Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1869-07-29
From Pollard,s Life of Jefferson Davis
The Confederate CONGRESS.

Ine COnIeUefaLe congress.
There were not more than a doz-
en- men in both Houses who were
before known to the country. or
had enjoyed a reputation a hundred
miles from home. There were
Congressman from districts over
run by the enemy, who had been
elected by few dozen soldiers
votes cast in camp. 1t was absurd
to find Senators and Representa-
tives from Missouri, Arkansas,
Louisiana, etc, holding their seats
by virtue of handful of votes cast
by soldiers of the Army of North
ern Virginia. Among these unwor-
thy members of Congress were
some ridiculous figures, and not
few rustic curiosities who suggested
the back woods and the sedge-felds.
The men who relieved something
Of the rude and ludicrous aspect Of
the body had generally served be-
fore in the old Congress at WASH
ington; but it was often remarked
that even these appeared to have
lost their former force and dignity,
and to have been belittlcd by the
company in which they were mis-
placed. There were of remarkable
members in the House Mr.. Foote,
who spoke classical English, and
dealt historical illustrations to the
unappreciating homespun members
"a valuable debater, but afflicted
with extravaganza and a colicky
delivery; William Porcher Miles of
South Carolina, smooth, gentle
manly, scrupulously dressed, mas
ter of department., and a type, in
deed, of the truest cultivation,
deprecating anything like violence
in speech or manner; Barkesdale,
of Mississippi, the especial friend
and champion of, Mr.. Davis, the
leader of the Administration party
in the House, small, dark featured
man, who spoke SO veheinently as
sometime to overrun the rules Of
grammar, but really forcible, deal
ing rude blows with fact AID solid
arguments; James Lyons, of Vir-
ginia, who was satisfied with the
shallow reputation of the sshand-
some member and who possessed
little brains, showed very excellent
large white teeth, and stood six
feet three in his stockings, the ele-
waited ssTurveydrop" Of the House.
In the Senate we're Yancey,. of
Alabama, the silver tongued orator
Of the South, speaking q subdued
but luxurious language, quite un-
like that of the American hastings;
Wigfall, of Texas, fierce, impatient,
incandescent, illustrating another
, school of eloquence; Orr, Of South
Carolina, an excellent man in the
committee room, but as heavy and
laundering as school-boy in his
speeches and Hill, of Georgia, the
very picture of a smooth and
plausible mediocrity, having much
of address and gentlemanly equivo
cations, inclining to the administra-
ton Of the President, but at an
angle nice and variable in its degrees
In body chiefly composed of
uncultivated men-to which have
been mentioned as exceptions, more
or less partial, the names above
there might naturally be expected
some scenes of personal violence.
Indeed, several most extraordinary
scenes of this sort occurred in the
Confederate Congress, which were
either suppressed in the newspapers,
or were but meagerly and tenderly
mentioned in their columns. An
occurrence at a certain time, by
J which the. whole House of Repre-
sentatiyes was thrown into panic,
and into the most disgraceful dis
order, was SO carefully suppressed
that but few people in Richmond
ever obtained any knowledge Of it,
or ever suspected that a scene of
bloodshed was about to be enacted
behind the convenient curtains of u
secret legislative session.
The immediate parties to the dis
graceful occurrence (Which happen
ed in the summer of 1869 were
Mr.. Foote, Of Tennessee, and Judge
Dargan, of Alabama, the latter an
old man whose eccentric dress, and
whose soliloquies on the street were
well known in Richmond. and
whose habit in Congress of scratch
ing his arms and saying, "Mr. Cheer
man, has often brought him under
the notice of the galleries. Some
words of defiance had passed be
E tween the two members. When
Judge Dargan was speaking, Mr..
Foote sat near him, and muttered
, that he was ID rascal The
member from Alabama immediately
drew a bowie knife, brandished it
in the gaslight Git was night ses-
sion) amid the shouts and cries of
, the House, and made for the mem
Der from Tennessee.
For a moment all was consterna-
ton, and members rushed to the
scene of encounter Several of
them literally threy themselves up
on Judge Dargan and wrested from
his grasp the murderous weapon,
when, just at this moment, Dargan
having been pinned to the floor,
the whole scene was converted into
one irresistibly ludicrous, shouts of
laughter succeeding those of pas
sion, as Mr.. Foote, striking an at
titude and shifting his expanded
breast, exclaimed, with peculiar
melo dramatic air, ~ defy the steel
of the assassin"
| Another, memorable scene OF
personal violence was in the Senate,