One of the more interesting congressional stories during the Civil War was the expulsion of Jessie D. Bright from the US Senate. Bright, a senator from Indiana, was an active supporter of the Compromise of 1850 and the Kansas-Nebraska bill. After 'secessionitis' became rampant throughout the south, Bright was a key part of the Democratic opposition to the Lincoln administration, being the Senate's senior Democrat. His sympathies for the South were obvious, and this came to a head in March of 1861.
Bright wrote a letter of introduction to Jefferson Davis for a friend travelling to Montgomery, Alabama. This letter referenced Davis as 'President of the Confederation of States.' Since the predominant view of Congress was a South in rebellion against the Union, this form of address seemed to recognize Jefferson Davis as the leader of a nation. This empowered Bright's enemies (including abolitionist senators Charles Sumner and Morton Wilkinson) to strike, leading a campaign to convince other senators of his conflicting loyalties. On February 5, 1862, the Senate successfully expelled Bright and effectively ended his political career. It was a shocking reversal for a powerful senator with 16 years of experience in Congress.
No comments:
Post a Comment