The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1858-01-23
GREAT ROW IN INDIANA.
fHE LITTLE CLINT FlOORED
~ Fitch and Bright Sustained by the Com
81 ventiOn.

lI0The Democracy of Indiana have been rent
= In twain by the Lecompton question of wheth-
er the people should be allowed to form their
. own constitution and make their own laws.
ia great Sth of Janary State Convention has
? been held, and ended in majority of the del
egates resolving to sustain the lecompton
swindle, to repudiate the principles OF SELF
government, and to surrender themselves INTO
the hands of the slave breeders, body ana
soul.
The number of delegates in attendance was
500; eighty-four counties out OF nnety-one
were represented The ball was opened on
Thursday night by mass meeting in the
largest hall in the capitol, which was damned.
Bogus Senator Bright, and Representatives
Hughes and Davis left their seats at Wash
ipcton to be in attendance the latter sup
ports Douglas, the two former Buchanan.
At the mass meeting, j. w. Chapman, one
of Bright's pets, got the chair. John Petit,
whom Benton described as "a great liar and
dirty dog" led Oft in furious speech a.
gainst the Little Giant. He was followed by
Henry Secrest, who defended Dug, and pitch
ed into old Buck and Bright with will
He was applauded to the echo. His hits
were responded to by cheers that could be
heard half mile Oft, outside-the Hoosicrs
can halloa like dis when they try-and
Lowrev. OF Elhart, next got the floor on the
same side. He pitched into the Administra-
ton and the Shareholders like man at a gate
post and got an abundant crop of applause.
We quote from the Indianapolis Journal as
follows:
III G. e., .t&l, 4
ant" was manifested even more clearly during
the speech of Mr.. Hughes, who opposed him.
Mr.. Wallace was called out by portion of
the audience, and Mr.. Hughes by another
portion. The appearance of Hughes on the
stand was the signal for yell for wallace"
from the Douglas men. and it was not till
Mr.. Wallace asked that Hughes might be
heard, that the Douglas men would listen at
all and then interruptions, questions, and
hurrahS for Douglas created so much coniu-
sion, that the speaker charged the Republi-
cans with it. and the President had to rise to
allay the disturbance. There was no mistake
about the Set of the current, but Hughes, who
don't lack pluck nor talent, met it manfully
He labored with great ingenuity and plausi-
biity to show that the Lecompton Constitu-
ton was as much an allowance of the right of
sovereignty as the people had any right to
expect.
''He capped the climax when he said shat
Governor Wright was not yet confirmed Min
lister to Berlin, and if his friends did not show
better feeling to other Democrats, he might
not be confirmed at ALL The menace, so
open. so haunting, was received in ominous
silence.
John G.. Davis came next, and he took up
the threat held over Wright's friends by
Hughes, at once, and brought down the
house by well conceived rebuke of the i'm
pertinence of introducing individual names
into the contest. A sort Of running fight
then took place between these gentlemen
which left Hughes decidedly worsted He
assailed Douglas for assocating with Repub-
leans. Davis retorted ''that Douglas was
gentleman, and treated respectable men as
gentleman should, and it was much to be re-
gretted that those who censured him could
not initiate him." This jolt knocked Hughes
upon his feet, boiling with rage. "He want
ed to know if Mr.. Davis meant to say he was
no gentleman" Davis replied "that he
would gives Hughes satisfactory account of
his opinions before he was done. Hughes
chopped that Davis would not skulk from his
declaration when the time came" During
this ''pistols and Coffee rencontre, the cheer
ing for Davis was furious. Hughes admitted
that he 'was Douglas man at Cincinnati"
All the yelling before was a whisper to what
followed this confession. A six pound cannon
might have been fired in the dome and no.
body have heard it."
After few more cuts and thrusts, Hughes
wilted into his cravat and quit. Gov. Will
lard followed Davis in behalf of the Presi-
dent and against Douglas, in speech which
was received with cheers, groans, Kisses and
yells. The gas lights were at last turned off
and the scene of contention and strife was
adjou rned to the morrow
JAN. Sth.-Ihe Convention met at 10 o.
clock. a sharp contest sprang up immedi-
atcly upon which faction should have the
chairman. Finally, after long and bitter
wranglc, the vote was taken, and resulted
For Gov. Willard, Buchanan man. 33s
For Judge Holman, Douglas man................ 239
Majority for Buchanan over Douglas 90
Several allegations who were sent to the
Conventions, instructed for Douglas, were
bought over To buchanan during the night,
and SO voted on tie opening and subsequent
tests. This made the friends of the ''Little
Giant furious. They claimed to have had a
majority in the Convention, if each delegate
had voted as he was instructed.
After Dime" Bright made long speech
against the people of Kansas. He eulogized
the administration in strong terms, andthrew
clubs at Douglas. The committee on rcsolll-
tons reported a series as long as the NOR
al law. They express reverence for the
Constitution and laws, approve and endorse
the Cincinnati Platform. the absolute equal
ity of the States, the bred Scott decision,
and denounce the doctrine Of Niger Equali-
ty, which they charge is put forth by the
Republican party. They also endorse the
election of Bright and Fitch to the United
States Senate, and arraign the Republican
party for number of crimes.
They also endorse Buchanan and his adj
minstration, in the most unqualified terms,
and the administration of Gov Willard.
They were so worded that none could op
pose them, without appearing toloppose the
Democratic party.
The vote stoOd
Majority for Resolutions Observation-Disclosures. 179
The Chicago Times describes the sequel:
The result being announced, a scene Of
the widest confusion ensued. Mr.. Petit
and Mr.. Wallace of Montgomery, both es
sayed to speak. A storm of conflicting erie:
drowned the voices ofboth gentlemen. MIR
Petit mounted chair and began to gestic-
ulate wildly. Mr.. Wallace got on a bench
Mr.. Petit then elm bed on the top of Ia
bic. Mr.. Wallace took his post on a high
desk. All this time, and for fully ten min
utes, it was impossible to hear word. The
storm of noises and cries of "Down with
Pettitv "Pettt!" "Pettit r'-"Wallace 2
"Wallace - were perfectly deafening II
was in vain that the President implored the
Convention to come to order The whole
body were on their feet, pressing forward to
war1 the President in front of whom Wert