Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1859-03-03

the appreciation of the great man whose
fame in coming generations will rest less
upon the craftsmanship he displayed, during
the noon-day Of his powers, in high adnin-
isiratiye positions, than upon the SKILL
courage and eloquenee with which he de-
Tended, in his declining years, on the floor
of Congress, the cause Of Liberty and Hu-
manity.
The stalwart form OF Giddings, unbent
with the weight of years, his towering head
crowned with flowing white locks, is
marked object as he calmly sits in the
House amid the surging sea of young hfe
around him. Though he be an interesting
spectacle to beholders, and though it be
treat to hear him, on questions of order,
give from memory, or, it may be, from his
own personal observation, the rulings OF
previous Congresses; or to see him silence
some upstart negro proFagandist with
crushing fact. or impale him ou a sharp re
tort, or roas, him with irony as he impo
his Republican colleagues not to interrupt
by cries Of order his ''young friend from the
South" ,"who is cursing like a very drab in
vindcation of the Divine origin of Slavery
But your interest in the aged man culm-
mates as you go with him TO the old Hall,
and he points out the localities where
Thrilling events ;ranspired in times gone
| by. Here is where Adams stood when he
offered the iumous petition for The dissou-
( tos of the Union. There spoke Kentucky
/ 8i4fshall when he denounced him as guilty.
o! high treason. Here sat the fiery Nc
Dusiie, and yonder the classic Everett
Standing in this aisle, Cor win delivered the
inimitaole speech, describing a Michigan
milita-muster to life, and killing Brigadier-
General Crary stone dead. BY the side of
that pillar stood Webster when he pro
nounced the immortal oration that fulmined
over Greece, and reused the dropping spirits
of her people in the struggle for iEdePend-
ence. On this spot the chair of Adams
rested for many years, and it was here tha,
the great patriot fell.
We must give one scene in the Old Hall
more in detail. We write from recollection.
In 1916, the Indian Appropriation bill was
uHder consideration in Committee of the
/ Whole. Mr., GiIdings attacked an item
which proposed In Fay the Stale ofGsorgia
FIR certain runaway slaves who had found
shelter among the Creek Indians. Mr.. Bl,ck
OF Georgia replied in a grossly foul po rson-
al assault; upon Giddings Amid much .ex-
citement, Giddings standing in TIE side
aisle at the left of the Chair, was respond
ing with great severity to this attack
B ack, armed with a pistol and hesvy sword
cane, and followed BY three or four South
ern Members Zone Of whom is now a dis
tingui>hed Senator). crossed the hall, and
coming within striking distance of Giddings,
said, Repeat those words and FL knock
you dcwn!" He repeated the words, and
went on with his speech. At that moment
Mr. Dawson of Louisiana, rushed to the
tspot, cooked his pistol, aud shouted, III
shoe, him, By Cd. I'll shoot him'' The
peril Of G:ddings was imminent. Quick as
on his pistn, leaped into the aisle between
Black and Giddings TO defend the latter;--
Kenneth Rayner of North Carolina. also
armed, took position at the left hand o:
Giddngs; Charles Hudson of Massachusetts,
placed himself on his right; while Solomon
Foot of Vermont. now in the Senate, stood
Immediately behind him, TO prevent an
assault from that quarter. And there, sur
rounded by Causine and Ravner of the
South. md Hudson and Foot of the North,
with Black, Dawson and other aimed and
| incensad men in front, stood Giddings, his
head towering above the crowd, delivering
his speech with great vigor and entire self
possession, anl never, from the beginning
to the clio of the melee, losing the thread
of his subject, except when, as Black ap-
preached him, he hur led at him the defiance.
"CoME ON THE PEOPLE OF Ono DON'T
SIND CowARDs HERE!''
| It is understood that Mr.. G lddlngs viii
spend his remaining days in preparing q
work that shall depict the scenes that have
passed before his eye, and in so many Of
which he has borne leading part, during
his Twenty Years in the House of Repre-
sentatives." He cannot render higher SER
vice to the country, nor make more val
liable contribution to the great cause. Let
us hope that he will not take for his model
the heavy volumes of Mr.. Benton on sim
liar theme.