National Republican., 1877-12-18
Senatorial Dignity.

senatorial qunrrcls are becoming too COM
mon. What has become of the Senatorial dig
nifty Post,
There are only agiven number Of seats in
the Senate chamber, and whenever q quar-
relsome, bloody-minded representative of
the South is permitted to occupy one of
those, it narrows the circumference of
Senatorial dignity" and very clearly shows
what has become Of so much of it. There
are now some six or eight rebel generals in
the Senate of the United States, and that
fact alone should have been sufficient to
restrain the inquiry of the Post-"What
has become of the Senatorial dignity9"
There have been no quarrels in the Senate
of the United States involving bad blood
and worse manncrs with murderous intent
since 1861, until their late introduction into
the arena by Gen. GORDON, under the elem
ency of generous amnesty that has been
thrown over his treason. This affair reminds
the people of the North of the ro-
turn Of dnte-belium times, when
the arrogance and overbearing spirit
which ruled as Southern Democracy ruled
the Senate, and which brought the ruth
less bludgeon of BROOKS upon the defence
less head of SUMNER, within the precints
of the very chamber where he stood to
represent the interests of his State in Con-
gress.
When the war broke out the South re-
tired from the Senate Chamber and took
with it that element which indulgod in
violence and outrage, and from that day,
down to the time when tho door of the
Senate Chamber was again opened to
ood-thisty and brutal-minded men, the
dignities of that body were very creditably
preserved. This late furry in the Senate
bet ween Gen. GORDON and Senator CoNK-
LING, which seems to disturb the sense OF
propriety of our cotemporary, is, we think,
the first instance in which the dignity OF
the Senate has been materially disturbed
by threatend violence since 1861. There
have been more than sixteen years of un-
broken peace, quietude, and dignity in the
United States Senate-save the ordinary
frictions that have occurred in warm
discussions. In all that time there
havo been no rude and uncouth per
sonal alterations; no threats of personal
vengeance no menaces of duels; no insuffer.
able insolence; no abandonment of the
higher dign tiles that attach to that Cham.
ber and its proceedings. The first direct
insult offered to Senator since 1861, &c
cOrding to our recollection, was that Offered
on the part of GORDON to Senator CoNK
| htt auttnu hin, fnlua in,,, 30
ton. The Sc nator promptly characterized
the pr opposed affront in fitting terms, ant
then the brutality of unconquered and i'm
placable Southern hate came to the front
brandishing in the face. of the Senate tn,
menace of hostile and deadly meeting out
side that Chamber to settle the matter.
Unless we greatly mistake the temper o
that portion of the American people VIII,
proved loyal to the cause of the Republi
when these men attempted TO overturn it
those patriots who are now bearing the bur
thens that have been placed upon then
by the war to preserve the Union, mad
necessary by the treason and rebellion o
the South, they will lily brook the overbear
ing insOlence that marks the conduct o
these men when again permitted by grac
and favor to participate in Government
that they had failed to destroy. There ha
been no stronger reminder of the mistak
made in releasing these insolent men from
the disabilities that treason and rebellion
had properly placed upon them than is al
forded in this instance. II shows clearl,
that no Northern or Western man who ha
resisted the attempt TO destroy this Gov
ernment will be secure from insult whei
the South gets control Of the Government
us it proposes to do, and as it fancie
it has already done to a great, if not h
full extent, II is bad enough to see thes
untrustworthy men occupy positions of dis
tinction and honor in this Government
clothed with modest and gcntIemanl,
men; but when they meet loyal and tru
men with an arrogant, iR>sient, and bruta