Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1875-12-22

types, he established weekly paper,
called By himself The Farmers Lijra-
ry. but quoted by his enemies as
thought he had named it, "Thc
Scourgc Of Aristolracy and Reposlt-
ory OF important Political Truth. y
He built saw mill, the largest in the
State, and near by it, he manufactured
nails. Finding the material for his
paper. r.mill difficult to get, he invented
process for making paper out ct
basswool bark. His labors were 50
valuable to the community that the
legislature of Vermont gave him au-
thority to raise six hundred bushels
of wheat" 10y lottery, to enable him to
enlarge his furnace and produce Il
greater variety of iron-ware.
In short, he proved himselt'to be in
that northern wilderness a true leader
Of men. lie married the Governors
daughter, and was held in esteem and
admiration by the people among
whom he lived, and whose interests
he promoted. He showed intelli-
eenca. too, Of other kind During
the controversy Yhich then agltated
the country between the Old and New.
between those who wanted America
to be more spacious England, and
those who wished America TO 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 his neighbors vino knew him, and
had been served by him, should elect
him to represent them in Congress ?
They did 50, and he took his seat. lie
was then fifly-two years Of age, well
looking, of decorous department. and
competent to take his share in rational
legislation. He was most warmly at
tached to democratic principles, and
much embittered against the ''aristo'
Gratis" who derided him for the very
reasons that constituted his special
claim to respect, must be conceded. II
the whole truth could be exhibited
here. il would be seen that he had eX-
perienced good deal Of treatment
similar to that indicated in the para
graph quoted above.
In the course of his first regular
session he became suddenly the most
notoriously person on the Western
continent. He was standing outside
the bar of the house one day, sur
rounded BY members, when Roger
Griswold, a representative Of Clncln-
natl, almost young enough to be Ly-
on's son, made an insulting alluslon to
the cashiemng by Gen. Gates, which
he intimated was for cowardice on the
field. Matthew Lyon unfortunately
lost his selt-control, and spat in Girls
wold's face. Instantly all was uproal
and confusion. 1t WAS the first time
that any breach Of decorum had occur
red in the Congress of the young ma
ton, and very good citizens, whether
democratic or federalist, could not but
deplore the event. a motion to ex
pei the offending member was prompt
ly introduced. Lyon the same even
ing wrote a letter to the Speaker de
claring that he had meant no discredi'
to the House, which the Speaker pnb
Ideally read or the following morning
The debate on the question OF his eX
pulsion lasted twelve days, during
| which il excited a universal and pas
sionate interest. When at length the
vote was taken, there were thlrty-twc
votes for expulsion to forty toul
against. AS member could not bt
expelled except by a two-thirds vote
Matthew Lyon retained bis seat.
But, il seems, the gross indignity
ranked in the breast of Roger Girls
void, who was a man Of education
and distinguished lineage. Foul
days after the failure to eXpel, while
Lyon was sitting on his seat with HI:
hat off, writing, Griswold came up tc
him and assaulted him, just as Brooks
afterwards assaulted Mr.. Sumner, by
striking him over the head and should
ers with hickory cane. Lyon en-
tangled by the desk and chairs, wa'
some time in getting to an open space
lie seized the tongs and rushed upor
his foe. Soon the belligerents drop
ped their weapons, clinched, tell to the
floor, and enjoyed for short time
good rough and tumble fight, unit
they were pulled apart by their fellow
members.
But even this was not the end o.