Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-02-09
attbew Lyon.

called, of Philadelphia, in the spring Of 1897.
when the news arrived that Matthew LYON
a wild Irishman Of Vermont, had been
elected a member OF the House Of Reptesen-
tatives, and was coming in June to take his
seat at the extra session Of Congress. Moth.
ing was alleged against the new member ex.
cept that he made his way from a poor emi.
grant-boy, to wealth and influence in his
adopted country. lie was announced in one
OF the Federalist papers of Philadelphia.
IN the manner following:
Tomorrow morning at eleven O'Clock, will be
| exposed 10 view the Lyon Of Vermont This sim
guar animal Is said to have been caught In the
/ bogs Of llibemia, and when wholp Transported
70 America. lie differs considerably from the
| African Lion he Is more clamorous and less mag
nanimons His pelt resembles more the wolf or
tger, ana his gestures bear remarkable affinity
to the bear. He was brought to this city in 4
wagon Many gentlemen who have seen him do
not hesitate TO declare they think him a moet ex-
| traordinarv beast
A welcome like that was not likely TO
rnolify the irascibe Irish blood that ran In
the veins OF this Vermont democrat. IL was
true that Matthew Lyon had come from Ire
land, child nine years Of age, without a
penny and without a friend and that his
time till he should be of age, was sold to
pay his passage, according TO the custom of
said 10 be a pair of three-year-od stays.
His master took him TO Vermont. where he
served out his time faithfully, and by at
tending winter schools, obtained tolerable
education.
When the war OF the Revolution began,
he joined the army as private, and was
promoted to the rank of corporal almost
Immediately. But while he was on post in
Northern New York, under the command of
General Gates, the men Of the company be-
came tired of the idle life of the winter
camp, and went home for holiday. The
officers followed them. After spending a
while at home most Of them returned to
their posts but nothing would content Gen.
eral Gates short Of cashiering the officers,
our corporal among them. Lyon not being
man to stay cashiered, he stated the facts
to General st. Clair, who reinstated him,
and he was appointed by General Schuyler
to regimental paymastership. The war
over, he founded the village OF Fairhaven,
in Vermont, in which there was an excellent
water-power, and where he became busi-
ness man of the true pioneer type. There
was iron in the neighborhood. lie set men
to digging it; he established a smelling fur
mace he cast hollow-ware he made fiat
irons, spiders, kettles, bake-pans, dishes and
grlddles. lie set up paper mill, and made
types, he established weekly paper, called
by himself The Farmers Library but quoted
by his enemies as though he had named il,
The Scourge OF Aristocracy and Repository
of Important Political Truth. lie built
saw-mill, the largest in the state, and near by
it he manufactured nails. Finding the ma
terial for his papermill difficult to get he
invented a process for making paper out of
Eastwood bark. His labors were so valu-
able to the community that the legislature
of Vermont gave him authority TO raise six
hundred bushels of wheat by lottery, TO en-
able him to enlarge his furnace and produce
greater variety of iron-ware.
lie married the Governors daughter, and
was held in esteem and admiration by the
people among whom he lived, and whose in.
terests he promoted.
What more natural, what more proper,
than that his neighbors who knew him, and
had been served by him, should elect him to
represent them in Congress ? They did so,
and he took his seat. lie was then fifty-two
years of age, welllooking, of decorous de-
pertinent, and competent to take his share
in national legislation.
In the course of his first regular session he
became suddenly the most notorious per-
son on the Western continent lie was
standing outside the bar of the House one day,
surrounded by members, when Roger Girls
void, representative Of Cincinnati, almost
young enough to be Lyons son, made an in
sulting allusion TO the cashierng by Gen.
Gates, which he intimated was for coward
ice on the field. Matthew Lyon unfortun-
ately lost his self-control, and spat in Girls
wolds face. Instantly all was uproar and
confusion. 1t was the first time that any
breach of decorum had occurred in the Con.
gress OF the young nation, and very good cit
liens, whether democratic or federalist, could
not but deplore the event A motion TO ex-
pei the offending member was promptly in
troduced. 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 1t excited universal and passionate
interest. When at length the vote was
taken, there were thirty-two votes for expul-
sion to forty-four against. As member
could not be expelled except by two-thirds
vote, Matthew Lyon retained his seat.
But, it seems, the gross indignity ranked
in the breast Of Roger Griswold, who was u
man of education aud distinguished 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 as
saulted him, Just as Brooks afterward as
sanlted Mr. Sumner, by striking him over
the head and shoulders with hickory cane.
Lyon, entangled by the desk and chairs,
was some time in getting to an open space.
lie seized the tongs and rushed upon his
foe. Soon the belligerents dropped their
weapons, clinched, fell to the floor, and en-
joyed for a short time good rough and
tumble fight, until they were pulled apart
by their fellow-members.
But even this was not the end OF it. A
few minutes after, while Griswold was stand
ing in a corner of the room, Lyon came near
with cane in his hand, but without any in
tention TO renew the struggle. As soon as
their eyes met their fury was rekindled and
Lyon assaulted Griswold with great violence.
lie. had struck several blows, when another
member supplied Griswold with a stick,
which restored equality between them.-
Other members, however, interfered, and the
combatants were finally separated.
Before the year l79S ended, Matthew Lyon
was in more serious trouble. The admins.
tration of John Adams was foolish enough
to prosecute him under the abominable sedi-
ton law, for having said in his paper that
the President had an unbounded thirst for
ridiculous pomp and foolish adulation, had
written a bullying message and had uttered
other equally trivial and harmless words
Being convicted, he was sentenced to pay
fne OF one thousand dollars, and be impris-
oned for four calendar months. Need Il be
said that the people of his district stood by
their representative While he was serving
out his term in prison, they recalled him TO
Congress, by greatly increased majority,
aud he came back to Philadelphia in tri-
umph. The Federalists tried again to expel
him, aud obtained vote Of forty-nine to
forty-four against ii. Such was the infatua-
tion of that party only eighteen months be-
fore 1t was swept from power forever
This prosecution, and long absences at the
seat of government, broke up Lyons bust
ness in Vermont, and he removed in 1901 to
the new land Of Kentucky, where again he
became n leader both in business and in pol
itics. In two years he came TO Congress
from Kentucky, His old enemies, the Fed
eralists were then in dwindling minority;
and Matthew Lyon, from having been the
butt Of an insolent faction, found himself
hero and favorite Of the democratic major
ity. lie served in Congress until 1871, when
he declined further election, being sixty-fye
years of age. Some years later, Mr.. Monroe
appointed him agent TO the Cherokee In
dians, and he continued to be an active bust
ness man, patriotic politician, and q faith
fnl servant Of his country, trusted by the In