Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-07-08

Never was a parliamentary move more
clever than. that motion to coucur with an
amendment.
When it had been carried through our
House, and, while the Senate was chewing
upon it, there ensued hiatus or interreg-
num-the House having really nothing to
do but wait At such times, any member
who has pet project or bill asks sus-
pension of the rules in favor of his consld-
Grafton. Among these motions was one by
/ MIR. Robert w. johnson, of Arkansas, who
wished the House to consider a bill provid-
ing payment for horses lost by his constit-
uents while acting as volunteers In Indian
wars. His motion to suspend the rules
failed; when L drew from my drawer a re-
Solve, which had lain there for weeks, pro-
posing that our country take the general
name of Columbia, in honor of the great
discoverer. [ was making few remarks
Introductory to my motion to suspend the
rules-which knew would be defeated
when, as the affair was afterward explained
to me, Mr.. johnson, my predecessor on the
floor, turned upon Mr. o. B. Ficklin, OF
Illinois, who sat very near him, and angri-
ly said: s. Flcklin, why do you always op-
pose any motion | make" Il did not
oppose your notion" was the prompt and
true reply. & You lie, replied johnson,
whose powers of observation wore not
then in their best estate, and he sprung as
though to clutch Ficklin, when Mr.. Sam
uel W. Inge, of Alabama, rushed upon the
latter and struck him two or three blows
with a cane. "Order, Order Sergeant
at-arms do your duty" interposed the
Speaker and the affray was promptly ar
rested Why, Inge. what did you fall
upon Ficklin for ?" inquired one of his
neighbors, Ficklin being an intensely pro-
slavery Democrat, like Inge and johnson.
why | thought explained lnge, " that
the fieht between the North and the South
had commenced, and | might as well pitch
in" [ did not hear him say this, but 1t
was reported to me directly afterward, and
have no doubt that he said and thought
so.
Mr. Giddings went over to the Demo-
cratic side of the House that night, and
made some jocular remark to an acqualnt-
ance on the change of aspect since we had
made and sustained our motion to concur
with an amendment, when he was assaulted
and was glad to get away quite rapidly |
am confident | could not have passed
quietly through that side of the house be-
tween 10 and , o'clock of that night with
out being assaulted and, had | resisted,
beaten within an inch Of my life, if not
killed outright Yet had proposed moth
ing, said nothing, on the exciting topic; |
was obnoxious only because | was presumed
earnestly hostile to slavery.
| believe it was Just A. NJ. of the 18th
of March, lS49-the day OF General
Tayors inauguration-w when the two
Houses, having finished all the inevitable
business of the session, were adjourned
without day, and | walked down to my
hotel, free thenceforth to mind my own
business. | have not since been a member
or held any post under the Federal Gov
erument ; it is not likely that | shall ever
hold any yet | look back upon those three
months | spent in Congress as the most
proftably employed OF any in the course
Of my life saw things from move
point OF view and if | came away from
the Capitol no wiser that | went thither
the fault was entirely my own.