to divide the original bill and make the question of receiving the issues of the State Bank come up by itself. They hoped in this way to kill that part of the bill; and it is more than probable that could they separate the question, the State [Bank] Notes would not be received. But they failed to pass the bill to a third reading, and it is made the special order for some day next week. An attempt to amend it by inserting the issues of the State Bank – failed by a vote of 19 for and 20 against. This shows how evenly the parties are divided. Some members are, however absent with the understanding that the bill will not be acted upon until their return. – When they all return, as they doubtless will before Wednesday next, it is thought the original bill will pass. It will be a close vote however.
The House as to-day engaged in a general quarrel over resolutions bearing upon federal politics. Yesterday I wrote you of a rather warm time on the same subject.
Mr. Hardie, of Dubuque, almost the first thing in the morning, offered a resolution stating, as usual, that whereas we have all confidence in the ability of Abraham Lincoln to conduct the war on a constitutional basis; therefore: we will in the future frown down all attempts to agitate the question in this House. Thus, you see, after stating that the Republicans are constantly bringing up the negro, he was the first to lug him in to-day. This is a fair sample of the way the Democrats try to keep this sable subject out of Congress and out of State Legislatures. After considerable sparring the resolution was referred to the committee of the whole House, which is to sit next Wednesday evening.
Then followed a second resolution by Mr. Mitchell, of Fremont, stating that we will discuss matters relating to Federal politics only in evening sessions and in committee of the whole House. By this time the radical Republicans had become somewhat indignant, and expressed in decided terms their determination to be bound by no resolutions of the kind, but to be left free to express their sentiments without restraint upon whatever subjects might come before the House. The resolution could not pass.
Mr. Rothrock, of Cedar, then thought he would test the sincerity of the Democrats. He offered a resolution, stating that we endorse the war policy of the President, including his suspension of the writ of habeas corpus and the act of calling out the troops before the extra session of Congress. He told the Democrats they had been so forward in endorsing the policy of the President that he was anxious to have some specification. He said he had fought them in the canvass, but if they were now willing to come up fair and square, and endorse all the acts of the President, he was quite willing to extend to them the right hand of fellowship.
Mr. Young moved to amend by adding to the specifications the arrest of Jones and Hill, of this State; and the suppression of Northern secession newspapers. The excitement became quite intense at this time, and members were constantly rising to points of order, but it was not easy to confine the speakers to the question before the House. – Pending the consideration of this subject the House adjourned.
There is no doubt that this slavery question must have a complete airing in our State Legislature the present session. Still it is desirable that the discussion should be confined as much as possible to the evening sessions.
Linn county has furnished us with two as radical Republicans as one meets within any State. Messrs. Young and Millburn are both men of nerve, possessed of a manly independence and of the most uncompromising fidelity to their convictions of right. No considerations of policy can sway them from the course their judgment dictates. – No taunts of enemies can force, and no pleadings of friends can lead them, counter to the clear pointings of established principle.
Mr. Young may be considered the leader of the radical Republicans. He is a young lawyer of good ability and sterling worth; is chairman of the judiciary committee, and an active, working member. He is an earnest and effective speaker, uttering his sentiments as though he fully believed them, and as though in uttering them he were not seeking to please other people, but his own conscience rather. In listening to him, you can but feel that an earnest conviction of duty impels him. Such a man is an honor to any legislative body. His position once taken, you know just where to find him. You can rely upon him with the confident assurance that whatever influences surround him, to whatever extent bribery and corruption may abound, he will not waver.
J. R. C.
– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Wednesday Morning, February 12, 1862, p. 1
Each House had a single session to-day, and consequently the amount of business to take note of is not great. In the Senate an attempt was made by the opponents of the bank note bill to pass a bill for the receipt of U. S. demand notes. Their object was to divide the original bill and make the question of receiving the issues of the State Bank come up by itself. They hoped in this way to kill that part of the bill; and it is more than probable that could they separate the question, the State [Bank] Notes would not be received. But they failed to pass the bill to a third reading, and it is made the special order for some day next week. An attempt to amend it by inserting the issues of the State Bank – failed by a vote of 19 for and 20 against. This shows how evenly the parties are divided. Some members are, however absent with the understanding that the bill will not be acted upon until their return. – When they all return, as they doubtless will before Wednesday next, it is thought the original bill will pass. It will be a close vote however.
The House as to-day engaged in a general quarrel over resolutions bearing upon federal politics. Yesterday I wrote you of a rather warm time on the same subject.
Mr. Hardie, of Dubuque, almost the first thing in the morning, offered a resolution stating, as usual, that whereas we have all confidence in the ability of Abraham Lincoln to conduct the war on a constitutional basis; therefore: we will in the future frown down all attempts to agitate the question in this House. Thus, you see, after stating that the Republicans are constantly bringing up the negro, he was the first to lug him in to-day. This is a fair sample of the way the Democrats try to keep this sable subject out of Congress and out of State Legislatures. After considerable sparring the resolution was referred to the committee of the whole House, which is to sit next Wednesday evening.
Then followed a second resolution by Mr. Mitchell, of Fremont, stating that we will discuss matters relating to Federal politics only in evening sessions and in committee of the whole House. By this time the radical Republicans had become somewhat indignant, and expressed in decided terms their determination to be bound by no resolutions of the kind, but to be left free to express their sentiments without restraint upon whatever subjects might come before the House. The resolution could not pass.
Mr. Rothrock, of Cedar, then thought he would test the sincerity of the Democrats. He offered a resolution, stating that we endorse the war policy of the President, including his suspension of the writ of habeas corpus and the act of calling out the troops before the extra session of Congress. He told the Democrats they had been so forward in endorsing the policy of the President that he was anxious to have some specification. He said he had fought them in the canvass, but if they were now willing to come up fair and square, and endorse all the acts of the President, he was quite willing to extend to them the right hand of fellowship.
Mr. Young moved to amend by adding to the specifications the arrest of Jones and Hill, of this State; and the suppression of Northern secession newspapers. The excitement became quite intense at this time, and members were constantly rising to points of order, but it was not easy to confine the speakers to the question before the House. – Pending the consideration of this subject the House adjourned.
There is no doubt that this slavery question must have a complete airing in our State Legislature the present session. Still it is desirable that the discussion should be confined as much as possible to the evening sessions.
Linn county has furnished us with two as radical Republicans as one meets within any State. Messrs. Young and Millburn are both men of nerve, possessed of a manly independence and of the most uncompromising fidelity to their convictions of right. No considerations of policy can sway them from the course their judgment dictates. – No taunts of enemies can force, and no pleadings of friends can lead them, counter to the clear pointings of established principle.
Mr. Young may be considered the leader of the radical Republicans. He is a young lawyer of good ability and sterling worth; is chairman of the judiciary committee, and an active, working member. He is an earnest and effective speaker, uttering his sentiments as though he fully believed them, and as though in uttering them he were not seeking to please other people, but his own conscience rather. In listening to him, you can but feel that an earnest conviction of duty impels him. Such a man is an honor to any legislative body. His position once taken, you know just where to find him. You can rely upon him with the confident assurance that whatever influences surround him, to whatever extent bribery and corruption may abound, he will not waver.
J. R. C.
– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Wednesday Morning, February 12, 1862, p. 1
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