The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-05-05
GtreQnteuiqer1
DIsgracefuI Affair In the House OF
Representatives.
A Violent quarrel between the West.
eFn Members.

eFn Members.
A passage of remarkably violent
and abusive character took place Sat.
urday, in the House of Representa-.
tives, between Mr.. washburne, of Hi.
nois, and Mr.. Donnelly, OF Minnesota
Here is what the reporters say of ii:
After the return from the Senate
chamber, on the conclusion of Mr.,
Stanbery's argument, Mr.. Donnelly, OF
Minnesota, rose TO a personal explana-
letter signed by Elihu B. Washburne
published in the st. Paul Press, tC
which he then proceeded TO reply in q
speech of over an hours length. The
speech and Mr.. Washburne's reply
were certainly the most violent ever
heard in Congress within the memory
of any of its present members. Mr.,
plant made by Donnelly against him
Tor obiecting to the Introduction oi
some bills and in reply to tis accuses
Donnelly of venality and corruptioni
denounces him as having run away
from Philadelphia to escape criminal
charges, and with having changed his
name and turned up as an office beg
gar in Minnesota. 1t makes other se-
Tious charges against him, and is
throughout quite bitter and severe In
its tone.
Mr.. Donnelly began by saying that
the letter thus written by II fellow
member of this House concerning him,
and published in an influential paper
in his district, contained no less than
twenty-seven distinct and seperate
falsehoods. To these he proceeded to
reply In order. He read the records
concerning the bills In dispute: pro-
duced certificates from Postmaster
II FaH, u Ill Nr
his action; denied the charges concern
ing his antecedents, and read a letter
from Judge Brewster, of Philadelphia,
under whom he had studied law, as to
his career in that city, and the circum-
stances of his leaving 1t. In this man
ner he went over and replied to the
charges of MIR. Washburne, and began
an exceedingly bitter and personal on.
slaught on him. He said the motive
of this assault was to break him down
in his district, and so make room for
Washburne's brother who lived there
and was anxious to come to Congress.
Every member of that family consid-
right to go to Congress, or live
in some way off OF the Govern
ment. 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 the more desirable frank U. s.
8. This particular Washburne was
trying to persuade the country that he
ran the Grant Machine, and while he
turned the crank he wanted to have the
rest of the family mounted on top to
serve as little monkeys to hand in the
pennies. II was true he and Grant had
lived in the same town, but that was
only to be accounted for on the philos-
optical doctrine of the theory of com.
pensation. Galena had been afflicted
for many years with SO much shame
and dishonor in having Washburne
live there that Providence in order to
compensate IL for this disgrace was
compelled to give it as great man as
Gen. Grant to restore the balance. He
described Washburne's appearance in
Minnesota with Grant, and said when
ever the crowd cheered for Grant,
Washburne appeared with his hand on
his bosom and bowed his heartfelt &C
acknowledgements; that finally the
crowds were so bewildered they
supposed the fnssy, pretentious
himself forward must be Grant,
and that the retiring, modest
person in the corner who never said
anything must be some unknown in
diVidual who was accompanying himi
that old Jesse Grant finally became
disgusted, and declared that WASH
burne acted as II he owned Ulysses.
Bpt there was one thing certain, he
didn't own him. Washburne's idea
that he managed Grant was like the
idea of the dogs tail-that the dog
didn't wag it, but it wagged the dog.
Washburne was hoping to get into
power by clinging to Grants coat-tails,
but he would come out as the men did
who wanted in the old story to get into
r. Inv nj " To fEnT Nefo
tail; the priest beat them all by wearing
a monkey jacket, and when Grant got
into power, tho Washburnes would
find that he too wore monkey jacket.
Meantime this lHashburne, by pa
tient Office seeking, had contrived to
push into some notoriety, but like the
monkey, the higher he climbed the
burne had covered him with filth and
slime, and night soil, but he (Donnelly)
had never put his hand into the mans
yomit, but had shown the nature ofhis
bile; he had analyzed the contents Of
his stomach and shown its peristaltic
action, and exhibited the whole thing
to the House.
The above:sentences give but faint
idea of the nature of tho speech, which
lasted nearly an hour and half, and
parts of which, although delivered in
the presence OF good many ladies in
the galleries, were unfit for pubIica.
tion. Donnelly spoke with great vehe-
mence and commanded the closest at
tention of the House. Hewas repeat
edly ruled out of order by the Speaker,
who pronounced the language unwor.
thy of deliberate body, but Mr..
Washburne each time rose and request
ed that the party from Minnesota be
permitted to say whatever! he pleased.
Many of his anecdotes and rough re-
marks about Washburne were greeted
with prolonged peals of.Iaughter.
Mr.. Washburne spoke but a very few
moments in reply. He didn't rise for
any personal explanation. He had
never made one in the fourteen years
of his Congressional career, and he
didn't think livery probable that he
ever would. But If he ever should do
so, it would not be to take any notice
whatever of a man whose hands
were reeking with fraud and cor
ruption, whose career was full of ven
ality; man who was a criminal; who
had been forced to leave his residence
under disgraceful circumstances whose
word was worthless; who betrayed his
friends and his enemies alike; who had
deserted every honorable cause with
which he had ever been connected, had
changed his name, abandoned his re-
ligion, and disowned his God. he had
only to say that the letter which the
party from Minnesota had caused to be
read had gone uponGthe records; that
1t was there to remain forever; that
every word contained in It was true,
and that the member could never more
escape from the infamy of the charges
1t contained.
Mr.. Washburne was also called to
order, and Mr.. Window, of Mimi, de-
manded that his words be taken down
an6 FnnnFfnd C1oHIrIu b