The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-03-31
NO.. g..

Republicans in the most vituperativo
style, when Wade, his hands on the arms
of his chair, ready to leap to his feet, de-
manded 10 know, "Does the Senator
mean to include me in what he is now
saying % Upon which the Georgian re-
sponded, 81 except the Senator from
Ohio y Since that occurrence every
body thinks Toombs desires TO give Wade
a wide berth.
But, to the speech. The first sentence
went straight to the core of the subject,
and all the rest followed it. You sneer
at the homestead bill, because it gives
land to the landless, do you? What is
your pet measure Stealing niggers for
the niggerless We 60 to the country
upon it" Land for the landless versus
niggers for the niggerless."
That was enough. The galleries hal
seemingly held their breath. Now, some
feet came down with one determined
stamp on the foor--a few hands smote
together. But the mass, in gallery and
in Senate, shouted with a mingled roar
of laughter and cheers-the President
throwing down the gavel in despair.
Having in his phrases compressed the
whole argument into the smallest possi-
BILE compass, Wade went on roasting the
Democracy about their "nigger BILL"
and satisfying Toombs that he (Wade)
was not much frightened, however il
might be with him (Toombs); and then
he handed over the fight to Fessenden.
Mr.. Fessenden was more Deliberate
Indeed he was persistently AMI provok-
ingly cool. He told Toombs that Re-
publicans did not skulk nor shiver on
the Cuba question, but only meant by
this course to take their own time, and
teach gentlemen that the Senate was to
be governed by its own rules, and not by
the DEGREES of party caucus. 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 his
chair. Those accustomed to read his
thoughts on his face, knew he was biding
his opportunity to reply. Finally, he took
the floor. He never spoke of the Sena-
tor from Georgia. He turned his back
somewhat toward him, with a mingled
air of dignity and contempt He drew
his own chair aside, pushed Wilson's out
of the way, stepped back pace or so,
shook off trammels, forgot Blair's rhet-
oric, Campbell's rhetoric, and Stewards
rhetoric, calmly defined the different
kinds of courage, said he hoped he had
enough to serve his purpose as Senator
and man, and then rose with his theme.
contrasting in few glowing words the
benefcent objects of the Homestead bill
with the pernicious scheme of acquiring
Cuba, and, alluding to the Presidents
efforts to clutch the purse and the sword.
denounced him i'll severe but strictly par
liamentary language, for attempting thus
to divert the public mind from the issues
which his Kansas and financial policies
had precipitated upon the country, and
he concluded by comparing. in a few e-
oquent sentences, the principle which
would give lands and homes to freedom
and free laborers, with that which would
extend and strengthen the curse and
crime of human bondage among men.
As he pronounced the closing words.
he proudly turned his back upon the
Chair, drew out his cigar case and walk
ed into the adjoining cloak room.
After another short skirmish on points
of order, Toombs replied. He tried 10
abuse him. But il was not the vituper-
alton of Senator. 1t was the rawlings
of drayman on the dock, the cursings
of common drab in dirty alley.
| In the midst of this gust of passion.
| the fire eater might be seen shaking his
clenched fist and curly locks at the New
York Senator, who was leaning against
the doorway of the cloak room, quietly
smoking his cigar and calmly eyeing
Toombs. 1t was ta5ieau indeed.