Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1859-03-23

stands on casters-a few inches furthe
} off, SO as to give his Ohio neighbor mo
. room?
y Wade went on, leaping almost from
the floor at every sentence, showing
plainly that though he was able to reply
effectively to the taunts and abuse tina
fell from Toomb's lips, he would rathe
J drive them forcibly down his throat-al
of which Toombs knew, because, once OIL
time, they being neighbors in the Sen
ate then as now, Toombs was abusing al
Republicans in the most vituperous style
when Wade, his hands on the arms of hi!
chair, ready TO leap 10 his feet, demanded
to know, 'Does the Senator include M,
in what he is now saying2" Upon which
the Georgian responded, 81 except the
Senator from OhioI" Since that occur
ance, everybody thinks Toombs desire.
to give Wade wide berth. a..
But TO the speech. The first sen
tence went straight TO the core Of the
subject, and all the rest followed it,
"You sneer at the Homestead bill, be-
canse it gives land 10 the landless, dC
you2 What is your pet measured
Stealing n;ggers for the niggerless! We
go TO the country upon it-Land for the
Landless vsrsus Niggers for the Niger
lessl' f.
That was enough. The galleries had
seemingly held their breath. Now, some
feet came down with one determined
stamp upon the floor-a few hands smote
together-but the mass, in gallery and
in Senate, shouted with mingled roal
of laughter and cheers-the President
throwing down the gavel in despair.
Having, in this phrase, compressed the
whole argument into the smallest possible
compass, Wade went on roasting the
Democracy about their "nigger BILL
and satisfying Toombs that he (Wade
was not much frightened, however ii
might be with him (Toombs;) and then
he handed over the fight to Fessenden.
MIR. Fessenden was more deliberate.
Indeed, he was persistently calm and
provokingly cool. He told Mr.. Toombs
that Republicans 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 10
be governed by its own rules, and not
by the DEGREES of party caucus, and
that they should permit the vote to be ia
ken 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. Final
ly, he took the floor. He never spoke
of the Senator 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 a
pace or SO, shook off trammels, forgot
Blairs' rhetoric, Campbell's rhetoric, and
Stewards rhetoric, calmly defined the
different kinds of courage, said he hoped
he had enough 10 serve his purpose as
Senator and man, and then lose with
his theme, contrasting in few glowing
words the beneficent objects of tha Home
stead bill, with the pernicious schsme 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
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 COM
pairing, in a few eloquent sentences, the
principle which would give land 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 to Seward
He tried TO abuse him. But it was not
the vituperation of a senator. 1t was
the rawlings of drayman on the dock. |
the cursings of a common drab in a 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 cloakroom, quietly
smoking his cigar and calmly eyeing
Toombs. Itwas a ta5leau indeed.
After long fight, Slidell, chief of the
Cubans, at nearly 2 o'clock in the morn
ing. showed the white feather, and moved
hat theSenaie adjourn.
Walter Scott was very particular
about his books. He would always en-
Lao uor 70 hnua thn hont Il. |