Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1873-07-24
A Leaf from History.
Origin of the Cameron and FOEney
Feud.

One sharp and sleety day in
January, 1857, the writer Of this
sat with ex-senator Weller, OF
California, and George P, Buell.
of the National Democratic Re
UieaU, at a table in the comfortable
restaurant adjoining the Senate
chamber, in Washington, eating
oysters and drinking ale, and
awaiting the reception of Inomen'
tary expected news. The Legis
lature of Pennsylvania was in ses.
sion that day in Harrisburg, and
in joint convention the two houses
were to elect John W. .aiFoFney tc
succeed Mr.. Broadhead in the
United States SenatesisAso Q we
were pleasantly enjoying ourselves
in the warm room, suddenly Sena
tor Broadhead came in upon us
with the exclamation, Cameron 1
elected!" We took it as q matter
of course, as a jocular ebuIlition of
the longfaced and usually sedate
Senator; and laughing, invited him
to sit with US and partake Of
refreshments. e. s5. slag.ssa5 b
With a solemnity that we all
felt was not a mockery, he repeat
ed, "Cameron's electedF / has.
tened to the chamber of the House
of Representatives, at the other
end of the Capitol; Ito see "Tom
Florence, he leader of the Penn
Sylyania Democracy in that body.
On my way met in the rotunda,
Marshall, OF Illinois, who stopped
me and excitedly whispered,
"Cameron's eIectedI"4 Reaching
the chamber OF the House saw
Mr.. Florence standing beside the
Speaker, who with a visible a
mazement WAS staring fxedly at
a dispatch. Descending to the
floor, Mr.. Florence was immedi-
ately surrounded by anxious mem,
bers of both the political parties Of
the day, and then the. astounding
intelligence spread through the
]
hall, and out through the lobby,
and went up into and spread
through the galleries, and was
everywhere repeated with excla-
imatious of the most bewildered
astonishment-"Cameron's elect.
ed! Cameron's elected ..-L = ...@
The business Of the hour was
interrupted, and a recess was
moved and carried. The excite.
ment was such as only an unex-
pected event, combined with an
important one, could create
Confusion was in ccmmotioh on
all sides. Everybody who had 9
political turn Of mind asked bis
neighbor, "Do'you believe it?Tn OF
shrugged his shoulders and said,
81 don't believe it. " Exaspera.
ton, elation, distrust, disgust and
hope were mixed up, as in an In
harmonious kaleidoscope, together.
| lost no time in hurrying through
the drifting sIeet to the Washing.
ton Union Office, with which jour
nal was then connected, to carry
the information; but Mr.4Nicbol.
son, the proprietor, had already
received it, with the additional
Intelligence that three Democrats
in the Pennsylvania Legislature
had cold themselves to the enemy.
| well remember the Indignation
with which | wrote my editorial
on the subject that afternoon. I
John W. Forney had been a
foremost leader of the Buchanan
forces in the Presidential campaign
of 1856. His services in the Gin
cinnati Convention; in the columns
of bis Philadelphia newspaper of
great influence; on the stump and
in secret conventions, had been of
most eminent consequence. AS a
suitable reward for them, and In
accordance with the desire of Mr..
Buchanan the Democracy of the
Pennsylvania Legislature, who had
a majority of four on Joint ballot,
made him their candidate for Uni
ted States Senator. The nomina-
ton was, of course, considered
equivalent to an election. The
two houses met in joint conven-
ton on a given day, to go through
the form of choosing him. The
roll was called; but when the
name Lebo was reached, to the
establishment of every one not in
the secret, that gentleman voted
for Simon Cameron; further down
the list another Democratic mem.
Der, MINER, voted for the same
gentleman. And still, further
down another, named Wagensel,
lar. All three had supported Mr..
Forney in caucus. One of them
subsequently acknowledged that