The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-03-10
Correspondence Cincinnati Commercial. i

i correspondence Cincinnati Commercial.
/ WASHINGTON, February II, 1869
After closing my letter yesterday, wen,
TO the Capitol to witness the count O
votes that would declare ourdistinguished
feiiow-citizcn, U. s. Grant, President
OF the United States for the nexS foul
years. and our no less distinguished citizen
Sklyer, Vice-President for the same
length of time, | had inst said my say about
the Hon. Benjamin, no less distinguished
citizen OF Massachusetts, ard little dream.
ed that this restless individual was going
to favor us with treat, in the shape of u
roaring political farce.
found the galleries md aoor crowded
with curious people, called together to wit
ness very solemn affair, that is, as a gen.
eral thing, about as interesting as sum in
arithmetic or q speech from my friend, the
Hon: William Kelly. Thanks to Butler
Mullins and Wade, We had q smost delic-
ious intefude to relieve the tedious mon
otony' OF the occasion The disnifed
fogbank filed in and settled in solemn
gloom to the left Of the Speakers ehair.
The Hon. Ben Wade took the position as
the. presiding officer. Precious old war
horse, he always reminds me, on these oc-
casions, of an elephant on slack wire. And
the counting proceeded. ut went on
smoothly and quietly, until the vote of
Louisiana was reached, when Mr. Mullins
arose. The rising of Mullins in that gigan-
tic punch-bowl of listening humanity, on
that solemn, occasion, actually had the ef-
lect OF an electrical shock on the assembly.
Thing of the minister OF funeral breaking
out in comic songi Imagine anything
grotesque, absurd, impossible, and yoa
have the grizzly form Of the oratoricai son
of thunder, from Tennessee, rising to OBJ /,
Jeet on this occasion. IfE$ FFgS 4
Senator Wade accepted the objections
of the oratoricai Mullins, and was about
to haul off the fag- bank for delberation,
when it was suggested that the objection,
to be such, must carry IN it some reason
and be reduced to writing. The. prisiding
officer caught a. this, and Immediately, de-
CT ded that your objection; to be good, must
have good reasons, look you; and must,
moreover, be in hapdwrte--of clear, legi-
bic writing, too. 1t was thought that ori-
torical Mullins was dumb-foundered and
brought to naught, for he does not abound
in reasons. and his writing is of the slow
est; but at it went Mullins, sitting down
very like Scion Shingle. as done by John |
II. Owens. Il lie pulled ont sheet of fool |
soap, took good look at the nib of pen, |
and then fell to work. With his head
slightly set to one side, and his face close |
to the sheet, he worked his fingers, his !,
arm, his entire body. while putting these |
reasons TO paper. In the meantime he was |
by members, anxious to avert |
The coming storm, who tried moral suasion
On him. Don't do it, Mullins" "Don't
make DIN fool of yourself" "Let the in
'ernal thing slide, Null; it don't affect the
'esult. were the pet phrases poured into
The ears OF the eloquent Mullins-but all
n vain. lie was going to have his objec-
Ion in good set phrase, or die. At last
he paper was handed mp, and found 10
as much reason as his previously
uttered objection; and then he asked per-
mission to make aremark. All how we
lid wish Mullins could be heard! We did
lot know what was IN store for us: and
when the presiding officer decided that our
Mullins could not he heard, we settled
9ack into state Of profound dullness and
despair. l4ak iaE sseI aaa n4fa
The Senatorial fog bank filed out to con-
'ider Mullins otjecion--abd filed in to an
lounce the deciscion.' Mullins went down
md disappeared, and the count went on M
il it Georgia, then up rose the Hon. Ben
amin B., called by some prcjudiced people
the beast" and made his objection. That
he other Benjamin cul ed Ben Wade tile
var horse, looked at Ben. "the beast, with
. sngularly suggestive expression, and
Ben. the b. brought his off eye to bear on
Ben. the war horse, .and feeling ran
through the crowded assembly that war was
Observation-Disclosures had commenced, and
hide was going to be on the; fence IN q re-
short space of time. But our
Ben. made false move to begin With.
Tho House and Senate, by joint resolu-
ion, had settled the case of Georgia; and
'ur Ben. had it in his power, to rule out
he objections. But he did not. He let
he lionin, and after some sparripg hauled
IF the fog bank to consider an objection
hat could not rightfully be made The
lignifed Senators cut rather sorry figure
IS they marched out. Their manners
howed that they had been put on. tits
ONE thing Of q march from the hall of The
House to the Senate chamber, and; when
lone, at q funeral pace, takes some time.
The further it went, and the more it refec-
ed; the madder It got mad. Had the
hamber been two feet further, l believe
ur Ben, the, Vice President nd interim,
'olld have been violently assaulted in .his
'enatorial rear by his Indignant and dis
usted associates The. Senate rebuked
Benjamin by calling his attention to o
oint rule that settled the question: IL
And the House; on the other hand, de-
ided by large majority to refuse the vote
f Georgia. Here was q beautiful open
ng for row, ard, when the Senate re-
urned, the bul,ies went. in First we had
duet by the two .Bens, with running nc.
Of laughter and applause
rom the floor and galleries. Then BY two's
nd threes and by dozens the members
rent it, -....-.-.--se'l, . >f--I~iBvHjt
! have seen some disorderIy assemblies
q my time, but this exceeded anything ]
yer witnessed before. The crowds on The
DOR and galleries laughed, shouted and APP
lauded. The members rising to their feet
wung their arms and vociferated, at inter
ais you can hear the cries. a'No tyranny"
damn 'em, put 'em ont, +" "order, DIN the
,terlopers" &C. l kept my eye on MuE :
ms. / expected Mullins to seize this noi 9
lie occasion, this opening, for Mullins q
l wanted him to, seize the {
peaker's mace and knock the Ohio Be1. c
own, and then with loud yells 60 in on c
is muscle, and knock right and left. But 4
am pained 70 sav tho Immortal Mnll;na r