Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-02-18
From the Albany Evening Journal.
A Graphic Sketch of the Scrimmage
in Congress.
THREATENS ONE OF THE
CHTyALRY.

Did YOU ever see Lawrence NJ. Keitt!
Did YOU ever watch him parading the hsil
his head thrown back with the concelted ali
of a London cnckney, his lascivious eyr
staring b~rszan,y al the ladies' gallery. his
thruSt.ou' elbows see-sawing like dancing
Jacks und r Z vigorous pulling Of the string.
and dainty treading the floor, much as a
peacock with tail-fea,hsrs widespread would
DO il suddenly stricken with the spring halt!
Keitt must have been a "nigger-trlver"
are he came 10 Congress. His vulgar swag-
ger. author itai;ve shake of the head, and
whip-likp jerk Of the arm, as he marches up
and down the aisles OF the Democratic side
of the Chamber, crying out to his party col
leagues, in sharp tones, "S;and up" $50
through the t~ellc-s!" .Si. down!" "DonH
yote." Vote no!'' all indicate that he has
oficiated as whipper-in Of a gang Of slaves
on 4 cotton or rice plantation.
Last night, during the tiresome proceed
lings, Keitt was unusually cstentatiouS and
noisy, strutting around the area in front OF
the Chair, talking and laughing loudly,
blackauarding members, snd regulating
things generally, till he made himself so Of
! fenSive that the Speaker, with marked
emphasis, repeatedly pronounced his trivial
motions out Of order, while not few gentle
men in the galleries longed for the privilege
Of leaping on he floor and taking the con-
ceit' out Of the Cabling p~opiniay below
Ajout IL. Grow crossed over teck2Dem-
ocratic side OF me Chambes, HfTnter with
Hickman, Douglas Democrat, Of Pennsyl-
%vari,. Having finished his con erence,
Grow was passing down the side aisles Of
the area, on his way back to his seat. Just
then Gen. Quitm2D asked unanimous con-
sent to submit a molten out of order
Grow, according TO The usual custom. object
ed, saying. 81 object, Mr.. Speaker; 1T US
90 on in the regular order" keitt, who
was sitting two or three desks from the
aisle where Grow was passing, said 10 Grov
in the most ~insolent manner, "D-n you, 90
over to your own side if you want to object.
You have no business here any way" Grow
replied in an off hand tone, This is a free
Hall, aud a man has Il right to be where he
pleasss in it"-stiil continued 10 walk slu ".
" down the aisle. keitt rushed To the area
and turning round faced up the aisle just as
Grow reached the bottom of it. With a
swagger. Keitt sad TO Grow, What do you
coolly replied, 81 mean just what ! said that
this is a lr,e Hall, aud a nan has a right io
be where he pierses in it," Kertt retorted,
"Ill teach you" and seized Grow by the
throat Grow knocked away his hand, step.
ped back a foot or so, and steadily eyed him,
Keitt addressed him in intense anger, say
ing, "Ill let you know, you id Black Re.
publican puppy" Grow now retorted with
emphasis, IL have a tight to be uhat
p'ease. and to be lrheFeI please in this Hail.
Instantly kei,t again seized Grow by the
throat, and Grow as quickly Knocked off his
hand with his left arm, which slowed Keitr
partly round, and at tine same time deal him
a heavy blow with his right fist, which hit
Keitt Just behind the ie!t ear. Keitt fell as
suddenly as if struck with an axe As he
was going down, Grow gave him an en-
phatic shove between the shoulders, which
caused him to strike head foremost, with
his heels upwards, presenting to the gall
eIies the appearance Of a mau irving to
plunge through the floor of the House into
the vaults beneath.
A hundred accounts of this affair have
gone out. Tie ao.ve I give on the very
best authority. The ~slavehoIding version
of Keit;'s fall is. that he. tripPfd and fell
He WAS KNOCKED DOwKfB BY GRsAy.t
And now the melee became general. As
Keitt fell, Gro% was seized by half-a-dozen
Souiherners, among whom was Barksda'e.
IF Mississippi. They assert that their sole
object was to stop the fight. Some believe
them. Bu', in The twink,ing Of an eye, from
forty to fifty Republicans came dasbing
&c, oss the hail TO the scene OF the encount-
er, headed by John +. Potter, of Wisconsin,
who lehPt into the midstcf the fight by the
side of Grow. with the bound OF a tiger.a and
commenced hitting right and left among the
patriarchS with great vigor. Not exactly
approaching The pac ;tie nature of Bark
dale's demonstration, Potter gave him two
IT three ''settlers," which Barksiale, in the
pell-meil going on around him, suppose
were dealt by Elihu Washburne-who Just
then happened TO be h"veriny in that vicini
v-whereupYn Patriarch Barksdale So: HIM
self in hostile array against Puritan Elihu.
Just at his j~uncture the mass of %biliireren,s
and peace-makers were crowding between
Barksdaie and Potter, the latter in the
meantime having seized the former by the
~hair--"h;ch, BY the by, proved not to be the
bona fde hair OF the said Barksdale, but q
rig. which the said Potter had tern off, and
fer the time being Converted to his own use.
Cadva!iader c. Washburn. of Wisconsin,
Obese Washburns are all "blood>,) seeing
the bald BarkSdale in conflict with his broth
e. E!ihu, felt his parernal spirit stirred with
in him, and rushing upon Barksda!e, brought
down one or two blows "On the top of his
head where the wool ought to grow"
What became OF keitt after Grow set
the law Of gravity in motion upon bin, no.
body seems able to tell, except Keitt him
solf-and he won't. The first that was seen
of hum after his head ong plunge. lie was
sitting on a sofa, in 4 safe corner of the
hall, pale ana haggard, looking Ike a Whlpi
rooster who feels no disposition 10 $50 in"
and renew the fight.
All this time the speaker was falling
loudly to "order," rapping necessarily with
h : gsvel, and shouting for the Scrgeant-a,-
Arms. This colossal functionary seized the
mace (Which looks like an Indian war-club,
with q small metallic eagle perche6A-eun,)
aud rushed among The struggling, surging,
tossing members. Potter, seeing a big
fellow with a hluigeon joining in The melee,
was ebnnt 10 wrench it out Of his hands.
when the shrill Voice Of the Speaker (Col.
Or hds a voice like a steam whistle, J urg-
ing on the Sergeant suages,ed that the ind
vidual might be Glossbrenner, Hhereupop
he struck ont in an Their direction Potter
is an athl tic, witty man, at home in \
"muss." He got one or two hard hits him
self, which he promptly repaid on the spot;