Rutland County herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1849-03-21
THE CONGRESSIONAL FIGHTS.

THE CONGRESSlONAL iHh o
A Washington correspondent Of the Com
merclal Advertiser thus sketches some OF
the dIsgraccfuI scenes attending the close OF
The 3O,h Congress:
The fights and personal collisions which
occurred on the floors OF both Houses are
deeply 10 be dcpIored, bu, they should not
be forgotten The facts concerning those
which took place IN the House develop not
only an unnmnblc, but most alarming
state OF feeling as existing there The dit
dculty between Mr. Giddngs and Mr. Meade
took place at about ten o'clock, when the
Southern members, after having been at one
time in The evening clalel to q high degree
by what they thought almost the certainty
OF success in their most cherished plans, be-
gan TO fear that the chances OF final success
inclined to their adyersnres. Mr. Glddings
Sis near the Speakers chair on the lell
Mr. Meade almost directly in front Of IT, no,
far removed. Between their seats is the o.
pen semi circular area before the clerks
desk Mr. Gddings crossed over to the
desk Of Mr Turn,r Of Illinois, zeaously en-
gagged IN Cooperating with Mr. G and 9th.
ets in the effort to strike oil the S nate u
mendmenl or to defeat the bill Mr. G..
asked Mr. Turner, who IS Democrat. lflhe
Loco Focos on his SIDE Of the House were
as good humored as the Wings on the 9th.
er. Mr. L. replied that they were not, lha,
they were very much exasperated. Mr..
Glddings said that was not good policy;
that there was no need Of passion.
NJ Meade was ST ting near, 10 his own
scat He said seeming to address himself
in part to Mr. q. and IN partto another gen
tleman thai the only way to manage the
scoundrcls was TO put them in bodily fear.
to make them understand that It they persis.
ted ia their hcuous and incendiar ~ course
they were doing 50 at the risk ortheir lives.
He was understood to refer to the contest
then going o. Mr. GIddngs turned to
him and said that that would hardly effect
any good purpose thatthe best way would
be to be calm, to contest the matter with
mild firmness. as long as there was LIr
hope Of success and TO WELD with a good
grace when It became inevitable. Mr..
Meade then s1rang TO his feet and seized Mr.
q lddogs by the collar, swearing with btler
eaths that If be uttered another word he
would chi his heart out The members who
lnierlered say that Mr. G. had his hand
;Ienched. in the attitude of man about to
strike. Had be done so he would have
been justified, and his nssallant would have
been desperately huu, for Mr. G. isaman
Dl tlrrcuI'au mouH, ana his Antagonist
was SO paraIyzrd wuh rage as to he totally
powerless. Had Meadr's idea OF legislation
been carried out, the proceedings would
hive been brought TO a summary close, by
fearful riot IN The early part OF the even
ing.
The Incidents oflhe fight between Messrs
r. w. johnson and Fickln betrayed
similar spirit. Il urose in an alteration
between the two upon peuy resolution Of
Iered by the former and defeated. From
words they quickly came to blows These
would Of course have been terminated i'm
nedlatcly by the interference OF members.
but Mr.. lnge Of Alabama, a remarkably
lniei and genilemanIy man in appearance
reached up and sruc Mr. +. on The fore.
head with n small iron cane which he car
RES. After the affair WINS over, he rompos.
eddy answered the inquiries OF the curious
BY saying that he had been expecting row
The whole evening, between the North and
The South, and thought this was the begin
lng Off. HIS only impulse was to assist
friend from The South. Naive as this con.
lcsson was, It doubtless most truly indicated
a very prevalent feeling among The Young.
er members Of the Southern delegations ~
This man had probably heard M. Meadr's
remarks. Perhaps they had been partly
TO him, as bis seat i. in that vein.
ny. The awful consequences thn' might
have resulted from the meresi acciiental
collision, at such lime, any one may i'm.
agine. Il would not be easy to eSaggefale
them.