Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1868-03-20
Benjamin F. Wade as a Debater.

+ ~
General Brisbin in one of the series of
his biographical sketches of Senator
Wade gives the following description
Of some Of his forensic ''set-tos" with
the Southern ire-eaters in the United
States Senate;
Senator Wade inaugurated the prac-
tice of setting up backbone in the Sen
ate. Soon after taking his seat, be wit
messed one Of those scenes so common
in the Senate in those days. A
Southern fire-eater made an attack on
Northern Senator, and Wade was amaz-
ed and disguised at the cringing, cow
ardIy way in which the Northern man
bore the tauDtS and insults of the hot
headed Southerner. As no allusion
was made to himselfCr State, Mr.. Wade
sat still, but when the Senate adjourned
be said openly, If ever Southern Sen
atOr made such an attack on him or his
State while he sat on that floor, he
would brand him as a liar. This COM
ing to the ears of the Southern men, a
Senator took occasion to pointedly
speak a few days afterwards Of Ohio
and her people as negro thieves. In
stantly Mr.. Wade sprang to his feet and
pronounced the Senator liar. The
Southern Senators we're tbuuderstruck,
and gathered around their champion,
while the Northern men grouped about
Wade. A feeler was put out from the
Southern side, looking to retractiOn,
hut Mr.. Wade retOrted IN his peculiar
style AMI demanded an apology for the
insult offered himself and the people he
represented. The matter thus closed,
and fight was looked upon as certain.
The next day q gentleman called on
the Senator from Ohio, and asked the
usual question touching his acknOwl-
edgement Of the code,
81 am here, . he responded, ''in dOu-
bic capacity. I represent the State of
Ohio, and represent Ben. Wade. As
/ a Senator am opposed to dueling. As
Ben. Wade, I recognize the CODE"
''My friend feels aggrieyed," said the
I gentleman, sat what you said in the
Senate yesterday, and viii ask for an
apology or satisfaction"
''T was somewhat embarrassed, - con-
tinued Senator Wade, 'bY my position
l yesterday, as I have some respect for
the Chamber. new tuiNe this -0IJ J0rtU-
nifty to say what I then thought, and
you will, ifyou please repeat it. Your
friend is a foul mOUthed old black
guard"
'fCertainIy, Senator Wade, you do
not wish me to convey such message
as that %
tsMost undoubtedly I do; and will tell
you for your own benefit, this friend of
/ yours Will never notice it. L will not be
| asked for either retractiOn, explanation
or fight"
Next morning Mr.. Wade came into
/ the Senate, and proceeding to his seat,
deliberately drew from under his coat
/ two large pistols, and unlocking his
] desk lai5 them inside. The Southern
! men looked on in silence while the
/ Northern memb bers enjoyed to the full
| lest extent of the fre eaters surprise at
/ the proceedings of the plucky Ohio SEN
-
| the affair of the day before. Wade was
not challenged, but ever afterwards
treated with the utmost politeness and
/ consideration by the Senator who had
! so insultingly attacked him.
Mr.. Wade acted with the Whig party
until 1854, when the proposition to re-
peal the M MiSSOurl Com mprOmlSe began to
agitate Congress. In March, 1854, he
made q speech in the Senate, clearly de-
6ning his position, and fully demOstra-
ting his determined hostility to meas
ure which he predicted would be fraught
with more evil to the country and dan
ger to its peace than ever before dis
turbed it's prosperity. After this speech
he cOntented himself in watching the
events which he saw must ultimately
end in the consummRtiOn of all the
| evils he had predicted, He learned by
|, the discussion of the measure, that il
was to be carried by a combination o.
the Southern Wings and those who fol
the occasion assumed the name @
, / National Democrats" At this uniOI
for such a purpose his heart sickened
| and he prepared himself to give utter
ance to the noble sentiments and aWfu
warnings contained in his speech de-
livered on the night of the final passagl
of that measure in the Senate. The TTi
bune of that date appropriately calleC
that speech ''the new Declaration 0
, Independence" In this speech Mr.
] "a fol no 70 a1.ovT o1T s,F
r mer Wing friends of the South, but no
until he had seen sOlemnized the nup
tials between the them and the Demo
cratic party. We cannot refrain from
giving g few extracts from this speech
He said:
}, Mr.. PRESIDENT: I do not intend t
debate this subject further. The hu
initiation of the North is complete an
| overwhelming. No Southern enem
3. of hers can wish her deeper degrade
ton. God knows I feel it keenly enOug
\, and I have no desire to prOlOng tn
, melancholy spectacle. > I hav
. all my life belonged to the great nation
!. al Wing party, and never yet have
y failed, with all the ability I have,
support her regular candidates, com
from what portion of the Union the
might, and much Oftener has IL been m
r lot to battle for Southern than for
Northern candidate for the Presidency
Of and when such candidate was assaile
by those who were Jealous OF SlaVehO
ders, and did not like to yield up th
Government to such hands, how ofte
have I encountered the violent predjI
70 dice of my own section with no littl
III hazard to myself How triumphant
a. would appeal on such occasions
Southern honOr-tO the magnanimit
., of soul which believed always actu
N ted Southern gentlemen. Alas alas
n if God will pardon me for what I hal
done, will promise to sin no more.
th We certainly cannot have ar
y, further political connection with I'll
n. Wings of the South they have rende
. ed such connection impossible. An in
passable gulf separates us and mu
TO- hereafter separate US. The SOuthel
e wing of the old Wing party have jOinl
On their fortunes with what is called q
0O National Democracy, and I wish "
,s Joy in your new connections. -
he Tomorrow believe is to be an eclip
x, of the sun, and think it perfectly me
I'd and proper that the sun in the heave
nd and the glory of 5his Republic shou
a both go into Obscurity and darkne
together. Let the bill then pass it
A. "a proper occasion for so dark and dam
mt ing a deed"
es No extract can do any thing like ju
iIsd tice to the mind that conceived, and &
M noble manliness that gave this spec
be utterance. From the time Mr. Wa
made this speech, he has known
Whig party, but devoted himself, so
and body, to the advocacy and defeu
. Of the measures of the Republican pf
tY.
In the struggle over the Kansas-N
ise96 braska Mr.. Wade came fully before t
~ 1 country as a debater The SoT1the