The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-06-15
FRIDAY, JUNE l5, 1866.
Congressional Caning-A Modern Republic
can Tournament.

tSIR PERCY DE CoURCY re1ned up his merry steed,
hurled his mailed glove on the arena and .bade
his trumpet sound defiance to all who denied
that he was Sgood knight and true, and one
whose ladylo,e was the fairest IN the land"
Such was the mode of counting rencontre in
the baibaric days of the feudal ages. II an
opposing warrior appeared, took up the glove,
and met the champion the Court sat round, the
beauties of the land came eagerly to applaud
the victor, and he whose lance point first pierced
his enemy's mail was crowned by fair hands
and halled as the pride of chiyalry. But such
custom prevailed only in the dark days OF the
past, ere the hight OF civilization had illumtned
the intellect, and before we had reduced to
science the mode OF giving and resenting an
insult. We are thankful that enlightened
America has never witnessed so absurd spec
tacle. Why should such pomp and heralry sur
rount the settlement OF difficulty We want
no romance; we want practical.
The perfection of contest is found in the
Southwest A modern traveller gives us an ac
count of practical tournament which he wit
messed in Texas and which is stripped of all
the useless insignia of the chivalric times. 81
was passing by little wood" says be, "when
my attention was attracted by groans and
struggles in q neighboring glade. l hastened
to the spot, and saw two contestants rolling on
the ground, while four or five friends stood
round as witnesses. Suddenly one of the con-
testants got the uppermost, seized his foe by the
throat, and deliberately gouged out one Of his
eyes. The Cyclops, by terrible effort, over
mastered his enemy, and sent six of his molars
down his throat to try his digestion. The fight
then ended by mutual consent"
D.. Al oloo,c,I p,ooaeS uhich nravoiIS in ba
sweet wildwoods OF the West cannot be eX
pected to succeed where we are trammelled by
the tradition of homer as practised in the Old
World. Hence we have adopted a system as
near the ''simon pure" as possible. If gentle
man is insulted, we hear no more of steeds and
armor, nor yet of the order, "pistols and coffee
for two;n but the injured man violently abuses
his ilsulter and seeks to induce him to strike
the first blow. If he fails, he selects conve-
nlent opportunity, lays in wait ior his traducer,
and breaks small cane over his back. AS they
are both Immediately rested and bound over
to keep the peace, all danger OF being held ac-
countable vanishes.
We have been led to these remarks by the
little rencontre which enlivened the mInotony
of legislation yesterday. General LOWELL II.
ROUSSEAU saw fit to subject Mr.. JOSIAH B.
GRINNEI L to the chastisement of a Gaming. The
facts are given in all the papers. The cause of
the assault was that Mr.. GRINNELL insulted the
General in the House on Monday last. Now,
what constitutes an American ins alt is peculiar.
The nicely OF the distinction reminds us of
story told by SIDNEY SMITH:-Travelling in Ire
land, he came across young man and female
from Billingsgate in hot controversy. The
youth tried hard to equal his opponent in
abusive epithets. But she far eXcelled him,
giving far more than she took. At last in despe
ration, he looked at her with dignfed scOrn,
and hissed OUT" You are a ge0nletr'lcat beGa-
meter, an equiLoteral triangle, yeS, ac'H add
quddriiateroi" 81 have often been cursed
and insulted," replied the Amazon, "but
never such as this" and she rushed wildly
to commit an assault and battery.
Such is the Congressional code of respect. You
can tell a man that he wilfully misrepresents
facts, that he is political charlatan, receiver
of bIibes, and a sycophant, and you commit no
.offense but term him coward and miscreant,
and YOUR doom is sealed Such was the fate of
Mr.. GRNNELL. He oveIstepped those mysterious
bounds. Mr.. GRINNELL called ROUSSEAU
''brainess defender" and ''pitiful demagogue,"
but this could pass He even sneered at his
bravery, and nsinuated that he was coward.
That might have been forgiven; but then "hor-
rors on horrors head accumulate" !" He actually
termed the honorable gentleman a ''rabbitW
He might as well have called him quadriate
raj, and of course that could not be forgiven.
The result was that Mr.. GRINNELL was caned.
There is one popularity in the affair which is
noticeable The assault was not committed
until four days after the insult. Every
opprobrious epithet was used on Monday, and
yet GRNEELL went unharmed until Thursday.
Can 1t be that the old anecdote is applicable
which tells us OF highly indignant man who,
turning on his nsulter, thundered forth, Twice
you've kicked me, sir! three times you've
smacked my mouth, now beware of sixth
oHense |" And MIR. GRNNELL must have been
indeed guilty of sixth offense.
The as ault concludes the episode, as though
the whole narrative had gradually advanced
until it reached climax. The opening stage of
the contest was amusing. Mr.. INGERsoLL hurled
the epithet of sycophant at General ROUSSEAU,
and the General sought the first opportunity to
hurl it back Il spit upon CROMWELL" re-
upon GEORGE Ill.," replied the Liberal.
"Waiter, spittoons for two," shouted
DOUGLAS JERRoLD. And if JERRoLD
had been 10 the House, he might have naturally
assisted the buIling by adding ''slung shots for
two.p Such is our American mode OF producing
personal COLI ion, one at once ridiculous in
the actors and contemplate in the eyes OF the
world. To speak with all soberness, we had
hoped that the nonsense and disgrace of such
hrnfaI avhihitiOns hod naSaad ont Of Our hiatOrv