The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 19, July 1915 - April, 1916 Page: 228
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The Southwestern Historical Quarterly
the opposition succeeded in delaying final action until March 8
when they came within one vote of 'defeating the measure.73
While in a second trial of strength on another matter they came
off victorious. On December 8 the House, by a vote of 50 to 44,74
had made provision for a renewed suspension of the writ of habeas
corpus; but when the bill was presented in the Senate, its oppo-
nents, after delaying action upon it until March 16, were able to
defeat it by a vote of 6 to 9.76 The President's veto, which was
more freely used at this session of Congress than at any other,
was almost uniformly overridden by the necessary two-thirds vote
in the Senate, and not infrequently in the House as well.70
Many bitter attacks, likewise, were made at this session against
individual members of the cabinet, and much ill feeling resulted
from the President's refusal to dismiss those who had long been
out of favor with Congress. The principal assaults were made
upon Benjamin and Seddon, who was now secretary of war. Reso-
lutions censuring the former for a speech made in Richmond were
brought forward in the House,77 while his moral integrity was
called into question by the Louisiana Representatives on the ground
that he had taken bribes for passports.78 A demand for his resig-
nation submitted by Wigfall to the Senate failed only by a. tie
ballot, the vote standing 11 to 11.7" As for Seddon, his position
became so uncomfortable that he left the cabinet on February 9,
J. C. Breckenridge being appointed in his stead.80
Senate and House, and the delays and defeats experienced, see Stephenson,
"The Question of Arming the Slaves," American Historical Review, XVIII,
295-308.
"The Journal (IV, 670) records nine affirmative and eight negative
votes in the Senate. The Senate bill introduced on February 7 was in-
definitely postponed on the 21st by a vote of 11 to 10. Stephenson gives
as the reason the constitutional difficulty of State authority. American
Historical Review, XVIII, 300-301. In the bill finally passed this was
avoided.
Ibid., VII, 350.
"Ibid., 721; A Rebel War Clerk's Diary, II, 451. One reason for this,
according to Jones, was the retention of Benjamin in the cabinet.
7.Journal, IV, 490, 502, 687; VII, 502, 523, 645, 790.
"Journal, VII, 582.
"A Rebel War Clerk's Diary, II, 416.
"Journal, IV, 552, 553.
s8A Rebel War Clerk's Diary, II, 415; Rhodes, V, 65. See also Bocock's
letter to Davis, January 21, 1865, in which he advises Davis to recon-
struct his cabinet in order to forestall a vote of lack of confidence in its228
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 19, July 1915 - April, 1916, periodical, 1916; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101067/m1/249/: accessed April 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.