The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1859-03-24


Toonbs directed his speech entirely TO Sew
ard. Always impassionated and furious. he
vas extraordinarily vehement In tone, violent
10 gesticula,ion, and abusive in language
He called Seward a demasogus. a small
demagogu said he despised small dema-
gogues, detes,ed small demagogues in par
ticulsr, bet more especially pitied and des-
pissed those who could be driven by small
demag gogues bringing his fist in the vicinity
of Wade's desk. as he uttered the last clause
He accused the Republicans in body of
eowardice, personal and political. of skulk-
ing the issue of Cuba, and shivering n shoes
at the mere name.
He rung the charges on Stewards term.
.land for the landless.' = and sneered at the
"lacklanders," as he called them, Of VII ON
the Republicans We're afraid. &c. He smote
his own desk violently, occasionally reached
out and struck Stewards. kept his back
towards the chair that he might turn his face
against Seward, ever and anon thrusting his
hand almost IN his face, and pushing in adver-
tently against Wade's chair; all this time his
face E lowing with passion, and his air ard
mien and tone suggesting the ferocity of
Danton combined with the malignity of Mu-
rat. During this short speech. portion of
the galleries kept up running accompani
ment of feeble gusts of laughter.
! Nearly all eyes had been fixed on Toombs
and Seward, the latter calm and pale, and
/ looking steadily at his assailant. But the
/ few who knew Wade well. had not failed to
notice his hands firmly clenched on the arms
/ of his chair, lis compressed lips. and the in
! desciibable air of defiance that sat upon his
countenance. Ere Toombs was fairly in his
seat. Seward, Wilson, Fessepden and Wade
sprang TO their feet 1t was impossible for
the Chair to assign the floor to anybody but
''the Senator from Ohio for the tone in
which he pronounced the formula, Mr..
President p and the eve he fixed on Brock
enridge. said plain words could have
uttered il, Il must and will have it,
Wade, who don't fear the devil. turned
square upon Toombs. who knows that w ade
don't fear the devil. and bringing his fist
down within about an inch of Toombs' nose
and heavily upon his desk, said, his eye riv-
eting him, and the hot words kissing through
his teeth "Skulk, all shiver do wel'
The Georgian pushed his chair-it stands
on castors-a few inches further off, so to
give his Ohio neighbor more room.
Wade went on, leapn5 almost from the
floor at every sentence, showing plainly that
though he was able to reply effectively to the
taunts and abuses that fell from Toombs' lips,
he would rather drive them forcibly down
his throat all of which Toombs knew, be-
cause once on time, they being neighbors
in the Senate then as now, Ioombs was
abusing all Republicans in the most vituper-
ative STYLE, " hen Wade, his hands on the arms
Of his chair, ready to leap on his feet. de-
maudei to know. Does the Senator mean
me in what he is now saying?" Upon which
the Georgian responded, Il except the Sena
ator from Ohio" Since that occurrence,
every body thinks Toombs desires to give
Wade wide berth.
But TO the speech. The first sentence went
straight 10 the core of the subject. and all
the rest followed it. You sneer at the Home
stead bill, because i gives land to the land
less. do you? What is your pet measure?-
Stealing niggers far tie ntggerlesst We go
to the country upon it-Land for the Land
less rersas Niggers for the NiggerlessP'
That WIS enough. The galleries had SEEM
ingly held their breath. Now, some few came
down with one determined stamp upon the
floor, few hands smote together. bu; the
mass in the gallery and Senate, shouted with
a mingled roar of laughter and cheers. the
President throwing down the gavel in des-
pair.
Having in this phrase compressed the
whole argument into the smallest possible
compass, Wade went roasting the Dem
ocraey about their "nigger bill, and satisfy
ing Toombs that he (WadeJ not much
frightened, however it might be with him
troombs and then he handed the fight
ever TO Fesseaden.
Mr. Fessenden was more deliberate. In
deed, he was persistently calm and provok
ingly cool. He told Toombs tha, Republi-
cans did not sEuik nor shver on the Cuba
question, but only meant by this course, to
take their own time and teach gentlemen that
this Senate was to be governed by its own
rules, and not by the DEGREES of party
Gus, and that they should permit the vote TO
be taken on the bill when they had said all
they wished to on the subject, and not one
moment sooner.
All this time Seward sat quietly in bis
chair. Those accustomed to read his tho't Is
on his face. knew be was biding his oppor-
tunity to reply. Finally he took the floor.
He never spoke of the Senator from Geor-
gia He turned his back somewhat to " ard
him, with mingled air Of dignity and con-
tempt lie drew his own chair aside. push
ed Wilson's out Of the way, stepped back
pace or so. shook off trammels. forgot Blair's
rhetoric, Campbells rhetoric, and Stewards
rhetoric. calmly defined the different kinds
of courage, and said he hoped he had enough
to serve his purposes as a Senator and man.
and then rose with his theme. contrasting in
a few glowing words, the beneGcent objects
OF the Homestead Bill, and the pernlcious
scheme OF acquiring Cuba, and alluding to
the Presidents efforts to clutch the purse and
the sword. denounced him in severe but
strictly parliamentary language. for attempt
ing thus to divert The public mind from the
issues which bis Kansas and financial policies
had precipitsted upon the country, and he
concluded by comparing, in a few eloquent
sentences, the principle which would give
land and homes 10 freedom and free labor
ers, with thai which would extend and
strengthen the curse aud crime of human
bondage among men.
As be pronounced the closing words, be