The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-02-01
LAMAR.
Scenes During His Eloquent Speech on t'c
centennial bill.

Scenes Duriag His Eloquent Speecb on INC
Centennial Bill.
Washington Correspondence Chicago Times
Although amar's. purpose n joiping
In the Centennial debate was an a1ter-
thought, suggested and urged by friends
OF the bill, he had hardly risen In his
place when tho hall and galleries, which
had become empty and demoralized,
filled up and quieted to almost painful
intensity. A scene almost
AZ pAssfoNArELY SENSATIONAL
as that which marked the two first days
Of the amnesty debate followed. Rob
bins fiorid yhapsodies and whimsical
sarcasm had thrown the vast audience
into something like relaxed good humor,
for though the speaker had skirted
closely upon that sublime which rests
upon the ridiculous, his purpose was
understood to be friendly, and rs % con
fession OF Confederate contritiof IL vas
more than we'll received, but the appear
aace Of Lamar meant something. It
was known that impulsive efforts had
been made to induce him to revive the
amnesty discussion and give him an
In u less antagonistic position TO North
ern sentiment than that In which tho
speeches of Hill and Tucker had left
them. He was known to have depre-
Gated all REVEALS of them and to have
cOtlnseled his own folks TO bide their
time. that their acts might show the
world that Hill was not speaking
THE SOUTHERN SENTIMENT.
When, therefore, his slim form and
pale face appeared owe the Republican
benches, profound silence fell upon the
house. All signs Of ~inattention and
WEAKNESS were swept from the faces on
the floor and the gallery. There was
no occasion for the Speakers gnvel.
The audience could fairly hear itself
breathe us his splendid eloquence forced
Lamar's luck brought him among the
Republicans, and side by side with
Banks. His movements are therefore
more marked. Sitting, as 1t were, among
a~dversarics, his. ii rst movements on adj
dressing the House have o sort of
self distressing timidity of utterance
and manner which f~ascinates attention.
SO soon us his voice, which Is not sus-
tanned In register, Is generally audible,
he Is then sure of complete attention,
SO long US te chooses to speak. He en-
ploycd no notes, but q clear, crystal
stream OF sentiment, soberly toned by
acute reasoning, fell from his lips for
Just an hour and q half, In which more
was said than in the previous seven days
on the same subject. He a~pologized for
speaking, saying that he had no thought
Of taking part until within a short time,
but that his heart and head approved Of
some word on the pending bill and some
questions germane thereto. This WAS
followed by q rapid, exhaustive resume
OF the constittltionality Of the measure,
bringing In some Of the strongest argtl-
ments against 2"
THE PET DOCTRINES or STATE RIGHTS
held by some Of the moro untamed
Confederates $ % far employed In Con-
gross. As he went on discriminating
with analytical grasp the constitutional
aspects OF the question involved, the at
tention which he excited because of his
peculiar position was changed into alb.
sorbed interest. In vigorous crystaliza.
tion. Of law, logic and reason, by which
his faith was Justified, he appealed only
to reason. There was no clap-trap in
voked. Blaine had been heard with
g~listening eyes, clenched hands and
grinding teeth, with repugnance, indig-
nation and incredulity, but this man,
nursing almost the same themes, asked
only the rational judgment Of his hear
ers, and resOrted to no surprises, or ar
gument, or tricks in expression to re-
commend his reasoning to the House.
| A House which had heard with hostile
liberation, but without surprise, the
foolish State rights issue OF the Vir-
gilman, Tucker, who argued with the ac-
curacy OF a lawyer and the readiness OF
a p~rofessor-fo for he had been both-lis-
tened with amazement to an argument
against 1t by u man, q typical South
erner. The Republicans listened in stu
pefaction. Had wisdom finally come
upon the Confederates? Here was q
man who had battled for the cause now
grounding arms and showing 4nan-
the military surrender. Ready, auda-
cious, self-reliant,. his piercing eyes
fixed upon men who opposed his argu-
ments, no poured out an exposition of
| nationalisrn and constitutionaIism
which equaled In effect
ONE OF wEBsTEB's MASTERPIECES.
Remembering this mans place. the
real leader Of the South politically, and
the successor ut Davis In the Senate, The
scene was In every sense the most sur
prising recently witnessed In this house
OF revolutions and surprises. He went
square to the root of the State right ar
gument, and Expressed in q few vigorous
thrusts the doctrinary idiosyncrasies OF
Judge Tucker, revealing to that learned
jurist. points Of constitutional law, ma
tioHtI AHu NtlUe policy
which oven that former Incumbent
of n professors chair had over
looked. mot u nation ?" he asked,
throwing his fine head back and
raising his arms, "Hl people who re-
PEELED again end again foreign invasion,
who equipped navi6s, who accoutred the
most tremendous armies tho world ever
saw, who conducted four years Of civil
wal. and who recovered from it--not g
nation? Gan any man read the record
and deny the majestic a~oyereignty OF
our nationality The House, which fol-
lowed line 4nd pFeeept with immovable
attention. hurat into prolonged ap.
plause. Tucker, taken by surprise. sat
over In the Democratic benches more
amazed than V the Republicans hv
this u~nanswerable
TORRENT OF ELOQUENT REPUTATION.
1t Wyi5 the testimony Of jurists present
that a. on argument the constitutional
part OF the speech was the most clearly
put md the most coherent recently de-
iilvered in, other house. While the
keenost attention of the House was still
fastened upon him, and the weight OF
his argument had visibly taken its in
tended effect, Lamar passed to another
theme, = Ho singled out Townsend, who
made such a capital speech last week,
to deliver a word Of reproach, That
gentleman, conscious OF what was com
Ing. began To la1lph cOmplaccptIv 90