The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-04-25
A SCENE IN THE SENATE.

Last Wednesday transaction took place in
the Senate, which has excited much comment
throughout the country Towards the close of a
long and laborious session, during which deeply
exciting struggle was going between the friends
and opponents of Compromise, Mr.. Foote, who
had for the most part kept himself in the back
ground, rose to reply to some remarks of Mr..
Benton, referring, in condemnatory terms, to the
Southern Address Mr.. Foote defended that
document and its authors, and asked with indig-
nant emphasis, "By whom was that address de-
nounced By the oldest Senator-bya gentle
man who'-
Here he suddenly paused, and we saw him
Fastening from the place where ne stood, to the
area in front of the Secretarys desk, AT the
same instant we observed Mr.. Benton approach
ing the seat Of the Senator from Mississippi
This at once explained the movement of the lat
ter, who, the moment he gained the open area of
the Senate, faced about, and then, for the first
time, we saw a pistol in his hand, ready, as we
supposed, to be used, should Mr. Benton ap-
proach and assail him, as Mr. Foote seemed to
think he would do Mr.. Benton was greatly ex-
cited, appeared to be struggling to reach the Mis-
sissippi Senator, and at one time he threw open
his coat exclaimingin his loudest tones Let the
assassin FIRE | am unarmed !" and with the most
vehement indignation he denounced as false and
cowardly the imputation that he had come armed
to the Senate. At last, he was induced by his
friends who had surrounded him, to take his seat,
and Mr. Foote, who gave up his pistol to Senator
Dickinson, returned to his seat.
Mr. Foote explained that he did not make q
practice of going armed-that he had never as
sailed any man with deadly weapons-that he had
never come armed to the Senate until after the
threat made by the Senator from Missouri some
weeks since-that, in consequence of that threat,
being in feeble health and of small stature, he
had yielded TO the advice of his friends, and
armed himself, not for the purpose of assauiting
any man. but simply as n matter of precaution
against assault-that seeing the Senator from
Missouri approaching him, he believed he was
intending to execute his threat, and that he (Mr.
Foote) had Immediately left his place, taken his
stand in the area and drawn his pistol, merely to
defend himself against what he verify believed,
meditated violence.
Mr. Benton reiterated that 1t was base and
cOwardly to charge him with wearing arms he
never carried deadly weapons.
After this, Committee of Investigation was
appointed
1t was most painful exhibition, one which we
hope never again TO witness in the Senate of the
United States The people of the whole nation,
Judging from the intensely indignant comments of
the press, regard the transaction as national
disgrace.
But we cannot sympathize with the violence Of
denunciation heard on all sides In one section
Mr. Benton is vilifed as bully and ruf6an
in another, Mr.. Foote is styled rutiian and an
assassin; and there are cries for their expulsion
Great injustice is done both Senators. There
is no evidence that violence was premeditated by
either. Both had become somewhat excited by
the events Of the day both acted on the impulse
Of the moment, under serious Misrepresentation
Mr.. Benton seemed to be under the impression
that Mr. Foote had said or was saying something
grossly personal This was mistake. Whatever
may have been the intention Of Mr. Foote, up TO
the moment when the interruption took place, no
insulting word had escaped him. On the other
hand, Mr. Foote believed, according to his own
statement, that Mr.. Benton was about to commit
violence upon him-snd his conduct confirms his