New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-01-15
AuERICAN ELOQUENCE.


great occasion to fill the halls of Congress
with eloouence such as Dcmosthenes never
aspired to and Chatham never imagined.
There has been great occasion all TINS week.
The House of Representatives has been lasheu
into n storm of excitement, not perhaps over
any principle of politics. or any important
measure Of practical legislation, but by the
manufacture of issues for the next Presidential
campaign and the determination OF rival
partlsans to damage one anothcrs per-
sonal fortunes at whatever cost to the
bappiness and peace of the country. II elo-
ouencc is what Cicero called it, copiose loq"ens
sopjepfiG. the great debate has surely been Il
remarkable illustration of the part eloquence
still plavs in the management of our national
affairs. Kendall, Blaine, Cox, and Hill have
poured forth wisdom with such rich and fluent
spcech that the world stlrcs at them with ad-
miiing surprise. 1t was perhaps on Thursday
that the display of craftsmanship reached It's
elimination of spendor. Great thoughts clad
IN great phrases rcsoundcd from noon TIL
dinner time. The keen shafts of refined satire,
polished rs a mirror, cutting as knife, hcw
from side to side, and there was sucn CO.
rusration of wit that the chamber seemed TO
sparkle with light and the galleries were daz-
lied and bcwildcrcd. Whether Mr.. blaine or
Mr.. Cox deserve the palm for the highest sort
of elo0uence we are at n loss to determine.
Let lis Gull few specimens from each, and
leave the decision to our readers
Mr.. Blaine called upon Messrs. Cauliicld
and Harrison (who were not taking part III the
dcbate) to stand up and answer certain ques-
tons ne should put them; but their replies
were not satisfactory, and this Is what fol-
lowed:
Mr. Clulncld-Tho gentleman has ut TO call on me
for my testimony III regard treatment OF prisoners
at Camp Douglas. do not wish him 10 suppose from
my silence. that fully acIuc,ce In what lac has said
Mr. Blaine Qntcrruptinsl-In what WHO has saidi Ihe
gentleman from Georgia myself
Mr.. CauIGeld-ln what the gentleman from Maine has
sad.
Mr.. Blaine tsnceringlyl-Ohi
Mr. Blane-wil you state whether the prisoners who
came from Fort Douglas did not occupy hnd share lhc
same quarters ard nave exactly the same accommoda-
tions ~ tho Illinois troops had had who LETT Camp
Douglas
MI CaulHcd-My memory on that point does not serve
INF Blaine Ironically Oh! [Laushcrl
Mr. Harrison-You asked me question and have
answered 1t.
MIR. Blaine-No. She gentleman has not answered the
question at all but gone into long rignaroe not
touching the point at issue lLaughtcr.l
Mr. IIarrson-Tho gentleman has asked question.
My silence would be an Acknowledgment ti'' Il" WAS
right.
Sir Blaine-l asked the gentleman whether he knew OF
crueltcs AT Camp DougIa-.
Mr. Harrison No. sir; but
Mr. Halnr-Enough that Is enough now. viii hear
the gentleman ON this side OF House from that neigh
borhood.
Mr.. Jones of Kentucky, who described him
self "a "a friend of the gentleman from
"Maine," modcstly offered, in response to Mr..
Blaine's general invitation, to give his ex-
perience as a prisoner during the war, and
was caught up in this astonishing manner:
Mr. Bainc-Gn what fort
Mr.. Iones-I will tell you II YOU will allow time.
MI Baine-Tcll me in what fort you were.
Nj Jones-I WAS not a pri.pu Of war.
Mr. Blaine (contemptuousyl- Laughter
The libcrality with which Mr. Blaine scat
tered contcmptuous eXclamations about the
chamber was certainly amazing. Mr.. Hill
tried To edge in word oil explanation, and
Mr.. Blaine cried (contemptnously) "Oh non
"sensc." Mr.. Hill vcnturcd another word, and
Mr. Blaine (still contcmptuously) calculated
ooh myn He asked Mr. Hill n question,
and this charming little passage at arms oc-
cured
Mr.. Hill-Wlll yOu allow me 70 answeri
Mr. Blaine-Yes did that relate 10 slicsi
Mr. Hin (rcpeating)-WiI you allow me to auswert
Mr. Blainc-No. Sir TiH not
And it was shortly followed by this mem
Orable encounter of wits:
Mi. Hill tri3ing-will the gentleman allow mo one
wordl
Mr. Blaine-Not word
Mr.. Hin (3heerinsy)-Ob!ll
Perhaps it was as well for when Mr. Hill
did succeed in getting III an answer to one
of Mr.. Blaine's questions he was met by the
Teioinder {" cOntemptuous' again, as the re-
porter is careful to observe) That is paltcr-
81 ing in n double sense :" and 50 Mr.. Hill was
sent about his business
The contempt, however WAS not confined to
one side Mr. Cox of New York was also full
OF that sentiment. At an earlier stage of the
debate he had been sharp, humorous, and
highly effective but on Thursday his con-
tempt entirely Overcame him. There was no
room in his bosom for any other feeling
than profound and illimtable con-
tempt. He was fairly sour with 1t.
Metaphorically speaking, he scared ovel
the angry crowd and cast upon it glances that
might have withered Ben Butler. In the flesh
we can imagine him reclining on the small OF
his back, with legs thrust far under the desk,
hands exploring the bottom of his pockets, and
the peculiar curve which indicates the most
sickening sort of disgust sharply defined at
the corners of his nose. The report before us
does full justice to the weighty and witty re-
marks with which this great man spiced the
flow of debate in which he scorned to take