Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1849-10-03
Col. Stewart in Baton Rouge,

BATON ROUGE, Sept. 70, lS49.
Dear Sentinel: Last night, in the Court
House of this place, Col. R. A. Stewart adj
dressed a large, intelligent and attentive audi
ence: and in a gallant, courteous and diginifed
speech, composed of facts, proved uncontro-
verbally, and with that lofty, heightened man.
ner peculiar to himself, refuted satisfactorily
the many ISLANDERS which Mr.. Harmanson had,
in two elaborate efforts, endeavored to impress
on the minds of the people hereabout. His
speech was"well prepared, we'll aimed, and told
well in the ranks for which it was intended; and
when he had finished, there were none present.
whose minds were unimbued with prejudices
impregnable tie reason and truth, unwilling to
award him that "honor," "honesty," and "good
sense withal, so vehemently denied him by his
opponent. He RETAINED from any thing like
personal abuse towards Mr.. H., and merely
stating facts and exhibiting their proofs, left
his hearers to draw their own conclusions in
regard to Mr.. HIS. reckless and unfounded
statements. To say the least of the Coils ef-
fort on this occasion, it was a perfect triumph
over the degrading efforts of his unmanly OPP
ponent.
Among other things, that brilliant and admi-
rable fabric of patriotic devotion, reared by H.
on the baseless assertion of his having s~acrific-
ed feelings of kindred, of friendship, and of
party at the shrine of his country's interest, in
voting against Thomas Richie for printer to
Congress, was swept away, and his vote reveal
ed as being recorded against the interest of his
country and for that of his %kinsman, has friend
and, his Bipartisan, Thomas Richie; and Mr..
Il. stands in the estimation of all, bereft of that
admiration which his political enemies even,
were constrained to award him, and as one de-
tected in his effort to practice a gross deception
His votes in this matter may be found by re-
ferring to the Congressional Globe, Vol. of
26th. Session, and pages Is and 10.
Col. Stewart, as already stated, had acquitted
himself with honor and to the satisfaction of
every u%nprejudiced mind. But for him to leave
peaceably and in triumph thus-was too intol-
cradle for some of the "unterrifed," and as a
matter of course something must be done to
counteract the influence and effect of his speech;
with this view, it i s thought, Mr.. George s.
Lacey alias "Demosthenes" accosted the Col.
on his leaving the stand and requested an inspec-
ton of a certificate, read by the Col. and sub
mitted to the scrutiny Of an umdoubted democrat
during his speech. The Col. in a most courteous
and gentlemanly manner acceded to the request,
and was proceeding to search among his papers
for the desired certificate, when MI. George s.
Lacey went on to allege what the certificate con-
tanned; a part of which Col. S. denied its con-
tanning, and Mr.. l.. persisted in a~firming-this
the Col. bore very peaceably, and handed Mr..
L. the certificate, who reading it and finding his
error, then said the matter he had alleged was
contained in the Kelly certificate. This, Col.
s. denied, whereupon insulting remarks were
passed and terminated by Col. SIS slapping or
striking Lacey in the face. This was a signal for
a general demonstration, and here came the
friends of Lacey, rushing to his rescue, and with
brandished clubs and loud oaths crying and yell
ing for vengeance on his agggressor. The friends