Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1865-11-23

whole American people, at de-
fance, and holds us Ill contempt
And what is this clerk of yours
Is he to control the destinies of
sixteen millions of freenlen? Is
he to suspend by his mere mega
tive, the functions of government,
and put an end to this Congress?-
He refuses to call the roll! 1t is
in your power to compel him to
call it, if he will not do it volunta-
riIy. Here he was interrupted
by a member, who said he was
authorized to say that compulsion
could not reach the Clerk, who
had avowed that he would resign,
rather than call the State Of New
iJersey.l Well, sir, then let him
resign" continued Mr.. Adams,
"and we may possibly discover
some way by which we can get
along without the aid of all his
powerful talent, learning and ge-
MUS. If we cannot organize in
any other way-if this clerk of
yours will not consent to our dis
charging the trust confided to us
by our constituents, then let us
initiate the example Of the Virgin.
ia House of Burgesses, which.
when tae colonial Governor Din.
widdie ordered it to dispense, re.
fused to obey the imperious and In
sulting mandate, and, like men"
''The multitude could not re-
strain or repress their enthusiasm
any longer, butsaluted the eloquent
and indignant speaker, and inter
Irupted him with loud and deafen-
ing cheers, which seemed to shake
the capitol from its center. The
very genii of applause and enthu-
siasm seemed to float in the atmos-
iphere of the hall, and every breast
expanded with an indescribable
feeling Of pride and exultation.
The turmoil, the darkness, the
very chaos of anarchy which had,
for three successive days pervaded
the American Congress, was dis
PEELED by the magic, the talismanic
'eloquence of a single man; and,
once more, the wheels of govern
ment and legislation were put in
motion.
"Having by this powerful APP
peal brought the yet unorganized
assembly to a perception Of its
hazardous position, he submitted a
resolution requiring the acting
clerk to proceed in calling the roll.
This, and similar motions, had al
ready been made by other mem
bers. The difficulty was that the
acting clerk declined to entertain
them. Accordingly, Mr.. Adams
was immediately interrupted by a
burst of voices demanding, how
shall the question be putt 'Who
will put the question: The
voice of Mr.. Adams was heard a.
bove the tumult, i will put the
question myselfp That word
brought order out of chaos. There
was the master mind.
AS soon as the multitude had
recovered itself, and the excite
ment of irrepressible enthusiasm
had abated, Mr.. Richard Barnwell
Rhett, of South Carolina, leaped
upon one Of the desks, and waiv-
ed his hand, and exclaimed: 81
move that the Honorable John
Quincy Adams take the chair of
the Speaker of this House, and Off
ciate as presiding officer till the
House be organized by the election
of its constitutional officers! AS
many as are agreed to this will
say aye-those-"
He had not an Opportunity to
complete the sentence-ssthose
who are not agreed will say no
for one universal, deafening thun-
derlng age responed to the nomi-
nation.
Hereupon it was moved and or
dered that Lewis Williams. of North
Carolina, and Richard Barnwell
Rhett conductJohn Quincy Adams
to the chair.
Well did Mr.. Wise, of Virginia,
say, "Sir, | regard it as the proud
est day of my life; and if when
you shall be gathered to your IA
theirs, | were asked to select words
which, In my Judgment, are best
calculated to give at once the
character of the man, / would in
scribe upon your tomb this SEN
tence-'I will put the question
11l,O