Nebraska advertiser., 1861-04-04
A Scene in the U. 5. Senate.

candy N AND "eosEF LAIN"
Jo. Lane had made a tedious, abusive,
secession speech Of two hours length,
wearying the patience of the Senate, and
disgusting the thronged spectators in the
galleries. He had said as many abusive
things Of Senator johnson of Tennessee
as he knew how. 1t was his vaIedIctory,
and was filled with y~iruience, hatred and
treason. All the poison he could inject
into his words, they contained. Il was
the meanest speech he could possibly
make.
Andy Johnson promptly sucured the
floor, and proceeded to fay the old trait
or alive. He has had a score to settle
with Lane for some time. There has
been an old balance on the books running
on interest for a long time, and now was
Johnson's last opportunity to give him a
receipt in full. The fagellation was scien-
tifc, and immensely relished by the
loungers in the galleries. Il was with the
utmost difficulty they could restrain their
feelings from breaking out in applause.
Once or twice some clapping and stamp
ing occurred which could not be held in.
A motion was made TO clear the galleries.
Half an hour was spent wrangling over
It. At last II was Withdrawn on the dis
tinct understanding, ihatat the next mani
festation the people would be turned out
Of the galleries. Johnson then resumed
where be had left of, and proceeded to
| administer a terrific chastisement on the
thick hide of the old secessionist. He
told him that when the finger on the clock
pointed to ID (noon) On Monday, his po-
iitical career was endeed forever; that
he had no future that Providence had no
use for such a he as an Instru-
ment Of evil, The Senator from the free
and loyal State of Oregon had become a
more rabid disunionist than the worst
fre-eater of South Carolina. Who was
he representing on this floor? Certainly
not tee people of Oregon who had repudl-
ated, him and sent a loyal man to fill his
place.
In the course Of his remarks, h Returned
round facing Lane. and exclaimed, ''Show
me a secessionist aud l will show you a
traitor" And Ia reference to General
Twiggs, and those who have seized Gov
eminent properly at the South, he said,
IF / were President of the United States
l would arrest them, and if found guilty
of the charge | would hang them, too. |
would put down treason, and make the
leaders of this unholy crusade against the
best government the sun ever shone upon,
suffer the penalty of treason"
The audience could stand it no longer.
Their patriotic emotions were too strong
for their sense of decorum, and a volley
Of %clapping and stamping r~esounded all
round the chamber. Old Mason sprang
to his feet, his face livid with rage, and
screaming at the top of his voice, de-
manded that the galleries be instantly
cleared. The noise ceased. The Vice
President ordered The Door-kee2ers to
turn out the people. For a minute, no
one stirred. The crowd hesitated whether
TO submit 10 the order; finally, a few
stirred others rose to 60. Then was
heard a single pair Of hands clapping IN
the ladies' gallery; then a scattering vol
ley with a few cane thumpings. Then a
big fellow In one corner, whose face be-
tokened irrepressible enthusiasm and
patriotism, jumped up in his seat and
reared out in loud accents, "Well BOYS,
we may as well hang for stealing an old
sheep as q lamb. If we have got to leave,
let us give three cheers for Andy Johnson
and the Union !" and swinging his hat
on high, he led the cheers in a stentorian
voice. The whole audience, two or three