The Van Buren press., 1869-05-25
The Senatorial Dog Question

eS SSHs'~>'~ 10 S~SSsHSA
The terrible row, says the Cincinnati
Enquirer, oflate date, between Sprague OF
Rhode Island, and the North Carolina
carpet bagger which frightened the souls
Of Sumner and the rest of the Senatorial
Peace Society with appalling visions Of
bloodshcdupcn The tcsselatcd pavemcnts
cf the capitol, the other day, has ended
in harmless interchange of note paper
The figure cut by by the tarhecl csrpet
sbagger in the affair was about as absurd
as could well be conceived. lie weighs
about two stone more than McCoole's
fighting weight; yet, from the little
Rhode Islanders cpithets, "mastitf' and
s.puppy,s he deliberately chose the latter,
applied it to himself, and gabblcd by the
hour, to every. one who wohld listen,
about the terrible things he would do.
He waited till Sprague got out of the
chamber, and then, with some remark
about the, latter sneaking OFT" talked
satisfaction" in way that indicated an
overpowering desire for some one to
hold him. ~ have waited here most OF
the day." he said to newspaper CORE
spondent, expecting that Sprague or
some Of his friends would send some
message" queer expectation certainly,
in view ofthe carpet bagger's own threats.
And then came the funniest part of it;
Il can suffer no man with impunity to
call me a puppy dog. He must either re
tract, sir, or will put npon him public
disgrace, which will follow him through
life. i came from State, sir, where peo-
pie are not in the habit of -pocketing in
sults. The people OF my State would
think very strangely Of me were to SUBJ
init tamely to the affront of Mr.. Sprague
or any other man = =
In. the town where live am known as
one who is not in the habit of permitting
any one to insult me- They know me
well there, and know that if any one calls
me a hard name or otherwise afronts
me, that man has either to, apologize OF
fight. Why, sir, if l were to lie under
his insult, my people would turn me ou'
Of the State whenever ] might show m,
face there. Al ates sal1t
III was from New
England, perhaps, ] would put up witt
such insults meekly; but not being from
that peaceful region, l shall take the lib
erty Of settling the affair in another man
ncr." a.l -.s.,.. t.4.
Yet he IL from New England, and i
anything were needed to confirm hii
right to the title of puppy" his denia
OF his origin would certainly supply it
According to the Congressional Directo
ryahe was born in Concord, New Hamp
shire, and went South with the rest o
the carpet bag crew after the war. Hi
talk about "my State" and "my people
is unsurpassed in impudenee by any ut
terancc Of his tribe and his pusillanimou'
waiting for a message" as well as al
altogether OF tho " Bob Acres" sort. But
~ we have said, the affair is settled
Sprague admits, in writing, at the earn
est solicitation Of Sumner and Sherman
the latter might have found more respec
table business-that his little tale of two
dogs was concocted before he knew any.
thing about Abbott, and couldn't tpossibly
have meant him; thereupon the latter is
satisfied, takes hack all he said about
Sprague; and so the old "Pickwickian
farce is renewed, and the Rhode Island
terrier and therNew Hampshire puppy
from North Carolina, arc at peace again