Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1849-05-02
nj | s G Il l. l. A N Y i.
A SCENE IN THE ARKANSAS LEGISLATURE.

The session of its Legislature which sat in 1886.
was the most important In the annals of Arkansas
Ii was shortly after the organization of the govern
ment and things were still in state of half chaotic
transition. 1.-The loaves and fishes' of Office had
not been divided and clamorous mopopolv was
knocking at the door of 'the public crib but had
not yet been admitted. Intense was the fury of
parties within the House, and as boundIess the ey
cltement In the community without. The mem
bers, with few exceptions, went TO their places
armed to the teeth; and besides the weapons worn
In their bosoms or prot-uding from their pockets.
eaoh kept good supply oi revolving pistols in ahe
desk before him. There We're munitions of WAY
enough in the hall to have answered the purposes of
small army.
Every evening, after an adjournment there was
general firing off and reloadiRg in order to have
'thelr tooLS' III prime condition for the morrow
was frequently startled from sleep myself at the
hour OF midnight by the roar fncessan explosions
heard at different points in the city. Many leqis-
lators also during the day would be out practising
the noble art of learning to tape string at ten
paces or TO drive the centre out of silver quarter
at twelve. They chose for their pistol gallery a
little grove of pine trees Immediately on the south
bank OF the Arkansas river and not more than fFSS
Steps from the state house, where every report was
fearfully audible, and admonished certain independ
ent members as to the doom they might expect,
provided their votes should chance to offend the
honorable" duelists.
The writer can never recall to mind, without
shudderng horror, the proceedings of that Infamous
session. Whenever lis terrible scenes rise up, like
gloomy ghosts before the eye of averted memory.
feel as II had been the involuntary familiar of some
demon convention. Marat said during the reign of
terror In France, ''The gullotine governs" I'm
1856 the Doringer pistol and bowie knife governed
Arkansas. Power resided solely in gunpowder--
Popularity lowered on the points of naked daorers
Among the most agtatng measures which called
into exercise the wisdom OF 1.-The conscrpt fathers
was the institution OF the Real Estate Bank. It's
establishment was strongly and steadily but neE
fectually opposed by slender minority All the
wealthlest men In the state, all the leading egisa-
tors, took shares in its capital stock and John Will
son, the speaker of the lower house, was elected
president. As this person was one of the chief he
roes in the tragedy soon TO be related, short de-
scrlptIon OF his appearance and character becomes
necessary
Every public man in the backwoods has a sou
Dftquet, bestowed on account OF some personal Pc
cullarlty by the whimsical humor of his constituents
Speaker John Wilson was called 'Horse- Ears -
from his possessing accidental property as sin
gular as unique In the natural history OF the species
When excited by violent passion, either love or an
ger, his ears worked up and down flexibly like
those Of a horse A man Of ordinary looks, nothing
IN his countenance or features denoted the despera1
do save strange, wild twinkling expression of his
u'"""i'C grey eyes, always III motion, with cold
keen glances, as IT watching for some secret enemy.
lie had fought half dozen duels with uniform sue.
cess, and had been engaged in several of. hand az
trays, in none Of which he had received even the
honor OF a scar. Hence, as may well be supposed
his prowess inspired almost universal fear: and few
deGd shots could be found in Arkansas who world
choose to seek quarrel with ''old Horse-E Ears. },
As 10 the rest, he was the owner of LARGE cotton
farm-rich and influential honest, liberal and cour
teous in his manners, and exceedingly arniable in
all his domestic relations. His family loved. his
slaves adored him. Such are often the inconsistent
cies of human nature.
During the session of which we have previously
spoken, there was member of the lower house by
the name Of Abel Anthony, in no way remarkable
except for his opposition TO the banks and his sly
quiet wit, addicted to practical jokes. IN the par
lance of frontier technics be belonged to the class
of"peaceable men," having never, in all his life
had a difficulty with any mortal being. lie was
even viewed as a coward, having been-known to
pocket open insults without 50 much as showing a
sign of resentment.
One day, the bill to provide for the more effect
ua rewarding Of wolf killers, denOminaed in short
''the wolfscalp bill" came up for discussion. This
had been a standing "regorm measure' from tbt
earliest settlement Of Arkansas, and will probably
continue TO be, 90 long as the Ozark mountains sba
rear their black, brstling crests in the western di
vision OF the state, or the swamps Of the Missssp
pi shall occupy 20 large an area in the cast. Ar