New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-05-09

'plucky Ohio senator. As Wade had pre-
dicted, no notice Was taken Of the affair of
the day before; he wa not. challenged or
asked 70 retract; but ever afterwards treated
with the utmost politeness and consideration
BY the very Senator who had 50 insultingly
attached him. lfa9la e - ~ IS
. There was at this time in the Senate Q man
named Charles G.. Atherton, from New Hamp-
shire. who became generally known to the
country az - Gag Anterior" from his intro
d,,ction OF, q resolution To lay all anti-slavery
petitions on the table. He was emphatically
. Northern man with Southern principles, and
Wade despised him accordingly. One day
Wade, who had become personally very popu-
lar with the Southern men, was conversing
with Ex-Governor Morehead, of Kentucky,
who was then on visit to Washington, when
Anterior came up and at once began an at
tack on Wade in regard to the fugitive-slave
law. F." Why, Mr.. Wade, !" said Anterior,
:" If o Niger had run away from good mas
ter in Kentucky and came to your house in
Ohio, wooldn't you arrest him and send him
back to his master?"
No, indeed, wouldn't" replied Wade !;
"would you, Anterior ?' Certainly /
would - said the doughface, endeavoring to
curry favor with the Southern Governor; ~
should deem it my duty to enforce that as
much as any other law" Mr.. Wade turned
to Morehead and inquired: swell, Governor,
what do you sayf Would you arrest a poor
negro and send him back under such circum-
stances % NO." gruffiy replied the Cover
nor; I'D see slavery, the fugitive-slave law,
and the niger, all three damned first"
"Well," said Old Ben, after a moments
pause, II don't know as / can blame you,
seeing you have got thing like that (pOinting
to Atherton) to do such dirty ,co,k for you.
After this Anterior was called Dirty Work.
Anterior, q name which has been kept up to
this day, and applied to various men in public
life. IS r
When Mr.. Wade was delivering his famous
speech ON the Kansas N ebraska bill, his col
league, Mr.. Pugh, q man of respectable abil-
ity, but great Democrat, and no match for
Mr.. Wade, rose in his place and put to the
Radical Senator haunting question relative
to his belief in the common brotherhood of
mankind. :" I have" said Wade, Railways
believed heretofore in the doctrines of the
Declaration Of Independence, that all men
are born free and equal, but of late it APP
pears that some men are born slaves, and
regret they are not black, so all the world
might know Them" As he said this he point
ed to Pugh, and stood looking at him for
several moments with scowl and expression
of countenance that was perfectly ferocious,
while it conveyed the utmost contempt for
his doughfaced colleague.
In the same speech Mr.. Brown, of Missis-
sippi, interrupted him just as Wade said: 81
know very well, sir, with what yell Of tri-
umph the passage of this bill will be hailed
both in the South and IN pandemonium."
Brown. "D0 you know what is going on
there ?' tLaughter.] IL 81
Mr.. Wade. Z. 1 do not pretend to know
precisely what's ON foot there, but think it
10 hat 10 f,.oo
Communication between that country and
this body, and, unless am greatly mistaken,
1 see the dwarfish medium by which that
Communication is kept up" (Great laugh
ter, and avoice on the Southern side, II
guess he's got you, Brown."l rs-
Later in the debate Mr.. Badger, then a
Senator from North Carolina, drew glowing
picture of slavery. He had, he said, been
nursed by black woman, and had grown
from childhood to manhood under her care.
lie loved his old black nanny and now, if
he was going to Kansas or Nebraska, and
the opponents of the bill succeeded in pro-
hibiting slavery there, he conld not take his
old nanny with him. Turning to Mr.. Wade,
he said, "Surely you will not prevent me
from taking my old NANNY with me? Ger
tainly not" replied Wade, with a ludicrous
tone of voice, but that is not the difficulty
IN the mind of the Senator. tits because if
We make the Territories free he cannot sell
his old nanny when he has got her there.o
Mr.. Wade was arguing to show that slaves
were not property in the constitutional mean
ing Of the term. He said: " If man car
RES his horse out of slave State into free
one he does not lose his property interest in
him, but if he carries his slave into a free
State the law makes him free."
Mr.. Butler, interrupting him, said, Yes,
lint fov hor
so well they will run off and come back in
spite Of your bOasted FREEDOM aa
Mr.. Wade, smilingly, "Oh! yes, Senator,
l know they love you so we'll you have to
make a fugitive slave law to catch them"
[Roars of laughter.l Rur.r "a. .-...s
Those who heard Mr.. Wade's speech on
the occasion when Preston Brooks attacked
Charles Sumner will not likely ever forget the
brave words Of the great Ohioan. Not fire.
eater on that floor but believed he uttered the
solemn determination of his heart when he
earnestly closed with the words: "If the hour
has arrived in the history of this Republic
when its Senators are to be sacrificed and pay
the forfeit of their lives for opinions sake,
know Of no filter place to die than in this
Chamber, with our Senate robes around us,
and here, if necessary, shall die at my post
for the liberty of debate and free discussion"
The Southern men having tried in vain to
head of Mr.. Wade, appealed to their Northern
allies to help them. One day Mr.. Douglas
rose in his seat and interrupted Mr.. Wade,
who was speaking. Instantly the Chamber
became silent as death and all eyes were
turned in the direction Of the two standing
Senators. Everyone expected to see Wade
demolished in. a moment by the great Illinois
Senator.
p "You, SIR" said Douglas in measured
tones, J" continually compliment Southern
men who support this bill, (Nebraska,) but
bitterly denOnnce Northern men who support
it. Why is this? You say it is a moral
wrong you say it is crime. If that be so,
is it not as much crime for Southern man
to support it as for a Northern man to do SOP"
Mr.. Wade. No, sir; I say not!'
Mr.. Douglas. "The Senator says not.
Then he entertains a different code of morals
from myself, and -"
Mr.. Wade Gnterupting Douglas and
pointing at him with scorn marked on every
lineament of his face.) "Your code of
morals Your morals! My God! 1 hope
SO, sir.n -. fs......- ...- 90 E..
4 The giant was hit in the forehead, and
after standing for moment with his face red
as scarlet, dropped silently INTO his seat,
while Mr.. Wade proceeded with his speech
as quietly as though nothing had occurred.
MIR. Douglas was angry, however, and