Daily American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1852, 1852-02-28
Tn. senate or the United states.


have stood beneath the shelter Of its dome and
listened to the voices Of Webster, Hayne,
Clay. a Calhoun, Frelinghuysen, and host Of
other patriots and sages, whose elevated tone and
dignifed bearing inspired with profoundest admi
ration and respect every spectator, and whose
career within the Senate impressed the heart of
every man who entered its portals with reverence
for the very walls that surrounded him.
Are these memories to pass away? Are pistol
fights and ruffianism to usurp the place of de-
corum, dignity, and wise and enlightened council
Is the Senate Chamber to be desecrated by the
prurient ambition Of sophmorc spouters, county
courthouse brawlers and self-magnifying prac
tisers of stump oration eoquences Are the
petty and undignifcd controversies of e Bun
combe" to be brought before the august tribunal
of the Senate, and, through the official reports
of our national newspapers, to be sent forth to
the world to excite for legislation its dersion
and contempt? II is for the American people to
| answer.
| Yesterday was witnessed the melancholy spec
tace of q ribald quarrel between two Senators
that would have discredited the market-house
debates of brace of candidates for the office Of
bailiff or his assistant. Senator Rhett had hoped
| land, Heaven knows, SO had good many others y
that, with his alteration with Mr. Foote, all per-
sonal controversy had ceased But he added
and we record it with pleasure-that it was not
his custom to be involved in them; that during
twenty years service in the legislature he had
had no personal difficulty with any one; and that
he regretted now that almost upon his entrance
into the Senate he found himself involved in con-
troyersies.
He then quoted from a speech of Senator
Clemens, Of Alabama, made on the 23d Of De-
cember last, during the absence of Mr. Rhett,
| rs follows:
"The scene we witnessed the other day, du-
| ring the delivery by the Senator from South
Carolina Mr. Rhett) of has haraague, surprised
no one here; but it would have been matter of
profound astonishInent to the country, if they
could have been spectators of what occurred.
There was the Senator from Massachusetts, Mr.
| Sumner, the Senator from Ohio, (Mr. Chase,
and the Senator from New Hampshire, Mr..
| Hale gathered about him, in sort of fraternal
| ring while the countenance Of the Senator from
New York MIR. Seward) was radiant with glad
ness. Thus was exhibited the spectacle of an
extreme Southern Senator denonnciny, in no mea-
cloring himself disaaionist, on account of al
legged wrongs heaped upon him, with four as "a
bid A6oltionists as this land contains drinking in
his words with eager approbation-applauding
cheering, and encouraging him. All this was
nothing new to us, however strange it may APP
pear to the plain and honest yeomanry of the
country. Nor was it, when calmly considered,
at all unnatural
"A fellow feeling makes wondrous kind
There IS sympathy IN treason, as oeH as an had-
Uery; and those who are earnestly striving to ac-
comphsh tie same end need NOT quarrel about the
separate means employed"
Mr.. Rhett said:
Did any one in the Senate, on the occasion
when he delivered his speech here, witness this
scene described by the Senator? Did any one
hear any of these Senators applaud or cheer him
He would ask the Senator from Massachusetts, to
| state whether he had either applauded or cheered
! him Mr.. r. on that occasion
Mr.. Sumner said that when the Senator from
South Carolina made his speech, he (Mr. S. oc-
cupied his own seat He listened to the Senator
with attention But, as a lover of this Union, he
heard him speak of disunion not only without
appreciation, either felt or expressed, but with
strong feelings Of dissent.
MIR. Rhett then asked the Senator from Ohio
Mr.. Chase to state whether he had applauded
or cheered on the occasion referred to?
MIR. Chase said that he had listened to the
Senator from South Carolina with great atten-
ton. He was not aware that he had ever mani
tested outwardly dissent or approval Of anything
said in debate But, SO far as the Senator main
tanned the State Right doctrines of jefferson and
Madison, and opposed consohdationism, he APP
proved of his remarks; but so far as he spoke
against the Union, he dissented from him entirely,
and of course could not applaud or approve such
| sentiments.
| Mr. Rhett said that every Senator knew the
truth of this matter. The Senator'S he had called
upon had declared they had neither applauded
cheered, nor encouraged him in his speech and
yet the Senator from Alabama had said they did
all three. He would leave ii to the country to
judge how far the Senator was entitled to credit
in this charge and how far he was entitled to ar
raign him upon a want of fidelity to principle
and honor.
| Mr. Rhett proceeded to show that I" the Senator
from Alabama NOT the man TO qrrdign any one
upon the charge Of Inconsistency" He then read
several pages containing summary Of Mr.. Glenn
enss speeches from December, 1S49 to the speech
at this session upon the Compromise, in which he
held Mr. Clemens up as absurdly inconsistent.
He also read letters written by two gentlemen of
Alabama in relation to the circumstances attend
ant upon MIR. Clemens's election to the Senate.
The Democratic party had n majority in the le-
gislature, and Mr.. Fitzpatrick was their choice
for the Senate. The Senator was chosen by
fraction Of his own party, together with the Wings.
These letters stated that, while the Wing members
of the legislature we're in caucus. the Senator
was named; that pledge was required, and that
during the caucus slip of paper was handed in,
which read, in substance eff elected to the
United States Senate, pledge myself that will