Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-05-09
Disgraceful set.to Between wsshburn and
Donnelly.


day, between Washburn and Donnelly,
two Radical patriots, a synopsis Of which
has already been given, was the most dis
graceful ever witnessed in that body.
The following dispatch to the Cincinnati
Gazette describes the affair more in de-
tail:
Mr.. Donnelly, Of Minnesota, rose to q
personal explanation, and sent to the
clerks desk letter signed by Elihu B
Washburn, published in the St. Paul
Press, to which he then proceeded to
reply in speech Of over an hour
length. This speech and Washburns
reply we're certainly the most violent
ever heard in Congress within the mem
ory ofits present members.
Mr.. Washburn's letter refers to COM
plant made by Donnelly against him for
objecting to the introduction Of some
bills, and, in reply to this, accusing Don.
nelly of venalty and corruption, de-
nounciug him as having run away from
Philadelphia to escape criminal charges,
having changed his name, and turned up
as an ofiee.beggar in Minnesota, and
makes other serious accusations against
him, and, throughout, is quite bitter and
severe in its tone.
Mr.. Donnelly began by saying that the
letter thus written by fellow member Of
this House concerning him, and pub
lished in an influential paper in his dis
trict, contained no less than twenty-seven
distinct and separate falsehoods. To
these he proceeded to reply in order. He
read the records concerning the bills in
dispute produced certificates from Post.
master King, Of the House, and others as
to his action; denied the charges con-
cerning his antecedents, and read letter
from Brewster, of Philadelphia, under
whom he had studied law, as to his career
in that city, and the circumstances Of his
leaving it. In this manner he went on
and replied to the charges of Mr.. Wash
burn.
He then turned upon Washburn and
made an exceedingly bitter onslaught on
him. He said the motive Of this assault
was to break him down in his district and
80 make room for Washburn's brother,
who lived there and was anxious to come
to Congress. Every member of that fam.
ily considered that he had an inslienable
right to go to Congress, or live in some
way on the Government Every boy of
the family when born was franked NJ G.
across its shoulders, and the great grief of
the family was that the shoulders Of none
of them had been found broad enough to
hold that more desirable frank, U. s. A.
This particular Washburn was now try
ing to persuade the country that he was
Grants machine, and while he turned the
crank he wanted to have the rest of the
family mounted on top, to serve as the
little monkeys to haul in pennies.
1t was true he and Grant had lived in
the same town, but that was only to be
accounted for on the philosophical doc.
trine of the theory of compensation.
Galena had been afflicted for many years
with so much shame and dishonor in hav
ing Washburn live there that Providence,
in order to compensate it for this dis
grace, was compelled to give it great
man like Grant to restore the balance He
described Washburn's appearance in Min
nesota with Grant; said that whenever
the crowds cheered for Grant, Washburn
appeared with his hand on his bosom,
and bowed his heartfelt acknowledg-
ments that finally the crowds were 80
bewildered that they supposed the fussy,
pretentious person, who was always put
ting himself forward, must be Grant,
and that the retiring, modest person in
the carriage, who never said anything,
must be some unknown person who was
accompanying him. That old Jesse
Grant finally became disgusted, and de-
clared that Washburn acted as if he
owned Ulysses. But there was one thing
certain, he didn't own him. Washburn's
idea that he managed Grant was like the
idea of the dogs tail, that the dog didn't
wag it, but it wsgged the dog Wash
burn was trying to get into favor by
clinging to Grants coat tail, but he would
come out as the man did who wanted, in
the old story, to get into Heaven by
clinging to the priests coat tail. The
priest beat them all by wearing mon
key jacket, and when Grant got into
power the Washburns would find that he,
too, wore a monkey jacket. Meantime,
this Washburn, by patient Office seeking
had contrived to pinch into seme nOto.
riety, but, like the monkey, the higher he
climbed the more he showed his tail.
Washburn had covered him with filth,
and slime, and night soil, but he (Don-
nelly) had now put his hands into the
mans vomit, had shown the nature OF
his bile, had analysed the contents of his
stomach, shown its peristaltic action,
and exhibited the whole thing to the
House.
The above sentences give but faint
idea of the nature of the speech, which
lasted nearly an hour and hall, and
parts of which, although delivered in the
presence of good many ladies in the
galleries, were unfit for publication. Mr..
Donnelly spoke with great v0hemenee,
and commanded the close attention of
the House. He was repeatedly ruled
out of order by the Speaker, who pro-
nounced the language unworthy OF de-
Lucrative body, but Mr.. Washburn each
time rose and requested that the party
from Minnesota be permitted to say
whatever he pleased. Many Of his
anecdotes and rough remarks about
Washburn were greeted with prolonged |
peals of laughter.
Mr.. Washburn spoke but few mo-
ments in reply. He did not rise for a
personal explanation. He had never |
made one in the fourteen years Of his
Congressional career, and be didn't
thinkit very probable that he ever would.
But if he should ever do so, it would not
be to take any notice whatever Of a man
whose hands were reeking with fraud
and corruption; whose career was fall OF
a man who was q criminal; |
who had been forced TO leave his resi-
dence under disgracsful circumstances;
whose word was worthless; who betrayed
his friends and his enemies alike; who