The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1869-05-03

was attributable to the haste oil the sena-
tor from North Carolina to take offence,
a. d tia, with proper approaches to scna-
tor Sprague, the whole matter might be
umicably settled,
4 The result was, that on Monday morn
ing, Senator Abbott addressed a note to
Senator SpraSuc, quoting the paragraph
Of his speech, and asking if the term
'mongrel puppy" was applied to him
10 which Sprague replied that he had
written the paragraph in his SIC Oh long
before it was delivered, and before he
knew that Mr.. Abbott intended to speak
IN the subject. Mr.. Abbott replied sta
ting that he had misconcclved SIr.
Spuguc's meaning, md asking him to
consider MS unsaid anything " ich he had
spoken. Thus, by the interference of
discreet friends. the apprehcnded hostile
collision was avoided, peace aud anity
restored. a newspaper sensation spoiled,
and ".Allthc clouds that lowered Der our
hers In the deep bosom of the can
buried" This happy termination of an
cxcircd and needless controversy ELECTS the
congratul; tons Of all conccrned-the par
ties. the Senate and the country. 1t ca
ries with it, however, moral lesson that
should not pass UNDECIDED. The Senate
is, or used to be, considered the arena Of
grave dcb,tc upon the measures OF public
policy affecting the welfare of the nation,
An attempt TO suppress or choke ell the
EXPRESSION Of the views of Senator upon
questions Of this sort, because his plan or
theory is obnoxious to a portion OF h's
colleagues. by converting the debate into
a mere exchange Of personal erithct', i'm
precautions, and menaces, is unbecomlng
the dignity of the United States Senate,
and only serves to bclittle and degrade it
in the estimation Of the country and the
world.
The simple fact that Senator sprague
has been SO long a silent and unoifcious
participant in the deliberations of that
grave body is no sufficient reason why, at
what he considers the proper time, he
should not "bcar testimony to the truth
that is in him" and present to Congress,
the Administration, aud his counirymcn
at large, the views of public policy which
he believes most earnestly are essential to
the public veal. 1t is easy to conceive
that during all jhcse years Of his silent
Senatorial service. he may have cherished
the opinions tic which he has recently
given public and emphatic utterauce, but
finding that they would receive no adc-
quate support in Senate utterly given
over only to the promotion of party sue
cess, lie should await until he tiionght q Q
popular mind was ripe for their. dcyelopc-
ment. Their publication, and the bold
and fearless manner of their cnunciation
alarmed the radical partisans. They say
at a glance that such doctrines would
strike q responsive CHORD in the popular
heart, and they feared the consequences
As their only resort, in the absence o
any arguments, they had recourse to per-
sonal dcnunciation and assault, whicl
were spiritcdly rcpclled by the advocate
of popular rights against the monopolisti
and class interests that have already to-
deeply fastened their deadly fangs upo'
tile nations life. We trust that he vii
pcrscycre in his efforts to organize public
opinion in the righ. direction, without be
ing diverted from his purpose BY any at
tempt to engage him in pc'sounl altcrca
tons.