White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1860-02-23
Bennett on PRYOR,

The following is the article in the New
York Herald which so excited the wrath
of Mr.. Congressman Pryor:
"The very remarkable scene which
took place in the House during the de-
bate on Tuesday affords a striking illus
tration of the truth of the old Latir
proverb, Whom the gods wish to DIES
troy, they first make mad Mr. Pryor
of Virginia, who has been guilty of q
terrible amount of newspaper infanticide
so far forgot all the prophecies which OBJ
tain between gentlemen. as we'll as the
requirements of Parliamentary law. as to
accuse one Of the opposition members,
Mr.. Hickman, Of Pennsylvania, Of tell
ing deliberate falsehood. This state.
ment was thrice repeated, when Mr.
Hickman stated that he would not be
bullied into fighting a duel, and Pryor
disclaimei any idea OF such a result. A
more ungentlemanly course of conduct
than that pursued by Pryor could hardly
be found outside of the Five Points.
Such are the facts in the case, and they
are not at all pleasant or agreeable to
look upon. Up to this time, the con
duct of the Southern members upon the
floor Of the House has been such as to
win the admiration and the respect of the
whole country. They have been placed
in most trying position. Representing
AN enragsd constituency, and presumed
to be in their own proper persons more
quick to quarrel than the cool-blooded
politicians from the North, they have, so
far, behaved in the most admirable man
ner. They have used all proper parlia-
mentary weapons against their oppo-
nents, but have never till the debut Of
Pryor descended to personalities, or de-
based themselves by the use Of vulgar
and BLACKBOARD epithets. Pgor comes
from State which is proud, and not
without reason, of its gentlemen. II the
manners of the olden time-the high
bred courtesy of the ruffls and powder
era-exist anywhere it is in the State Of
Virginia. Time was, until Pryor, when
'Virginian was synonymous with gen.
tleman.' Nor was his vulgarity allowed
to pass unrebuked by his colleagues. one
Of whom, (Alr. Millson) called Pryor to
order twice, and vindicated, to a certain
extent, the name and fame Of the Old
Dominion. From the tone of the de-
bate, it is evident. also, that other South
ern gentlemen regretted the occurrence,
and believed that the House had been de-
graded by it. The conduct Of Mr.. Pry-
or is, after all, what might readily have
been expected from him. He has simply
transferred his brutality and violence
from the columns of the newspapers to
the floor of Congress. He is a mental
shoulder hitter, pathological pugilist.
moral bully. These traits marked him
as an editor, when he always assailed his
political opponents with the vilest per-
sonal abuse, and he has carried them
with him into the Houss. The stain
which he affixed upon journalism now
blots the records of Congress. The
characters of the other Southern mem
bers should not be Judged BY the stand
ard of such person as Pryor. 1t is in
dictated more fairly by their manly and
courageous bearing. their unvarying re-
spect for parliamentary uss,e. and their
digni6ed manner OF conducting very
exciting and important debate"