The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-01-14

the positions of his assailants, seriatin J. His
reply to Marshall was magnificent. IN the
courta Of it, while responding to MaHhalls
proposition to impeach him for treason, he
turned suddenly upon him-Marshan ,iumed
himself upon his high birth and superit, intel.
lecs-Eand said: 4" The trainers of the C.Sstitu.
ton gave not left it for the puny mind Of the
member from Kentucky to define what seeason
is. They have declared it solely to consist in
levySng war against the United Stats1, and
giving aid and comfort to their enemies Let
him study the document"
In his reply to Wise, he was terribly evere.
For 1once, he made the naughty, bras y Vir-
ginit.n blanch and quail. Wise took Al. active
partin this attempt to degrade the oil man.
1t will be remembered that, on the occ lion of
the silley duel, the House appeared to pc de-
termined to expel all the members who ksd par
ticipated in that murder. Wise was one of the
number. At critical stage of the controversy,
Mr.. Adams made speech against the Sonstitu-
tionsl right of the House to expel saember
with put q formal trial, and subsequently pade a
successful motion to lay the subject on tbs table.
Thus Wise was saved. On the present occasion,
in TIE course Of his reply to Wises bitter attack,
he exed his eye upon him, and, poia.ipg his
ski8ay finger steadily at him, said: AT a Pc
Rod, not far remote, when the member cow sit
ting in that chair entered this Hall, pAse and
hagyard, his hands all dripping with the red
blood of fellow. member, and this House in its
indignation was ABOUT to expel him from its
stitston in defence of his privileges, aid saved
hing from disgrace? And is this the r,,turn he
| renders me for that service?"
When the old man was uttering thtse terri
BILE words, Wise, who was sitting erect OF their
cor mencement, taking notes, began % settle
down lower and lower and lower, all eyes fixed
upon him, till, at their conclusion his .Abashed
couatenance was completely hidden behind his
desg. No convicted culprit, standiDs in the
doc&, and writhing under the sentence of a
jude, ever exhibited more pitiable spectacle
thai did the cowed Virginian.
we must forbear further details. Suffice it
to cay, that, at the end of the twelfth day, the
slaseholders, beaten at al: points, and driven
from the field, while Mr.. Adams was only on
the; threshold of the disc, ,sson, we're glad to
lay.their own resolutions the table, and give
up the contest.
OF Mr.. Adams's rare pa Elementary ssct, the
eel lbrated strife over "b ,oad seal" Of New
the session, the Clerk for +. ,any days refused to
put any motion to the Hoe,se, though scores of
resolutions were offered, ,nd he persisted in
calling a roll of member, which he bad pre-
pated-the House being enable in tie mean
time to proceed to the election of Speaker, and
s'aAding in dead LOCKE of disorga4ization.
FiGally, after long debates. Mr.. Adams made
motion that Mr.. Rhett w., forget at this mo-
meat whether it was Rhets or Lewis Williams
do take the Chair temporarily, and preside till
a speaker be chosen. "Ah hai responded
halt hundred voices; "but who will put the
question to vote?" 81 INTEND TO Pur IT MY
sEFF!" instantly responded Mr.. Adaras. In
tbs twinkling of an eye, the obstinate Clerk
saIsk to the position of mere scribe, order
rose out Of chaos, and Mr., Adams himself was
placed temporarily in the Chair.
,'osterity will regard the Congress- 2nal ca
reer Of Mr.. Adams as the most iluatri Jus peri
cd of his great life. He served, he s,,ged, the
caase of Liberty. The same unerrina tribunal
will place his forensic displays in the +. ont rank
ofthe manifold exhibitions of rnisd richly
la6en with the spoils of all sciences. and all
tiaes. That man who mad borne TO part in
desiberative bodies, and had spent the greater
portion of his life in foreign Courts, where he
rasely heard the accents ef his mother tongue,
should, late in the evening of his Days, enter
the most tumultuous POPULAR assembly in the
wtrld, and for sixteen years, and until he
reyched the octogenarian period, hold the posi-
tiGn of the most acute psrliamentariap and the
most dreaded debater of ais time, is without
parallel in history.
sThe circumstances of Bis death were an ap
pEopriate closing of his extraordinary career
Ga sunny morning in February, 1848, the
House was thrown into ole of its widest, most
turbulent, moods. Half he members were on
their feet, shouting to tn Speaker. Our eyes
feel upon Mr.. Adams. lie Was sitting in his
usual ssat, apparently ca inn and unmoved by
tie tumult around him. Instantly be turned
way pallid, his lips move !, his hand nervously
grasped his desk. We ought he was trying
tG arise and address til, Chair. A moment
afterwards, his body bega, to incline over upon
the left arm of his seat, b. head dropping upon
his breast One cried OFT to member near
h-m, |" Look to Mr.. Ad ANS, he is falling l"
The attention of the assembly was arrested, the
u)roar ceased, member sprang towards the
dfing statesman, the House adjourned, and the
venerable sage was bofpe to the Speakers
room. Like Nelson, his spirit ebbed, his life
went out, amid the roar of battle, so familiar,
s. musical, to his ear. Not to compare him
with vulgar heroes, he WIS stricken down like
Chatham, in the plenitu6e of his fame, on the
tEeatre of his greatest achievements; and he
died under the dome of the Capitol, which so
often had echoed his elo,1uence, and witnessed
lis immortal deeds. =
"Clarum ct venerable nomen
Genubus, et mulium nostre quod proderat urbi."
The treason trial of NJ. Adams reminds one
Of the ceusure of Joshua R. Giddings. later in
the same session, for venturing to offer in the
House some moderate Att Slavery rlAolutions.
dis resignation, his triumphant reelection, are
freshly remembered. Truly the prer;ent father
sf the House may say, Times change, and
snen change with themiP
( The Old Hall, of which we write, 9 not SOLE
" consecrated to the heroic and tn! sublime.
Ihe ludicrous and the facetious hav, laid their
gifts there. Among the richest ofsthese was
Tom Corwin's reply To pompouts brigadier
general Of militia frosn Michigan, Crazy by
pane. 1t was in the Harrison canvass of
4 $40. Crazy had entered into n mute mill.
tary criticism of some of Harrisonsa battles in
the war of l8l2-'l5, to prove Harr,son's inca
pacity for command. Corwin respo,,ded in his
happiest vein. Addressing himself to "the
two hundred colonies, majors, anSs captains,
more or less, on this hoor," Corwia proceeded
to describe muster of Michigan militia, with
BrigaGier Crary in command. The various
revolutions and contortions of the line, so that
the soldiers might enjoy the outrageous
! shadows of the shady trees" the oninous gath
erlng IN the heavens ebout noon, the whiting
shower, the scattering o. the troops, their vora
cious charge near nightfall, the thirsty Crary
leading. the hungry c5lumn upon the. ada
cent whisky shops, watermelon booths, and
gingerbread stands-thJ intermingled illusions
to Steuoen's work on m .litary tactics, Vauban's
on engineering, to Alexander and the great
frederlck-were all given in language and
| tones 80 exquisitely lud:crous, that for an hour
| ana hall the House ycreamed with laughter,
while poor Crary escaped to one of the adioin-
| ing committee roouss. The next day, Mr..
Adams brought down Inc House, by speaking
| of Cen Gro ~ NJ H.