St. Cloud visiter [sic]. [volume] (St. Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1857-1858, 1858-07-22
CONGRESSIONAL REM1NIsCENsE.

teresting sketch of scenes and incidents
that occurred in the old Representatives
Hall, thus describes one of the warmest
and most memorable occasions ever witnes-
sed in that Hall:
The Right Of Petition was early put in
issue by that persistent body Of men, the
radical Abolitionist, whose convictions Of
,luty rs fire Of prosecutions was able to
burn out of them. 1t is a curious fact
that the first modern memorial respecting
Slavery, ever presented to the House OF
Representatives, was the proceedings of a
a meeting in Utica, New York, aepreca-
ling The agitation, Of this subject! It was
offered by Judge Beardly, then in Congress,
in the opening days Of the session of 1854
IS. John Dickson, Of Ontario county,
New York, in January, 1835-just after
the reception of the Utica memorial-pre-
sentcd petition for the abolition Of slav-
cry in the District Of Columbia He ad-
vocated its prayer in an able speech
This was the first gentle zephyr Of the ap-
proachiug storm which ultimately swelled
into tempest that ragged in the House
with undated fury for many years: The
earliest defenders Of the rig Int of petition
were Messrs Dickson, Of New York,
Phillips and jackson, Of Massachusetts,,
and Slade, of Vermont. Resort was still
had to the Gag Rule, which, as the food
Of memorials began to increase in volume,
was finally incorporated among the stand
ing rules of the House.
These tyrannical measures aroused the
ire of John Quincy Adams, who soon be-
came the leading champion Of the right Of
petition. His great age, his eminent SER
vice, his persistent courage, his skill in de-
bate, at once elevated the CONTROVERSY to
a commanding position before the country.
During the session Of 1873 aud g his
desk was loaded with heaps of anti-slavery
memorials from all the free States: Every
petition-day witnessed graphic scene, as
the old man deliberately presented one me
mortal after another, taking most provoking
pains to make brief statement Of each as
he ha,,ded it over to the little page, to be
ultimately consigned by the clerk to some
dark cell in the vaults Of the Capitol.
On the 18th Of January, 1887, the
House adopted the usual rule to lay anti
slavery petitions on the table; this being
denominated "Hawes Gag" to Distinguish
it from the "Patent Gag" and the "Ath-
erton Gag" ..-
On Monday, the 9Th Of February, 1887,
Mr. Adams having occupied an hour or
more in exhausting his pile of anti:slavery
memorials, paused, and looked significant
ly at Mr.. Speaker Polk, said, "I hold in
my hand paper purporting to be peti-
ton from certain slaves. IF I should pre-
sent it to the House, would it go on the
table under the order of the 18th of Janu-
aryw The speaker seemed bewildered,
and had time to stammer out something
about the gravity of the question, when
the entire pro-slavery side Of the chamber
exploded with the most intense wrath ~
"Let him be expelled r. screamed a score
of voices. "Expel the traitor!" shouted
Dixon H. Lewis, whose huge body, weigh
ing five hundred pounds averdupoia, came
waddling and wheeling down the aisle
towards the clerks desk. The whole
corps of Oigarohs were on their feet,
screaming, swearing, gesticulating like de-
mons. Quick as thoug ght resolutions were
prepared for the expulsion of Mr.. Adams,
based on the assumption that he had pre-
sented petition from slaves for the aboli-
ton of slavery. ,...-.
Ere they were fairly before the House,
they were offered in modified form by
Mr.. Waddy Thompson, now demanding
the severest censure rather than expulsion.
Thereupon the debate began. It ragged
violently three days. Thompson, Droom-
goole, Wise, Underwood, leading off from
the siaveocraey, while, Lincoln, Gushing,
Phillips, Granger and others, defended
Adams. During the heig htof fthetempest
the rotunda, the galleries, the passagestol
the Capitol being filed with an excited
throng, the colleagues and friends of Mr.
Adams felt great anxiety, not only for hi
fate. in the House, but for his persona
safety. Meonwhile the resolutions were