The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-05-05
Radical Deceucy.

liamentary politeness, decorum and de
cency it can hardly be exeolled. BRICE
Pomeroy seems to have been the model
but the artists surpassed "their great
original" We quote:
An extraordinary scene occurred chi;
afternoon in the House. After the re-
turn from the Senate chamber, on the
conclusion of Mr.. Stanbery's argument
Mr.. Donnelly, OF Minnesota, rese to. 8
personal explanation, and sent to the
Clerks desk letter signed by Elihu b
Washburne, published in the st. Paul
Press, to which he then proceeded to re.
ply in a 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.
Washburne'sletter refers to q complaint
made by Donnelly against him for OBJ
iectiug TO the introduction of some bills
and in replyaccuses Donnelly ofvenality
and corruption; denounces him as hay-
ing run away from Philadelphia to es-
cape criminal charges, and with having
changed his name and turned up as an
Office beggar in Minnesota. 1t makes
other serious accusations against him,
and is throughout quite bitter and Sc
we're in its tone.
Mr.. Donnelly began by saying that
the letter thus written by fellow MEM
ber of this House concerning him, and
published in an influential paper in his
district, contained no less than twenty
seven distinct and separate talsehoods.
To these he preceded to reply in order.
He read the records concerning the bills
in dispute; produced certificates from
Postmaster King, of the House, and
others, as to his action; denies the
charges concerning his antecedents, and
cad letter from Judge Brewster, of
Philadelphia, under whom he had stud
led law, as to his career in that city,
and the circumstances of his leaving it.
In this manner he went over and re-
piled to the charges of Mr.. Washburne,
and began an exceedingly bitter and
personal onslaught on him. He said
the motive of this assault was to
break him down in his district and to
make room for Washburne's brother
who lived there and was anxious to
come to Congress. Every member of
that family considered he had an ina
lienable right to go to Congress, or live
in some way off of the Government.
Every boy of the family when born was
franked NJ. c. 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 US. S. This partieu-
lar Washburne was trying to persuade
the country that he ran the Grant ma
chine, and while he turned the crank
he wanted to have therest of the family
mounted on top to serve as little mon.
KEYS to hand il the pennies. 1t was
true he and Grant had lived in the same
town, but that was only to be account
ed for on the philosophical doctrine of
the theory of compensation. Galena
had been afflicted for many years with
so much shame and dishoGor Ill having
Washburnr live there that Providence
in order to compensate 1t Tor this dis
grace was compelled to give 1T rs great
o man as General Grant to restore the
balance. He described Washburne's ap-
nearance in Minnesota with Grant, and
said whenever the crowd cheered
for Grant, Washburne appeared with
his hand on his bosom and bowed his
heartfelt Acknowledgements; that final
| lv the crowds were so kewildered they
supposed the fussy, pretentious person
who, was always putting himself for
ward must be Grant; and that the re-
tiring, modest person ia the corner who
never said anything must be some I'M
known individual who was accompany
ing him; that old Jesse Grant finally be-
came disgusted, and declared that Wash
burne acted as if he owned Ulysses.
Rut there was one thing certain, be
didn't own him. Washburne's idea
that he managed Grant was like the idea
of the dogs tail-that the dog dldn
wag it, but it wagged the dog. Wash
burne 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
heaven by clinging to the priests coat
tail; the priest beat them all by wear
ing a monkey jacket, and when
Grant got into power, the WasR-
burnes would find that he
too wore monkey jacket.
Meantime this Washburne, by pa
tient office seeking, had cOntrived to
push into some notoriety, but like the
monkey the higher he climbed the more
he showed his tail. Mr.. Washburne
had covered him with filth and slime,
and night soil, but he (Donnelly) had
never put his hand into the mans vomit,
but had shown the nature of his bile
he had analyzed the contents OF his
stomach and shown its peristsltic action,
and exhibited the whole thing to the
House.
The above sentences give but a faint
idea of the nature of the speech, which
lasted nearly an hour and q half, and
narts of which, although delivered in
the presence of q good many ladies IN
the Galleries, were unfit for publication.
Donpelly spoke with great vehemence
and commanded the closest attention OF
the House. He was repeatedly ruled
ont of order by the Speaker, who pro-
ueunced the language unworthy OF
deliberative body, but Mr.. Washburne
each time rose and requested that the
party from Minnesota be permitted to
saw whatever he pleased. Many OF his
anecdotes and rough remarks about
Washburne were greeted with proleng,
ed peals of laughter.
Mr.. Washturne spoke but very
few moments in reply. He didn't rise
for any personal explanation. he had
never made one in the fourteen years oil
his Congressional career, and he didn't
think it very probable he ever would.
But if he ever should do so, it would
not be to take any notice whatever OF q
man whose hands were reeking with
fraud and corruption, whose career was
full of venality; a man who was GRIM
inal; who had been forced to lease his
house under disgraceful circumstances;
whose word was worthless; who be-
trayed 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
religion, and disowned his God. He
had only to say that the letter which
the party from Minnesota had caused to
be read had gone upon the records; that
it was there to remain forever; that
every word contained in it was true,
/ and that tho member could never more