The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1867-01-24

ment will be simply that no one will read
or heed its speeches 1t may waste money
wildly, and it will be denounced, but
conspicuous piece of economy will secure
an ample pardon. But lie. it outrage de-
cency and insult the moral sense of the
community, and there is no pardon, AID
there ought net to be. Nobody excuses
it. Nobody even pallates it. 1t will al
ways be true, as Pope said,
.,Iran,odeSt words admit of no defense.
For want Of dccency - want OF sense
IF we are enemies we denounce it, Sc
care against fetort or rebuke. If friends
We bear the shame as patiently as we may.
The current Of events may carry 1t out OF
sight, but it can't wash away a particle OF
its offeRsiveness. 1t stinks as nasty last as
first
Last Saturday. in a debate in the lower
House of Congress, on reconstruction. MIR.
Stevens. Of PENNSYLVANIA, and Mr.. Spaul.
ding. of Ohio, both old men, already
stumbling among the clods Of the graves
that are waiting for them. men whose en-
inence directs thousands of young eyes to
theit example. INDUCED il series Of filthy
illusions and repartees that would shame
a docgery. And their jokes were received
with .'roars Of laughter" which the speak
err yainly tried to silence II there were
ladies present they no doubt hurried away
with their ears tingling and cheeks burn
ing. If there were any foreign ministers
or visitors in the gallery, tkey must have
received fattering impression of Amerl
can parliamentary manners. What a
shameful spectacle Tive old statesmen.
peiting each other with dirty jokes. and
the House Of Representatives gathered
about them welcoming each new dab oi
/ filth with a roar Of laughter. We fancy
there are few of the actors in that specta
Gle either as blackeuar,,s or applauders OF
blackeuarlism. who would relish the ide:
of being picked in photograph of it
But it is due to the decency Of the nation
that snch an exhibition shall not pass un
rebuked into an accepted indication of ma
,onai taste. or national morals, and we are
gild u see that nearly every Republican
paper in the country has denounced 1t IL
good set phrase.
Our country has suffered in reputation
for years. from the violent conduct or Ian
suage Of I few ignorant or ill-bred Con
crassmen. Our legislative bodies o! ever,
degrees have been set down as rude, bots
ferrous assemblages of half drunken. hal
civilized men. II was useless to urge the
thousand proofs Of enlightenment furnish
ed b7 our legislation We were Away
met with the old story, "Your member
call each other liar they strike each 9th
cr in deba'c they take pistols and knives
into the hall in their pockets, they 90 to
their seats drunk and incapable of at
tending to business" We could reply
They are exceptions. and the great ma
iorty think Of them Just as meanly as you
do but came the retort, 'thc major
ity don't stop it; the mairoity don't expe
The offenders And the argument was
closed During the last ten years thi,
prejudice has bccn very greatly wcakere Ell
An American could speak of Congress
without having its disorders thru't into
his mouth. Exceptional nfools or DULLES
were not taken as samples of American
parliamentary dccorum. But now como
Nezsrs. Stevens and Spaulding. to load Us
with new odium. to change the half de
tcstation. half dread, with which our VIC
lence was once regarded, for unmixed con-
tempt for such indecency as was never
Witnessed before in any Legislative body
on earth. We verify believe. Any thing
more prerile more witless. more disgust
ing. We never heard or read The House
ought 10 yindicate lis outraged dccorum
/ bv commanding an ample apology, and
stamatizing the affair "a it deserves but
anhappily. the House shares the guilt. for
it enjoyed the vile jokes as intensely as
the venerable flth-aingers themselves.