Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-12-17
Matthew Lyon.


been elected member of the House of RI
presentatives. and was coming in June I
take has seat at the extra-session of Cor
gress. Nothing was alleged against th
new member except that he had made hi
way from poor emigrant-boy to wealt
and in1uence in his adopted country Ii
was announced in one of the federalist.
papers of Philadelphia in the manner fol
lowing
Tomorrow morning, at eleven U clock
will be exposed 10 view the Lyon of Yer
mont. This singular animal is said {
have been caught in the bogs of Hibernia
ani when whelp transported to America
tie differs considerably from the Africal
Lion be l. more clsmorous and less mag
unanimous His pelt resembles more til
wolf or tiger, and his gestures bear a re
markable affinity to the bear He wa
brought to tins city IN a wagon. Man,
gentlemen who have seen thm do not hest
tate TO declare they think him a most extra
ordinary beast
\ welcome like that was not likely t,
InOllliY the irascible IRISH blood that ran il
the veins of this Vermont republican. L
was true that Matthew Lyon had come from
Ireland, child nine years of age, without
penny and without a friend and that hi,
pay his passage. according 10 the custom
OF the early day. The price paid for him
was said to be "a pair of three -year-old
bull stays His master took him to Yer
mont, where he served out his time faithful
ly, and by attending the winter schools
obtained talerable education.
When the war of the Revolution began hd
joined the army as a private, and was pro-
NOTED to the rank of a corporal almost i'm
diately But while he was on post in North
cru New York. under the command OF
General Gates, the men of the company be
came tired Of the idle life of the winter
camp, and went home for a holiday. The
officers followed them After spending a
while al home most of them returned to
their POSTS but nothing would content
General Gates short of cashiering the Off
GERS. our corporal among them. Lyon not
being 4 man to stay cashiered. he state d
the facts to General St. Clair, who reinstat-
cd him, and he was appointed by General
Schuyler to a regimental psymastership.
The na- over. lie bounded the village Of
FAirhayen. iu Vermont, in which there was
| an excellent ter-pOwer, and where he
became business man of the true pioneer
type. There was iron IN the neighbOrhOod.
lie set men to digging it lie established
smelling furnace he cast hollow-wsre he
made hlt-irOns. spiders, kettles, bake-pans,
dishes and griddles. He set up a paper
mill, and made types, he established a
weekly paper, called by himself The Farm
ers' LlJrary. but quoted by his enemies a.
though be had named it, The Seourge of
Aristocracy and Repository Of Important
! Political Truth He built saw mill, the
largest IN the State, and near by 1t. he
ms Inn fle raN . ba al
| for his paper-mill difficult to get he invent
ed Il process for making paper out Of bass
wood bark His labOrs were 80 valuable
to the community that the legislature Of
Vermont gave him authority to raise six
hundred bushels Of wheat by lottery, to
enable him to enlarge his furnace and pro-
Iues greater variety Of iron-wsre.
In short. he proved himself to be in that
northern wilderness 4 true leader of men.
lie married the Governors daughter, and
was held in G. TEEN and admiration By the
people among whom he lived, and whose in
terests be promoted. He showed intelli-
gence, too, Of other kind. During the con-
troyersy which then agitated the country
between the Old and New. between those
who wanted America to be more
spacious England, and those who wished
America 10 be America, he embraced the
principles which posterity will probably
decide to have been the nearest right.
What more natural, what more proper,
than that has neighbors who knew him,
and had been served by him, should elect
hun to represent them IN Congress They
+ did 50. and he took his seat. He was then
fifty Two years Of age. well-lookng, Of de-
oOrou~ department, and competent to take
hi- share in rational legislation lie was
most warmly attached 10 democratic prin-
ciples, and much embittered against the
'ari-tJcrats' who derlded him for the very
reasons that constituted his special claim to
respect, must be conceded If the whole
truth could be exhibited here, it would be
seen that he had experienced 4 good deal Of
treatment similar TO that indicated n the
paragraph quoted above
Ia the course Of his first regular session
Le became suddenly the most notorious per
son on the Western continent. Tie was
standing outside the bar of the house one
day, surrounded by members. when Roger
GrIswOld, \ representative Of Cincinnati,
almost ycung enough to be Lyons son,
made au insulting allusiUn to the cashiering
by ten. Gates. which he intimated was for
eUwardice on the field. Matthew Lyon un-
fortunately lost his selt-cOutr0l. and spat
IN Griswold's face Instantly all was up
roar and confusion. Ii was the frst time
that any breach of decorum had occurred
in the Congress of the young nation, and
very good citizens, whether repL blican or
tedsrallst, could not bat deplore the event.
4 motion TO expel the offending member
was promptly introduced. Lyon the same
evening wrote letter to the Speaker declsr-
ing that he had meant no discredit TO the
House, which the Speaker publicly read on
the following morning. The debate on the
question of his expulsion lasted twelve days,
during which 1t excited a universal and pas
sionate interest. When at length the vote
was taken, there were thirty-two votes for
expulsion to forty-four against A.
member could not be expelled except by
two-third vote. Matthew Lyon retained his
seat
But, 1t seems. the gross indignity ranked |
iu the breast Of Roger Griswold, who was !
man Of education and distinguished lineage !
Four days after the failure TO expel, while |
Lyon WAS sitting on his scat with his hat |
of. writing, Griswold came up TO him and |
assaulted him. just as Brooks afterwards |
assaulted Mr.. Sumner, by striking him over |
the head and shoulders with hickory cane. |
Lyon entangled By the desk and chairs, was
some time in getting to an open space. He |
seized the t0ngs and rushed upon his foe. |
ons. clinched fell to the floor, and enjoyed |
for short time a good rough and tumble
fight, until they were pulled apart by their
fellow members.
But even this was not the end Of IT, A
few minutes alter, while Griswold was
standing in corner of the room. Lyon
came near with cane in his hand. but |
without any intention to renew the struggle.
As soon as their eyes met their fury was
rekindled, and Lyon assaulted GriswOld |
with great violence. lie had struck several
blows when another member supplied Girls
wold with a stick, which restored equality
between them. Other members. however,
interiered, and the combatants were finally
This affair Wa the more to be regretted,
because 1t gave some appearance Of justif-
cation 10 tho.5 who desired to exclude from
offices OF honor, men who were 50 unfortu-
nate a. to have no particular grandfather
But If the reader will study closely the
political history OF the only four countries
that have ever had any politics, namely,
Greece, Rome, Englaud, and the United
States, he Will discover that 1t has been the
artistocratic party which has most habitual
ly aud instinctiyely resorted to brute yio-
lenee
Before the year 1888 ended Matthew Lyon
was IN more serious trouble. The admins
tratiOn of John Adams was foolish enough
10 prosecute him under tho ab0minable
Ssdttiuu Law. Tor having said iu his paper.
that the President had "au unbounded
thirst for ridiculous pOmp aud foolish adu-
atiou," had written bullying message"
aud altered other equally trivial and harm
less words. Being convicted. he was SEN
fenced 10 pay fine Of a thousand dollars.
aud be imprisoned for iour calender months
Need it be said that the people Of has dis
trict stood by their representative While
he was serving Ont his term in prison. they
recalled him 10 Congress by greatly IN
creased majority, and he came back to Phil
sdelphia in triumph The federalists tried
again to expel him, and obtained vote of
forty-nine for to forty-four against it. Such
was the iniatuation OF that party only
eighteen months before il was swept from
power forever
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