New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-03-11
BLAINE IN THE SENATE.


are varied and interesting, showing the |
different standpoints from which his re-
marks are viewed.
The correspondent of the Democratic |
Cincinnati Enquirer says:
Blaine threw down the gauntlet in the |
Senate Chamber, aud served notice on |
Hayes that he would not be allowed to
carry out the South rD policy indicated in |
his inaugural, go as to ignore the claims of |
the men Who made him President The Op- |
pOrtunity was the question of swearing in |
Kellogg frum Louisiana. Blaine, without |
waiting for C0nkling TO get over his sulks-
throwing aside the msok-mOdesty he as
tumed last session, and striking out as of |
yOre, impetuOus and impudent-sti lied the |
opportunity, and at one stroke warned |
Hayes of the split that would follow any in |
dicatiOn of an intention TO JOhnsonize, and |
notified the Senate that he proposed to lead |
there, as in the House. Il do not intend to |
speak for the administration, be said; "but |
do cay most positively that if the admins |
tration recognizes the Nichols government |
in Louisiana it will proclaim to the world |
that President Hayes, and you, sir (pointing |
to Vice President Wheeler), hold your high |
offices by bold usuIpAtiOn." The unuxpeOt- |
edness and vigor OF the attack fairly took |
away ths breath of old Senators accustomed |
to prOlxity and prOsiness, and brought |
Wheeler, hastily calling Hoar to preside, |
tlsd his seat. C1nkling was startled from
his customary imperturbabiit for the mo-
ment, but soon turned his back on Blaine,
and sat an attentive listener as Blaine vent
on to affirm that, iBasmuoh as the Legis-
laiure which eleoIed Kellogg was counted
by the same Returning Board which
counted Louisiana for Hayes and Wheeler,
and inasmuch as the cOnstitutiOnality of
tho acts of that Returning Board had been
confirmed by the Electoral Commission,
Hayes could not repudiate its count OF the
State vote without FepudiatiDg his own
title 10 Office and that of Wheeler. Blaine
got off his second affirmation "Of bold
usuTpatiOn, sir," with even more unctiOn
| than at first, and again waved his hand at
the Vice Presiient's desk, whereat HOar,
| its occupant, blushed like q maiden, and
| the galleries roared. The stimulus OF
| gal cry applause melted Blaine to attempt
his customary House tactics, and he pro-
ceeded to "bGIldoze" the Democratic side
by declaring that they, having fathered the
electoral bill, could not repudiate it's action
| by voting against Kellogg.
The writer in the Chicago Times, an
other Democratic paper, gives the follow
ing vivid account of the speech of Blaine
Pitt Kellogg's case demanded instsnt at
| tentiOn. He had come before the Senate
| yesterday and was condemned to wait
| while on the very point Of taking the OATH
| His case by every law of right and Justice
should come now and before that of any
other claimant. He was by this time
thoroughly warmed up to his work. His
eyes Il 4shed forth their Old-time fire. His
flexile mouth tWitched in convulsive mail
formation. His body was all in motion.
Head erect, arms akimbO. he was the same
dauntless, fiery champion that brought the
blood to the very dnger-tips of the House
last winter, and filled the country with the
echoes of his prOwess. Such fire. such fury,
such bravadO, such irrational vapOrings
are unusuual in the Senate, and the deco
rous old chaps who have sat here for years
and rarely raised their voices above an or
| dinary conversational tone listened in un-
conceded smazement to the outbreak. But
Blaine meant that his audience should
hear something to wonder at as
well as see "If Pitt Kellogg" said
he, running OF full trot toward
| COnkling, all the interposing seats having
been vacated by Hamlin, Howe and Ferry,
"if Pitt Kellogg has no title on this fl Dor,
then Rutherford b. Hayes has no title TO
the seat he holds, for the same agencies that
made Hayes President made Kellogg Sena-
tor" "Does the gentleman meau," said
Thurman, drYlY, THAT the electoral vote
and the vote for the Legislature was of the
same piece ?" Blaine, confused for mo-
ment, came back with unimpaired impu-
dence. mo, do not but if the Returning
Board was good enough to count the cleo
tOpal vote l should like to know If it was
not good enough to count in Packard and
give Kellogg his title" "If the gentleman
from Maine wants my opinion" said Thur
man, rising in his seat and furnishing his
historic bandana, 81 will tell him that l
think the Returning Board is good enough
to be hung, and nothing else" A great
| L., NF,, H. To-
and the Senate, and Blaine, for moment
taken aback, hid his disconeert under pre-
tense of taking glass of water, which gave
him time to snap back at Thurman. "Yes,
| understand that some of the men in
Louisiana, whom the le t.eman from
Ohio repre- sents on this floor by his Opin.
ions, think that hanging would be none
too good for the Electoral Commission" "
The roar that this elected had hardly
swollen through the few Claquers in his im-
mediate neighbOrhOod when Thurman icilv
responded, "The msiOrity, you meant
Then followed another Outburst, and
Blaine, warned by these sharp encounters
that he bad not the COnfederates of the
, House to deal with, observed considerable
more eircumspection as he Illuminated his
, definition OF the Republican policy. But il
was plain from his irssci0le manner and
ugly words that he meant more than the
mere mischief of lntOlerant speech. He re-
ferred with Incorporate scorn to the in
consistency of the Democrats opposing
Kellogg while they were responsible for the
law which made the work of the Returning
Board legal. at was exclusively Demo
: cratic measure" said he, in his old brazeu
way, resting his arms on hips and glar
ing defanLly over at the Democrats
!, Nearly all the Republicans voted against
it, as did one Democrat, my friend from
Connecticut, Mr.. Eaton. By this time
1 ba uyh,1a bnAy atiRPRh nm n
could resist attending to the hot shot poured
out of Blaine's mortar. Spurred to the top
of his heat by these sigus of his old power,
Blaine proceeded with self eOnseiOus power,
plainly aggravating to the older members
of the body, but enjoyed inexpressibly by
the newer and more radical recruits
"There has been good deal of talk in the
corridors of Congress" he said, "abOut an
arrangement for the recognition of the
Nichols government. Who" said be, dart
ing forward until almost upon COnkliDg,
"Who," said he, doubling his fist and bend
ing over the New Yorker, "has authority Co
make such sFrangementsl Not the Re
publican party, for it dare not speak in
corners; not the President-elect, for he
points out in ringing, defiant accents,
he dropped his big expressive eyes for 9
moment upon Conkling, who absolutely
seemed to cover beneath him, the standing
figure with heated force and fairly glaring
eyes throwing the sitting figure into such
disprOportion. IL was accepted as a re
neWal of the old grudge between the two
men, and an open declaration Of war ae
well. Conkling closed his eyes and said
not a word. ReOeding with his old running
trick, Blaine seemed to sweep up all his
party in an armful, and then breathed the
breath of political life into them by declar
ing that if the administration should see fiji
I 4 aus 4 4. a =