The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-04-09
NV. j. Vance in Cincinnati Commercial
A Good Yarn.
How Charles Foster Kept the souiherners
From FiIibustering.

Inose were dark hours. There were moments
when the strongest hearts quailed when the end
seemed nearly reached. There were occasions
when feathers weight it seemed, 80 delicate
was the emergency, would have turned the
scale aud irretrievably lost the great cause.
Early one morning, while the obstructionisss
were carrying things with high hand, and
nothing to oppose them seemed to avail, q
prominent New England Republican came
rushing into the House, pale and nervous and
unspeakably anxioas. Going to his seat
his eyes fell upon an Ohio rspresen-
tative at his desk, writing letter. The
calm and imperturbable repose of Ohio famed
the excitement of New England into roaring
fame. "How can yon write letter at such
time?' he flashed. "why nOt2' quietly re-
sponded Ohio. "Why not! Do you ask why at
such a moment as this?p snow what's up?
What's the trouble?'' "Troublel OBJ, man, can't
you realize the danger we are imp This filibus-
teriDg cannot be stopped. The ebstructionists
have coutrol of the Speaker. They will 20
on till all is lost. You don't seem to
snS sas fdS Ps sse how VII H. be dS Sspe
by getting wild over it. Besides, have hope
yet "Hopep' screamed New England,
hope in what-in whom, for Gods sake?' &.
In the Soutnerners. Inc calm cor hdence OF
the reply checked the dslirium of the New Eng
lander In more collected but still incredu-
that?'' "Yes, 1 mean it," "why then don't
they check this flibustsring"' .'The time
out all right" New England regarded this
man of solid nerve for moment with sheer
amazement, then, suddenly recollecting him
SELF he became nervous again and cried out:
"Hurry over to the Senate, then! Lose time as
n aoip Uhrrx hat kha
"Matter enough IL those southern allies of
yours mean business. The Senate are about to
pass resolution demanding admission to the
hall of the House, that the count may be re-
moment to gather the full meaning of this
startling announcement 1.-THE devil! then you'd
better 60 over and stop them!' 81 Tcant!I can't
screamed New England nervous and chagrined
II advised them to do it," Ohio looked at
him for an instant with an expression
of unutterable surprise and reproach. Then
with a muttered ejaculation he bolted,
hatless and with blind haste, to the Sem
ate chamber: There he found the. reso-
luton already drawn up, ready to be of
fered, the Republican Senators standing about,
pale and blue as to lips, with wild and glitter
ing eyes. They were desperate and determined.
Into the midst plunged Ohio, and with the en-
ergy of all his great patriotism he combatsd the
proposition. Finally, after giving his personal
pledge that the Southern men would stand
firm, he saw the resolution torn up. This was
this mans experience during all those terrible
days.
One night, at midnight, he was aroused by
message from one of the conservative Southern
ers, demanding his presence at once in his (the
Southerner's) rooms, several squares away
Hastily dressing himself he went. He found
his friend pacing the floor, filled with perturba-
tions that would not let him sleep. Pointing
to q despatch lying on the table he said: "Read
that! 1t is from my best friends, my personal
| friends" 1t was an adjuration to defeat the
I'll ffrall - wx-sn
carry out the spirit of his letter of acceptance?
Does he mean to give the South peace and
tranquility? 1 have taken my stand against
filibustsring and mean to abide by it. As far
as 1 am concerned, can stand anything. But,
if this mans policy should not be in accord
with his letter of acceptance, do you know
what the result will be? L will be condemned
for not using all my influence to defeat the
| count. That means ostracism. l could stand
| that, but it means more; it means the osfra-
| cism of my wife and children. There Is moth
i ing else that I cannot better bear than that.
| That would kill me-" Ohio gave him the reas-
| suring counsel that calmed him, and then
| went back to bed.
He stood between parties, and parties acted
on his personal pledge. On his faith in
Hayes he pledged himself to the Southern
ers on his faith in the Southerners he pledged
himself to the Republicans. Out of ninety
six hours he slept six, and during all Of
the ninety hours he was at his pest, cool,
| calm, apparently imperturbable, success
| fully hiding that which passed within his own
| breast If he had faltered for q moment all
/ would have been lost, He was howled at by
| the Republicans because he had faith in the
i Southern allies whom he had inspired with
| patriotism. The wild men of the Republicans
the men of yesterdays regme-scoffed at
/ and sneered at and derded him. "Its all
trap, snare, delusion," roared old Martin l.
Townsend. 'Tll not stay here to be fooled BY
these fellows, I'll leave the hoorP "And
/ we'll give you $100 day to stay away" was
the reply He was jeered at BY the Democrats
because he had faith in Hayes, whom he had
known oil his life. He could make no promises
except on that faith and was taunted that he
could not. But he never faltered. His was
dreadful ordeal To him, more than to any
other man, the country owes its happy deliver
| ance from the perils of the electoral count. He
| was of iron, aud yet iron shows marks OF wear.
/ A friend who came back to Washington q few
l days ago, after an absence of six weeks. said:
| "See how the gray hairs are comingl Why, he
i is ten years older than he was when last saw
l himp' He was at his post when the flag went
L down at 4 o'clock and ten minutes on the morn
| ing of Friday, the I'd of March. AT 10 o'clock
l the same day he was in his seat, with his mind
intent on the details of legislative business, Is
l alert and industrious as if he had never heard
of an electoral count.
1t was not time for bulldozing, and, il the
| Senate had passed the resolution in question,
the tide would have turned. The Southerners
| would have resented an attempt to drive them.
| This was only one of many such rocks that the
| good ship barely missed.