Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1858-03-31
For the Spirit of the Age.
Congressional Fisticuffs.

The recent disgraceful row which occur
red in the Hall of the Representatives at
Washington, cannot fail to be a subject of
deep humiliation and regret to every A
merican citizen, whatever may be his party
predictions or preferences. It matters
not who was 10 blame or who not, or
whether the Democrat, Republican, or A
Western man was the aggressor. In either
case it is equally a stigma and rep. zach
upon the country.
In these cases, what boots it to enquire
whether the violence perpetrated was by
words or by blows; suffice it to know that
violence of a gross, brutal and indecent
character was perpetrated by the Repre-
sentatives of a people claiming to be gov
erned by the laws and usages of civilized
society, and that it is not the first nor the
second, nor perhaps the tenth instance of
the kind within the last few years. In this
view, we ask, is it not we'll to consider what
the great inducing cause of all this is?-
How does it arise that men of character
aud ability, assembled together for the pur-
pose of legislating upon affairs Of the ut
most Importance to the happiness, peace
and prosperity of a nation such as this is,
should be so frequently aroused into the
display of wild and turbulent passions, and
driven to excuses which disgrace themselves
and reflect dishonor upon their common
country?
! This is now the question to which all
minds should be directed, and we say I'M
!, hesitatingly that until the discussion of the
$ slavery question is removed from the arena
e of Congressional Legislation, the scenes
e which the country has SO much occasion to
condemn and deplore will continue to be
r enacted, because it is a question which on
: the one side displays an ~ill-judged, gratui-
: tous and unjust interference with rights
e consecrated by the Constitution and the laws
S and on the other exhibits a sensitive, altho
not an unreasonable feeling Of opposition
Every citizen of a slave holding State feel:
e that he is the subject of contumely and in.
suits that he is held up as an object 0
scorn and contempt, hat his rights Of pro
perry are invaded, and that even his life
II and the lives of his children, and all tina
10 are dear to him, are endangered by the never
ending efforts of those who have nothing a
ID stake in the controversy; he feels that equa
s, share in the rights guaranteed by the Con
= stitution, are threatened by the intoleranc
: and bigotry Of his copartners in the bene
fits derived from that instrument. Is it t
Il be wondered at, then, that the stronges
70 feelings of his nature should be aroused
as and that he should sometimes be unable
all coolly and calmly, to bear the burthe
e sought to be placed upon him 1t is no
- perhaps, for words spoken in debate, IT,;
the Southern man feels himself injured an
-er aggrieved-these are most generally re
.er strained by parliamentary rules of decorul
Ter but it is the taunts, and jeers, and inju
n tice of an INSCRIPTIONS party press it
Up the existence of parties founded on tn
- policy of interfering with his constitution.
rights it is the knowledge of a settle
he purpose to destroy his equal rights
Sc, the national councils, and to place him al
the his, and all that he holds dear, at the mere
tie of demagogues, who play with his interes
and his rights as if they were gambler
SIS dice, that wounds his feelings, and rende
~. him sensitive, and, perhaps, somewhat ca
the tious.
ust Let this subject of slavery, then,
moved from the councils of the nation, NJ
LIE and forever. Let it cease to be the pls
ing thing of politicians, and not only the Sou
ZEN but the North, too, will be relieved frc
the agitation of subject which is consta
und ly endangering the safety of the Union a
0 be the happiness of the people.
was INVALID