The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-05-09
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Congress is no less exquisite as a
school Of personal manners thar, as a
| sSheea 81 i,cliicol morals. It istrue
that it teaches them both in the way
some books teach grammar-by Civ
! ing examples of that which is bad.
But, then, its examples are 80 dis
gustingly bad, that there is no such
danger, as is said to attach to books
constructed on this plan, viz: that
they confuse and mislead the iudg-
ment, and destroy ones repugnance
to offences against taste and decency.
The way in which the House has
attempted to get over the shameful
scenes OF Saturday last, is worse egen
than the original offence. First, it
was proposed to expunge the records
of Saturday from the Congressional
Globe-as though that would expunge
the proceedings frccc TIC records of
the country, or take away. any part
OF the contempt which they aroused
in the mind of every self-respecting
American. Next, the "slang- whang-
ers" las they were called in Congress)
set to work making apologies for the
revolving language they had applied
to each other, and withdrawing the
vile accusations which they had
hurled at each other-as though the
infamy of such language and such
accusations could be in any way af-
fected by apologies or Withdrawals.
II Donnelly fancies it as easy to take
back as it is to utter such billings
gate as he directed against Wash
burne, or if Washburne imagines he
can obliterate as easily as he can put
forth such ignominious charges as he
brought against Donnelly, they must
have queer notions of the value of
their words and the rules that regu-
late the intercourse of respectable
people. Finally, after this sort of
thing had been INDUCED in for some
time, the climax of the nauseating
was reached by Donnelly proposing
that he and Washburne and the whole
crowd should go out together and
stake drink" We don't suppose
that many people outside OF the
House could read the report of these
things without feeling of shame
and modification. But the House
enjoyed them so hugely that the Con-
gressional reporter was compelled to
close almost every paragraph of his
report with daughter, Excessive
laughter" renewed laughter, or
"uproarious laughter" The most
nauseous portion of the whole affair
that, namely, about "taking
drink"-instead of Producing feel
ings of shame, induced prodigious
hilarity and cries of "Amen," "My
whistles dry" &C., &c. In the early
part of the day, member proposed
that the House should censure itself
for its own conduct of Saturday; but
the way in which this was received
may be judged by the way in which
members proceeded to demean them
selves.
The country'can bear good deal
from Congress, and has borne O good
deal from the present Congre in
the way of forcible-feeble legislation.
Public feeling has been pretty strong
ly aroused in regard to some of its
measures and some of its members,
and it has done much to endanger
Republican supremacy and stir up
opposition by its intolerant spirit and
unstatesmanlike policy. But there
is one thing even more dangerous
than this to the Republican party
and Republican prospects, and that
is-in the House so conducting itself
as to secure universal scorn and con-
tempt. -Neo York Times.