Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-01-29
His Masterful, Eloquent and Webster.
like Constitutional Speech for the
Centennial Appropriation.
The Radicals DumbfOunded by His Con-
serYatism Blaine and Townsend
Effectively ReprOyed.
The Speech OF the SesslOR-It Pleased
and Captivated Every One, from The
Highest to the Lowest A
Great Gain.
Chicago Times

Chicago Times.l
WASHINGTON, January 25.- g
Although LsmsI's purpose Of Joining il
the Centennial debate was an after
| thou 4ht, suggested and urged by tht
friends of the bill, he had hardly r'sar
in his place when the ha'l and gsllerie
which had become empty and demOrsl
! lied, filled up and qJieted to almOs
| painful intensity. A scene almost
AS PAssIONATELY SENSATIONAL
as that which marked the two first day!
Of the amnesty debate followed. Rob
biHs's fiOIid rbapsodies and whimsics
sarcasm had thrown the vast audience
! into something like relaxed good humOr
for the speaker had skiT;ed closely upon
! that sublime which rests upon the ride
| ulOus, his purpose was Understood to be
| friendly, and ss a confession OF Confed'
| crate contrition it was more than wei
received, but the sppe lrance Of Lamar
| meant something. l. was known thai
| impulsive efforts had besn made 10 in
| duce him to revive the amnesty discus
sion and give him an opportunity 10 put
| his southern brethren in less antago.
| nistic position to northern sentiment
| than that III which the speeches Of Hill
/ dl4 luChEI Jldu lett luEAbH us eds
| known to have deprecated al reviva
| OF them, and to have couOseled his OWL
| folks to bide their time, thai their act:
might show the world that II Ii was moi
speaking
THE SOUTHERN SENTIMENT.
When, therefore, his slim form and
pale face appeared over among the Re-
| publican benches, profound silence fell
| uloa the house. All sigUs OF inatten.
| tion and W sriness were swept from the
faces on tie floor and in the gallery,
| There was no occasion for the Speakers
| gavel. The audience could fairly hear
| itself breathe as its splendid eloquence
| forced itself forth. At the drawing OF
seats LamaI's luck brought him among
| the r Rspublicaus, aud side by side with
Banks. His movements are therefore
more marked. Sitting, as it were,
| among adv.rsaries, his first mOvem snts
on addressing the house have 3 sort Of
self.dis.TUsting timidity OF utterancs and
manner which fascinates attention. So
soon as his voice, which is not sustained
| 10 register, is generally audible, he is
| then sure Of complete attention, so long
| as he chooses to speak. He employed
| no notes, but clear, crystal stream OF
| SODElJ1 IOhcu Gg dGAtC 46a
soning, fell from his lips for jos. az bOUI
| and half, in Wdich more was said than
| in the previ0us.seven days on the same
| subject. He apolOgiZ:d for speaking
saying that he had No thought of taking
part until within short time, but that
his hesrt and head approved of some
word on the p psndiDg bill and some
| questions germaue thereto. This was
| followed by rapid, exhaustive resume
| of the constitutiOnslity OF the measure,
bringing in some of the strongest argu-
| ments against
THE PET DOCTRINES OF STATE RIGHTS
held by some ofthe more untamed Con.
| 'eierates so far employed in cor goess.
| As he went on discTImir aing win an
sIyticsl grasp the constitutional aspects
| of the question involved, tie attention
which he excited because of his peculiar
position was changed into absorbed in
| terest. In vigorous capitalization oi
law, logic and reason, by which his faith
was justified, he appealed only to rea-
IA. There was no clap-trap invoked
Blaine had been heard with glistening
eyes, clenched hands, and grinding
teetb, with repuguanCe, indignation
and incredulity, but this mar, nursing
almost the same themes, asked only the
rational judgment Of his hearers, and
res0rted to no surprises, or srgument CT
tricks in expression to recommend his
reasoning to the house. A house which
had be5r1 with hostile liberation, but
without surprise, the foolish State-Tights
issue of the VngiDian Tucker, who ar
gued with the accuracy of a lawyer and
tue readiness Of professOr-for he had
been both-lis.ened with amsZemeDt to
an argument against it by mana
typical southerner. The Republicans
listened in stupeiaction. Had wisdom
finally come upon the Confederates?
Here was man who had bsttled FOR the
cause now grounding arms and showing
uusnsw wers bic cause for toe civil as well
as the military surrender. Ready, suda-
cicus, self-Ieliant, his piercing eyes fixed
upon men who opposed his arguments,
he poured ont an exposition Of national
ism and constitutionalism which
tqusled 10 effect
ONE OF wEBsTER's MASTERPIECES.
Remembering this mans place, the
real leader Of the south politically, and
the successor Of Davis in the senate,
the scene was in every sense the most
surprising recently witnessed in lhis
house OF revolutions and surprises. He
went square TO the root of the State
rights argument, aud express ed in few
Wig 1rous thrusts the doctrlnary idiosyD.
crasies of Judge Tucker, revealing TO
that learned jurist points OF constitu-
tiOnal Law, national precedent, and
State policy which even that former in
cumbent of a professors chair had ever
locked. "Not q nation?" he asked,
throwing his fine head back and raising
! his arms "a people who repellsd again
aud sgsin foreign invasion, who equip
! ped nsvies, who accounted the most tre-
mendous armies the world ever saw,
who conducted four years Of civil war,
and who recovered f.om it-nCt a ma
tiOn? Can any man read the record
and deny the majestic sovereignty OF
our nstionality?" The house, which
followed line and precept with immov-
able attention, turst into prolonged APP
plause. Tucker, taken by surprise, sat
over in g Democratic benches more
amazed tnan even the Republicans by
this uDsnsWerable
TORRENT OF ELOQUENT REPUTATION.
1t was the testimony of jurists present
that as al Argument the constitutional
paLL Oi Tie skJotCu YVES TIC ulOSL CichiA y
put and the most coherent recently de.
! iivered in either house. While the
/ keeuest attention of the house Was still
fastened upon him, and the weight ol
his argument had visibly taken its in
tended effect, Lamar passed 10 another
theme. He singled ous Townsend, who
made such q capital speech last week, TO
J deliver a word o. Teproach. That gen.
/ ilemsn, conscious of what was coming,
began 10 laugh complacently as Lamar
! alluded to his iOcose commsnts on the
| personal appearances OF fex-Confederstes 5,
| but his laugh died cut snd chagrin took
| its place as the speaker, with measured,
! almost pathetic, accents, reminded him
! OF the mischievOus results of his Preston
! Brooks illusions. 1t was not friendly,
/ il was not patriotic, it was not decent
! The noble American who suffered wrong
/ at the hands Of Brooks, left his senu
ments on record, and that sentiment
should shame those who seek 10 perpet'
uSte discords aud enmities that wer'
buried ten years ago. No conception o
the zeal effectiveness OF Lsmal's utter
ances can be given by the cold Ian
Rusge of comment. Blaine, tightly
| Equeezsd betWean both hands uuti