New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-02-14
THE DISTURBANCE IN THE HOUSE.

THE DISTURBANCE IN THE HOUSE.
THE ATTACK UPON HEWITT A BRUTAL AFFAiR-ThE
PROBABILITY OF A SECRET BARGAIN RAPIDLY
GROWING SMALLER.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l
WASHINGTON. Feb. 13.--Thcre was circus in tho
House of Representatives to-day
Mr. Hewitt of NewYork. whom every honest and
patriotic man honored for his just rebuke OF Mr.
Aiken of South Carolina, last Friday. when he pro-
nosed TO sell West Point under the hammer or give
il 10 New-YOrk rather than to appropriate the
money necessary for its support, took occasion to
read deserved lecture to Mr. House, OF Tennessee,
who had come to Mr.. Aiken's defence. In doing So
he set on fire the inhammable Southern material IN
the House OF Representatives, and brought down
upon himself the brutal abuse of Southern states
men. Hot burning words and plenty of personal
and supplementary language were INDUCED in,
mill at one time it really seemed as though some
Of the secret history of the events attending the
Electoral count would be told; and at another time
Mr. Luttren suggested that Bladensburg was only
eight miles distant and that the roads toeTahly
good The net result of all the talk was very little
Nothing new was brought ont. NO Information that
had not long been printed in the newspapers and in
official documents of Congress was given; and 1t
nav now be concluded that there no secret his
tory worth knowing which is yet concealed.
But q storm had to come sometime. The pent-up
passions of the Democrats had to be given free REIN
and so it was better, perhaps, that it should come
to-day. The men who participated in It and who
called each other liars, and other similarly endear
ing names probably feel better tonight, and
will be in a moro amiable mood tomorrow
Mr. Conger, of Michigan, with the sardOnic wit,
grim humor, and fierce sarcasm of which he is
master, had accused the Democrats of a desire to
destroy the army by insidious attacks upon every
appropriation for its maintenance, in order to re-
duce it and thus make vacancies TO be filled by
Democratic president when he shall be elected.
Nh Chalmers, of Mississippi, IN one of the impas-
stoned speeches which Congress is becoming accus-
toned to expect from the South, denied that such
purpose is cherished by Southern men, and spoke of
the public welfare and of National unity in spirit
that was really patriotic This was prelude to the
exciting scenes which followed.
Mr. Hewitt, of New-York. returned, in personal
explanation to his speech OF the other day, In which
he arraigned Mr.. Aiken, of South Carolina, for hos
tiity to West Point. lie caused TO be read pas
sage from his speech i'll reply TO that Of Mr. Aiken,
of South Carolina, proposing that West Point should
be put upon the aucti0n-block.
THE STORM BREAKS FORTH.
This was a defiance which no Representative from
South Carolina was likely to disregard. Mr.. Aiken
was ouick to retor to Mr Hewitt, and he did it in
the most offensive manner. He accused him of
being what the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr.
Housed had represented that ne was namely, liar,
and he proceeded to eulogze West Point for the
Southern heroes it had produced, who had led in
battles where Mr.. Hewitt could not be found. Mr..
Aiken closed by saying that South Carolina had
never produced an Esau, Benedict Arnold, or a
man who had sold out the Presidential election thus
accusing Mr. Hewitt of having betrayed Mr. Til
den.
BY this time the excitement in the House had be-
como intense. The managers of the Appropriations
Bill seeing whittier things were tending, were ur-
gent in pressing their measure but the calls OF
order were slenced in the turbulent Outcries from
all portions of tue chamber, Of I" Hewitt" Hew-
ittn The House waived all ceremonies violated its
rules and gave Mr.. Hewitt unrestricted freedom to
proceed
Mr.. Hewitt is in feeble health, and unable to sup
port himself in q long speech. he sent for water,
loosened his collar placed himself in the centre Of
the House, and in the midst of a silence remark
able as the turbulence which had just preceded it,
began: 81 have known of brave men from many
battle-felds of Agamemnon and others, who were'
born before the gentleman from South Carolina but
have never known one hero to come back from
any battlefield and boast OF his own
valor" Silencing Mr. Aiken Oh that point with this
contemptuous sentence, Mr.. Hewitt said, with in
creasing impressiveness and turning with defiant
air to his antagonist, " If the Presidency was sold,
nobody in the North sold it out. proposition to
sell the Presidency vas made to me- and l con-
temptuously refused it,"
A DISCLOSURE WHICH DID NOT DISCLOSE.
From all sides of the hall there arose deafenmg
cry of Name" Name" Name the man." Mr..
Hewitt then, in a silence which became even more
profound said: If tho House and the Amer
can Congress wish to hear an unwritten
chapter of American history, that chapter
can given On all hands it was thought
that thu 1ono-expected disclosure was to
way to say "on one Sunday afternoon; and re-
Winding his hearers of the three solitary horse
men that DO duty 30 egG9e65 20 III poTrste
In detail without mentioning names, that
he was called upon by pretended messenger IRON
Governor j. Madison Wells, Offering 70 count
the Electoral vote of Louisiana for Iilden for
100000.
The excitement was increasing, when voice from
the Democratic side OF the chamber was heard
70 say, "You have promised us unwritten
book And true enough n% ''' the ' inislruptns
member produced volume Of Congressional EVIL
denee which contains the stale, exploded and unsnc-
eessfnl Pickett-Maddox story told to David Dudley
Fields committee last Winter. 1t was the story OF
the mysterious visit of Pickett 10 Mr.. Hewitt, and
the offer from Maddox to have the State counted for
illden for 500, 900, and the presentation of the
letters from Wells TO Senator West, which obtained
ment, and which were then successfully refuted
and explained by j. Madison Wells himself
MI Hewitts speech had an antl-ciinax He fell
from tho sublime heights of his mysteryio be con-
1ronted by the very prosaic prose contained in
public document. The protostatIons of Democratic
stale.
A., But the fight went on. Mr. Aiken renewed his
r, s Us 81 MI Hswlt asserting that he had boosted
spill one drop Of blood in defence OF the Democratic
party.
Mr.. Hewitt denied that he had ever said this and
accused South Carolina Of being false and unchiva-