The American. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1857, 1857-10-14
NOa.2lLI'

tanned proiouild silence. ETe appesred 10 be en-
gagged most ofsthe time wiring. To d acohimoh
sobseryer, heseemed be reckless Of eserythihg1
around hipabut nothing, not the slightest Incl
dent escaped him. The fourth day Of the strpgI
&c had now commenced Mr.. Hug IT. Garland /
the Clerk, was directed to call the roll again pos
ss-lHe commenced with Maineyaas was usual hi
those days, and, Was proceeding towards New Jer-
sey. turned and saw that Ar. Adams was ready
to get the floor at the earliest period possible az
soon as thdt State was called. His KEEN eye was
riveted on the Clerk ; his hands casped the front
edga' his desk, who're he aiways placed them 10
assist him in rising, gf,su4aso, ssl sgafgt ot
New Jersey calculated Mr., Hugh H.. Garlsnd,
and the Clerk has to repeat that -- ~
~ Mr.. Adams sprang to the foorii "71 eN2 r"
Irise ointsrupt the Clerk, was his frat ejacu-
laionlai ggippa sE sAay0yg bigeds II l b8Ai5grfls
SILENCE, silence, resounded throughq the hall;
hear hear him Hear what he has to say
hear John Quincy Adams! was the unanimous
ejaculation on all sides l9t Haa4 ~" 2" h"hR
t3In anfnstant the most profound silence reigned
throughout the hall, and ,eS n.y. eye wasrYstod on
the venerable member from Massachusetts. n lie
paused for moment; and having giving Nj. Gar
land whitening look he proceeded to address the
House gGAsaaG INIT FiD A. frEy2AONA IAS1 %
| NesIt was not my intention, @said jheS"to take
any part Gin these ie4 traordinary proceedings V 7
| bad hoped that this House would succeed in orr
ganizng itself, that Speaker, and Clerk would be
elected and that the ordinary business Of legisa-
tion would be progressed I'M THIS is not the time
| or place to. discuss the merits of the conflicting
claimants for seats from New Jersey; that subject
belongs to the House Of Representatives, which;
by the Constitution, is made the ultimate arbiter
Of the qualification Of its members But what d
spectacle we here presents I'VE degrade and dis
grace ourselves tive degrade andndisgrace our
constituents and the country. iu We do not and
cannot organize, and why9 Because the Clerk of
this House, the mere Clerk whom we create, whom
we employ, and whose existence depends upon
our will usTps the throne, aud sets u.s. the Repre-
sentatiyes, the vieegerentsIof the whole American
lpeopc, at defiance, and holds us in contempt And
what Is this Clerk of yours? Is he to suspend, by
| his mere negative, the functions Of Government,
and put amend TO this Congressp He'refuses to
call the rolll Ii is in your power to compel him
| to call it, if he will not ityountariy. Here
he was interrupted by a member, who said that he
was authorized to say that compulsion could not
reach the Clerk, who avowed that he would resign
rather than call the State OF New Jersey ~ Well
sir, then Let him resign, continued adams
and we may possibly discover some way by which
we can get along without the aid of his all power
| full talent learning and genius If we cannot
organize many other way-if this Clerk Of yours
will not consentto our diseharging the trusts con-
fded to us by constituents, then let us initiate
the example of the Virginia, House of tRurgesses,
/ which when, the colonial Gosernor Dinwiddie Or
dered it to disperse,a TO obey the insulting
mandate, and like the men-------n sa,ooos e4st {.
IL The multitude could not retain or repress their
i enthusiasm any longer, but saluted the eloquent
and indignant speaker, and intercepted him with
loud and deafening cheers, which seemed to shake
the sCspitolto its centre The turmoil, the dark
ness, the very chaos of anarchy, which had, for
three successive days, ,pervaded the American
aof 11nI hty
] manic eloquence Of single man; and once more
the wheels of Governments and Of Legislation were
put in motoi,.,gs, yibs2 abru Gsf 10 sH4ss'-iss
Having, by this powerful appeal, brought the
] yet unorganized assembly to perception Of its
hazardous position, he submitted a motion re-
] quiring the Clerk to proceed to call the roll. This
and similar motions had already been made by
! other members The difficulty was, the acting
j Clerk declined to entertain them. Accordingly,
Mr.. Adams was Immediately interrupted by a
| burst Of voices demanding how shall the question
| be put ? .aWho will put the question: The voice
| Of Mr.. Adams was heard above the tumult-"I
| intend to put the question myself !" That word
brought order out of chaos, There was the
! master mind. g., ... .. i.
As soon as the multitude had recovered itself,
| and the excitement Of irepressible enthusiasm
had abated, Mr. Robert BarnwelI Rhett, of South
Carolina, leaped upon one of the desks, waved
| his hand, aud exclaimed fpr staas.s i sY3 aia
! "I move that the Honorable John Q. Adams
i take the Chair Of the Speaker Of this House, and
officiate as presiding officer till the House be or
ganized by the election of its constitutional Off
GERS As many as are agreed to this will say Ay;
| those --"-.-,a,t "a a.s,f-e4.E v,r ~ .7fsr.
| He had not an opportunity TO complete the
sentence, "those who are not agreed will say
| No." for one universal deafening Ay responded
| TO the nomination. ~ aGT fIfa al t.aH1p 'Hl NJ
| Hereupon, il was moved and ordered that Lewis
Williams, of North Carolina, and Robert Barnwell
Rhett, conduct John Quincy Adams TO the chair.
| Well did Mr. Wise, Of Virginia, say, "Sir, re.
gard it as the prout,est hour of my life; and if
when you shall be gathered TO your fathers,
were asked to select words which inmy judgment
are best calculated to give at once the character
Of the man, I would inscribe upon his tomb this
sentence stI win put The question myself