Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1852-03-25
Parliamentary Pugilisrn.

lr II
81 The pugilistic encounters that OCCASION
ally diversity the proceedings Of Congress
are accustomed to elicit such vehement de-
nunciaton from letter-writers and others,
who secretly enjoy the sport and thank
their stars for the occurrence that serves
so well to spice paragraph, thai we had
about concluded such scenes were peculiar
10 American deliberatise bodies. Not at
all So, however. They have most an
cient and honorable origin, and have been
regularly transmitted through descent
entirely irreproachable. Our Congress
so productive Of novelties, has not the
credit of the invention. There We're Leg
isla,ive bcar-garjens before the walls OF
our capitol we're raised, and forensic bull
hai,ings long before Messrs. Brown and
Wilcox locked horns. A correspondent Of
the New York Times brings the record
up. In the Epi>tles Of Cicero. book TX.
ep. 81, ad Atticum, we have an account of
scene in the Senate House, when julius
Caesar W as. as our members of Congress
were doing, defining his position. Cicero
thus describes it:
"Having only TRIES to write. never
theless send you, my Atticus, an account
Of the late shindy, in which our Caesar
was engaged. He was denying roundly
an allegation Of Cato, when the crusty
old man flew upon him. tooth and nail,
(pugnis Ct caicibus,l and BACKED his eye,
in most convincing manner. The ve-
racity of Cato is no longer doubtful, Tor
be proceeded to punish Ctesar's nose. ina
sun gey1xRderc,) in a close and irrefraga-
bic style. Julius felt for his bowie-knife,
! (gfadioium.) but was restrained by the
Conscript Fathers, who shortly after form
ed ring, and voted a civic crown to both
orators"
What Cato and Caesar did, surely mem
bers of our Congress may do-and il the
Roman Senators were voted civil crown.
how can our Congress excuse themselves
for sighting its belligerents, by withhold
ing similar honors from them?
But even Cato and Caesar were imita-
tors. They had an example for what they
did, in scene in the Alhenian Assembly
long before, between Eschines and De.
mosthenes. The former had made some
remarks personal TO the latter, when-but
Plutarch tells the story. Life Of Eschines.
sec OIL:
He fetched the orator such blow in
the face as was cheaper than sylloglsm;
but Demosthenes, with that deia0sis which
belongs to him, flew at his rival, and was
about to gouge out his eye, when the AS
semby cried out that they were satisfied
with the Arguments and virtues Of the two
(kalohqgatI0i) gentlemen"
SO here it is in evidence that it is only
Demostherean to do. as was done the
other day in the Hall of our House Of
Representatives.
History thus stamps il as not only elias
sical but oratoricaI-to pull noses and
gougc ont eyes in Senate halls.
But the authority for such things does
not stop with the classics. tits found in
this age, if not in this country. In the re-
port ofthe proceedings Of the English
House of Commons, by Hansard, (vol.
XCVII, page S6S,) is recorded the follow
ing scene between Pitt and Fox, in the
debate on the bill for increasing the Span
ISL line:
"Mr.Fox here nssailed the position Of the
Premier with rapid sarcasm and keen per
sonality, calling the honorable gentleman
a BLACKBOARD and - Of -. Tc
which Mr.. Pitt replied by splitting tobacco
juice in the face of the other. Mr. Fox,
nothing dannted, clenched with his advcr-
sary. and the two orators were soon roll
ling in true Cornish hug, with occasional
| sprting ofclaret and several milling pun
ches in the breadhasket. After suitable
time, the combatahts rose, exchanged their
torn coats for better habits, made bows
and apologies, and received the cheers Of
the House.