Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1858-04-28
CONGRESSIONAL REM
INISCENCE.

interesting sketch of scenes and incidents
that occurred in the Old Representatives
Hall, during its thirty years occupancy
by Congress, thus describes one of the
warmest and most memorable occasions
ever witnessed in that old Hall.
On the 9th of January, 1897, the
House adopted the usual rule 10 lay Anti
Slavery petitions on The table; this being
derominated the 'Haws Gag TO distin-
guish it from the 'Pallen Gag and the
'Atherton Gag On Monday, the 9th
OF February, 1897, Mr.. Adains having
occupied an hour or more in exhausting
his pile of Anti Slavery memorials,
paused, and looking significantly at Mr..
Speaker Polk, said, al hold in my hand
a paper Purporting to be petition from
certain slaves. III should present it TO
the House, would it go on the table un.
der the order of the 18th Of january
The Speaker seemed bewildered; and
had just time TO stammar out something
about the gravity of the question, when
the entire Pro Slavery side of the Cham
Der exploded screamed score ofvoices.
Let him be expelled shouted Dixon
H. Lewis. whose hu;e body, weighing
FIVE hundred avoirdupois, came wad-
ding and wheesing towards the Clerks
desk. The whole corps of Oligarchs
were on their feet, screaming, swearing.
gestulatiug ike demons. Polk applied
his gavel and called TO order in vain,
while the spectators in the oveIhanging
galleries caught in the spiri. of the scene
and were going Will with excitement
Quick as thought resolutions were pre-
pared for the expulsion Of Mr.. Adams,
based on the assumption that he had
presented petition from slaves for the
abolition of slavery. Ere they we're fair
ly before The house, they were offered in
a modified form by Mr.. Waddy Thomp-
son, now demanding the severest SEN
sure rather than expulsion. ThereurOn
the debate began. 1t ragged violently
three days. Thompson, Dromgoole,
Wise and Underwood. leading OF for the
s!aveocraey, while Lincoln, Gushing,
Philips, Granger and others, defended
Adams. During the height of The tenn
pest, the rotunda, the galleries. the pas
sages of the Capital being filed with an
excited throng the colleagues and friends
Of Mr.. Adams felt great anxiety not on
ly for his fate in the House, but for his
personal safety. Meantime, the resolu-
tions were going through various modi6
cations. all tending 10 soften their terms
and mitigate their conclusions. All this
time, the old Roman sat uumoved in his
place, the calmest man in the Chamber.
with the incendiary petition safely lock-
ed up in his desk. At length it began to !
leak out that The paper was not exactly |
such document as the Shareholders in
their hot haste had imagined it 10 be-
Whereupon, Dromgoole, of Virginia,
still further modified The resolutions by
setting forth that the member from Mas
sachuSetts had 'g'uen color to tie idea that
slaves had right to petition, etc., a |
phrase on which Adams roastel him |
alive. Finally the Pro Slavery side OF |
the House began 10 suspect that they
were pursuing the negro in the wrong di-
rection; that if there was a colored in.
dividual 10 the case at all, he was more
likely to be found in the paling than in
the petition, and SO they stopped 10 take
breath. Then Mr.. Adams rose 10 ad-
dress the House. With great delibera-
tion, his voice pitched on key that pen
etrated TO the corner of the galleries,
and with frail bit of paper rus,ling in
his aged hand, be called The Speakers
attention TO the question he had put to
him three days ago, which still remain
cd unanswered, viz. Whether Il paper
purporting TO be a petition from slaves,
would, IF he acre 10 presentd. go on the
table under the order of the | 9Th Of Jan
uary? Looking around with a mingled
expression Of sarcastic cunning aud lof.
ty scorn which Lord Chatham would have
envied, he cried in e. voice of thunder,
but in sharp Kissing tone such as light
ming might be supposed TO employ if ii
at all, 'ARa am 7 TO be erpelled from his
JaJ6ling House for simply ask
ing question? For the first time, the
thought flashed upon friend aud foe. that
Mr. Adams had neither presented the
paper or proposed TO present it. Every
body felt queer, while some grave men
looked like lank sheep suddenly denuded
Of their feeces. 1t had now got wind
hat the paper was forgery, the work OF
some stupid STAKEHOLDER in Washington,
and purporting to be sighed By Scipio,
Sambo and other bogus negroes. asking
he House to expel Mr.. Adams from
heir body.
And now the old man eloquent, took
his turn in the debate. How he demol
shed one opponent after another, scourg- I
ng. Aaying. scalping, impaling to his '
hearts content-how rank upon rank Of 7
he chivalry went down in heaps before |
lis trenchant blade-hoH he spitted poor I