The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-12-16
"Opera BOuffe" in COngess.

No more absurd scene has been witnessed
in Congress since Barksdale lost his wig on
memorable February Sunday in 1858, than
that which occurred yesterday, when three or
four Pennsylvania members engaged in a
wrangle over their martial exploits. No one
has ever heard of these men as belligerents,
and the manner in which they announced
their bellicose character was worthy of the
grand scene in ''La Belle Helene," when le
bOuilldnt Achille and his associates leap into
the ring and come to the front with a procla-
nation of their own impetuous valor Sir
John Falstaff was an imbecle and a braggart
beside these men. If such swash-bucklers
have the freedom Of the floor of Congress
the Speaker will be obliged to call for militia
ry aid, and preserve order by guard armed
with pop-guns. The bluster began in this
Wse One man said that the Grand Army
of the Republic was a political or
ganization. Another said this was because
the soldiers were all Republicans, and
the Democrats were rebels. Then an ex-
Brigadier General and an imposing array of
late soldiers, all Democrats, pronounced this
lie, and retorted upon the unhappy speaker
that he was making money at the rear during
the war. He in turn, squelched his enemies
by the fearful invective, you're another"
To which the hasty RANDALL replied, ''NO,
was private. At last the Speakers gavel,
Like poutice, came
To heal the blows of sound,
and this fearful emeufe which perilled the
peace of the nation, and the safety of Con-
gress, and which threatened to reopen sew
eral thousand '.bloody chasms,'' and to put
an end to the ''era of good feeling" was
quieted, and the late belligerents sought to
assuage their affronted honor by the COM
forting Cocktail" or the inspiring straight"
The gilt eagle of the Capitol looked unap-
palled upon this dreadful scene, and mar
yelled, when Representatives were such,
what must the constituents be!-Com. Adr.
THE PATTI AND NILSSON WAR.-It was
anticipated that the antagonism of the Italian
and Swedish prime d0nne. would cause much
excitement among the Russian amateurs in
Moscow andSt. Petersburg. The war of par
tisanship ha, commenced, Madame Nilsson
opened fire herself in a telegram to Paris from
St. Petersburg, addressed to her teacher, NJ.
Wartel, informing him that she had achieved,
as Ophelia, grand triumph, and expressing
her gratitude for his singing lessons. Her
agent, or her husband, supplemented this
news by telegraphing that the fair Swede had
been recalled thirty times. These dispatches
reused the Partisan agents of Madame Adelina
Patti, and they at once published counter-tele-
grams, stating that Madame La Marquise de
Caux had been recalled thirty six times in
Uub buC OLA lCCdiic Ill CACcSS vi
those vouchsafed to Madame Nilsson did not
suffice; and therefore, to overwhelm the
Scandinavian songstress, further telegram
came, to the effect that the Princess Dolgo-
rouski threw bouquet on the stage, of rare
flowers, value 1901, which it required two
men to carry across the stage. How muscu-
lar the Princess must be who could convey
this bouquet into her box, and then fling it
at the feet of Madame Patti, and what dis
pensation of Providence it was it did not fall
on the prima donna's head!