New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-12-28

BENJAMIN r. WADE.

i This love that hAuntcth thee |" O..
/ e.. -Tfs cd - - - -sa.---
! BENJAMIN r. WADE.
A late number oflths Republic contains al
interesting biographical sketch of the Hon
Benjamin +. Wade, formerly Senator from
Ohio, from which we make the following
The code of honor was prevalent in thu
South, while at the North it had been fol
many years frowned upon as a dark, blood '
and guilty custom. No man in the North
could yield to it without incurring both
social and political tracsm, and only in
the rarest cases had the Northern man OF
that generation made it q matter of resort
But the dictation and arrogance of Southern
men had made it absolutely necessary that
something should be done to teach them q
lesson to be remembered.
"A few master spirits sgreed together
that they would fight on the first chal-
lenge which q Southern man should give.
These were Messrs. Wade, Chandler, Cams
ron, and Broderick, of the Senate: and Bur
lingame, Potter, and one or two others of
the House.
For long time these men practiced to
fit themselves for the encounter when it
should come. Senator Wade chose the
| rifle, and had q cane made containing this
wespon, which he daily wore about him for
| q period of several years. And there were
not probably ten men in Congress who
were not heavily armed with various kinds
| of deadly Instruments. The Capitol and
| lodging rooms of Congressman, at this time.
were literally turned into arsenals. ad7 I
The position assumed by the gentlemen
above named was, that they would not
knowingly either give or take an insult. 1t
T assailed by words they would resent in
words, and then if challenged they would
fight. ell ..-.,,....-. =. -. ...
In the session of 1856, Mr.. Sumner, of
Mass achusetts, made his great speech on
the "Barbarism of Slavery" He was the
next day assaulted, while sitting at his
desk in the Senate Chamber, by Mr.. Pres
ton 5. Brooks, member of the House from
South Carolina, and beaten about the head
till he fell to the floor insensible.
The next day illusions were made in the
Senate to this unhappy occurrence. Mr..
Douglas made an explanation, confessing
that he witnessed the assault, which was
just after the adjournment of that day, and
when many of the members had left the
chamber, but concluded by saying THAT he
did not interfere lest bis motives might be
miscOnstruedw
Mr. Toombs, of Georgia. one of the most
violent and physically powerful of the South
ern men, whose seat in the Senate was next
to that of Mr.. Wade, arose and said, in Of
feet, "that he witnessed it all, and that he
then and there, in the face of the Senate and
the country, wished to OK press his entire and
cordial appreciation OF the deed. 1t was
nothing more than the member from Massa-
chusetts richly deserved. He had played
the part of dog, and he nerited the treat
ment of q dOg!"
The words were no more than uttered
when Mr. Wade jumped to his feet, and in
voice loud, plain and emphatic, cried out,
1.-The man who utters such a sentiment is at
heart coward and an assassin, and imme-
diately resumed his seat. -
It was near the time of adjournment, and
the excitement Of feeling was SO intense
that little more was said or done that day
A motion to adjourn prevailed, and some
of Mr.. Wade's friends Immediately gathered
about him. They were not in the secret and |
expressed real alarm. They said. "You
have certainly got duel on your hands;
how can you accept it :" Some said, eff you |
are not ready You should not have provoked
it." Mr.. Seward said, '.Wade, y0u are too
this matter, however it ends,
will be certain to destroy you" But |
Wade's response was quaint and memo
rable: "If I should kill Toombs in
duel urged on him, there is not Presby- |
terrain deacon in all Ohio but will throw up
his cap higher than ever"
The rule is, that for an insult given, a
challenge must pass at the earliest practical
pie moment. Mr.. Wade returned to his
boarding house fully expecting to receive it
before the next morning, and such was the
general expectation. -.....
Colonel James Watson Webb, of New
FORK, who had been some years before
wounded in duel with Tom Marshall, and |
Who was therefore supposed to understand
he forms of procedure, called at once on the
tnv,s. A1l l. IL i
Webb was certain the challenge would ar |
i've that evening, and stood ready to act
s the friend of Mr.. Wade in arranging the |
etails of the Meeting. 500 as you like"
aid the imperturbable Ohioan, ''Only let it
g with rifles, at sixty PAGES" ...y
The night passed over and no challenge |
anne. The Southern men held council. |
he excitement was intense. TOombs (
yas kept out of sight. Wade went to his | |
Eat, looking black as thunder cloud
Lis desk was immediately between that of
enjamin and Toombs. He said nothing, |
Mt wore upon his face a sulleh frown.
hat day passed over, hut there was no t
hallenge. The next day and the next ex- 8
lred with the same result. On the fourth |
forming ToOmbs, who was naturally demon u
'rative, and very much inclined to talk, /
ade his appearance in the Senate cham a
Or, just before the opening of the session. | +
Q, approached Wade with a smiling face, l
I'd Remarked ooh, we'll, Wade, what is | Z
10 use OF a man making a damn fool of | s
mself2r 4r- n
There isn't much use," replied Wade, | p
)ut some men can't help it! Thus ended b
10 grand duel that was to be. 1t was a 3
tier thing for the Southern Senators, but ii
ey found man who was not afraid, and <
ey were obliged to respect bin. /
A day or two afterward there was re- v
wed excitement in the chamber, The r.
resorted to all manner Il
dilatory movements, when Toombs t,
ose and launched into general II
d most violent dennnciation of the 81
,rth and Northern men, and Northern | al
smbers Of Congress. He was Just in the d
light Of his defamation when Wade arose 81
d demanded to know if he was included IN
the inyectiyes MIR. Toombs was suddenly bs
ought to his senses and immediately went "a
in g glowing panegyric on the Senator fu
IN Ohio. = 4sa ~.s la- Ga u W
Another instance of Mr.. lWade's sense of &c
tice and bold, decided character comes or
of a passage which occurred between dc
Hon. John NJ. Clayton, of Delaware, and M
nself during the existence Of the Ameri- va
JOE Know Nothing, party the purposes in
which Mr.: Clayton reviewed in an elabo- pa
Q speech in the Senate ss. -sfsaa7, p, th
enator Wade was deeply interested in N
passage of bill then pending known all
the 'thomesteadJ bill, ;" and upon this wa
{ he, stood side by side with Mr.sDodge, ~
Democratic Senator from Iowa a. He Wa
ught all his infiuepce to bear upon IA
ssuceess of the measure, and had de- wa
red plain, powerful arguments in TIL
or of the BILL setting forth in a mastery J as