Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1876-01-28

torious person on the W estern continent.
He was standing outside the bar of the
house one day, surrounded by members,
when Roger Griswold, a representative
of Cincinnati, almost young enough to
be Lyons son, made an insulting allu-
sion to the eashiering by Gen. Gates,
which he intimated was for cowardice
on the field. Matthew Lyon .unfortu-
nately lost his selfcontrol, and spat in
Griswold's face. Instantly all was up
roar and confusion. 1t was the first
time any breach of decorum had oc-
Cured in the Congress of the young ma
ton, and very good citizens, whether
democratic or federalist, could but de-
plore the event. A motion to expel the
offending member was promptly intro
duced. Lyon the same evening wrote a
letter to the Speaker, declaring 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 it excited univer-
sal and passionate interest. When at
length the vote was taken, there were
thirty-two votes for expulsion to forty
four against. As member could moi
be expelled except by two-thirds vote,
Matthew Lyon resumed his seat.
But, it seems, the gross indignity
ranked in the breast of Roger Griswold
who was man of education and dis
tinguished lineage -Four days after the
failure to expel, while Lyon was sitting
on his seat with his hat off, writing
Griswold came up to him and assaulted
him, just as Brooks afterward assaulted
Mr.. Sumner, by striking him over tbs
head and shoulders with hickory cane
Lyon, entangled by the desk and chairs
was some time in getting to an oper
space. He seized the tongs and rushed
upon his foe. Soon the belligerent:
dropped their weapons, clinched, fell tc
the floor, and enjoyed for a short time 8
good rough and tumble fight, until they
were pulled apart by their fellow-mem
bers.
But even this was not the end Of it
A few minutes after, while Griswold wa.
standing in corner of the room, Lyon
came near with cane in his hand, bu
without any intention to renew the strug
gle. As soon as their eyes met theil
fury was rekindled, and Lyon assaulted
Griswold with great violence He hac
struck several blows when another mem
Der supplied Griswold with stick
which restored equality between them
Other members, however, interfered, ant
the combatants were finally separated.
This affair was the more to be regret
ed, because it gave some appearance o
justification to those who desired to ex
clude from offices of honor men who
were SO unfortunate as to have no par
ticular grandfather. But if the reade
will study closely the political histor,
of the only four countries that have eve
had any politics, namely, Greece, Rome
England and United States, he will dis
cover that it has been the aristocrati
party which has most habitually and in
stinctively resorted to brute violence.
Before the year 1898 ended Matthey
Lyon was in more serious trouble Th
administration of John Adams was fool
ish enough to prosecute him under th,
abominable Sedition Law, for havin,
said in his paper, that the President hat
an unbounded thirst for ridiculous pomI
and foolish adulation, had written bul
lying message, and uttered other equal
| ly trivial and harmless words. Bein!
convicted, he was sentenced to pay a fin
of thousand dollars, and be imprisone,
for four calendar months. Need it b.
| Suhd bho' bhC PCOpiC VI NE uiSbilCb SLOOl
by their representative While he wa
serving out his term in prison, they re
called him to Congress by greatly in
creased majority, and he came back t,
Philadelphia in triumph. The FEEDER
alists tried again to expel him, and OBJ
tanned vote of forty-nine to forty-fou
against it. Such was the infatuation o
that party only eighteen months befor
it was swept from power forever
This prosecution and long absences a
the seat of government broke up Lyon
business in Vermont, and he removed il
1901 to the new land of Kentucky, wher
again he became leader both in busines
and in politics In two years he came t.
Congress from Kentucky. His old enc
mics, the Federalists, were then in
dwindling minority, and Matthew Lyon
from having been the butt of an insolen
faction, found himself hero and favor
/ ite of the Democratic majority Candi,
men of both parties now perceived ths
he was a man of sense. of frank an