Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1854-09-15
EX-SENATOR HANNEGAN.

2Et | ! d u U II D.
Ex-sENA rOR HANNEGAN.
The Philadelphia Evening Register.
Of July 20. conducted bv William Bir-
ney. for long time resident at Paris
and Berlin. contains an article upon
the career Of the Indiana Ex-senator,
which we copy from no disposition to
injure him. il he repents Of the wrongs
he may have done to his country. So
ciety. and not least to himself. but his
friends. IL possible, may refute the
grave charges made against him. The
homocide ofhis bother in.law is, how
ever. undisputed. The Register says:
This wrctched and unfortunate man
has been re-introduced into public life
by the Democracy. He is speaking
and writing in favor Of the Nebraska
bill and against the Clergymen who
signed the remonstrance to the Senate.
Advocate worthy Of the eau e!
Gifted with n certain rude eloquence.
full Of racy anecdotes CLEANED from
newspapers. INSCRIPTIONS and passa.
bly, successful as stump orator, Han
negan was sent to the Senate by the In.
diane democrats. There. he became
noted for vulgarity and venality. On
the Texas Bill. he sold his vote for
the appointment of minister to Prussia.
AS he understood neither manners, nor
French, nor German. nor any language
except what he had learned in rough
and tumble life in Indiana, he cut a
most ridiculous figure in the diplomat
ic corps. Aware Of his deficiencies,
be ceased parading them in society and
betook himself to the most disgusting
licentiousness and degrading drunken
ness. His excesses brought on repea :
ed attacks OF maniac .pota. Trese
generally assume dangerous FORM
II knife or other weapon were with
in reach. he would attempt to seize it
and kill the friend watching with him,
or the faithful servant whom he after
ward abandoned. penniless, in a for
eign land. On one occasion, he made
a murderous assault with deadly
weapon on Capt. Stone. Of the U. s.
Army-an assault which it required all
that gentleman's well known rigor and
address to battle. On another, he
threw up the window OF the hotel
chamber-shouted murderi and tried
to leap down into the public street.
A crowd was collected, and the drunk
en- American Minister became the
town-talk. In the intervals between
his fits Of maniac pota. his detection,
want Of dignity, and weak promises to
amend, were calculated to excite pity
mingled with contempt. Even when
sober, he did not know how 10 behave
himself.
Once. on q railroad train between
Cologne and Berlin. his passport was
demanded. At first, he refused to
give it, and when it was insisted upon
by the officer, who could not under
stand English. Hannegan dashed the
paper into his face, swearing that he
would make him suffer for such an in
suit TO ministcrl When the United
States Government gave this extraor.
dinary minister leave to become an or
dinary mortal. he left Berlin without
any visit Of adieu to the king. for the
good reason that Frederic William in.
timated a strong repugnance to receive
him. Hannegan returned home, went
back to his family. whom he had left in
Indiana. and. soon after, murdered
near relptive-we believe, his own
wife's brother.
These f,cts are undeniable. OF
Hannegan's course at Berlin. we IN
speak from personal observation at the
time, and the murder is matter OF
common knowledge. Yet this man
yisciliating between crime and debase-
ment between homocide and drunken
ness. between manslaughter and ma
nia-a-potu, Is the champion produced
by Indiana democracy in behalf Of the
Nebraska infamy. It is tins nan over
whom the Evening Argus extends its
protecting arm, claiming il TO be wick
ed and scandalous' in the Sun to speak
Of his past acts. Ii Hannegan IS re-
pentant. as the Argus says. let him
respect his fellow. citizens enough to
live a quiet and unobtrusive life, in
atonement for his past shameful ca
reer.