Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-06-07
Bluff Old Ben Wade.

| DIuH Uld Ben Wade.
Gen. James S. Brisbin, in the Spirit Of
the Times, gives very interesting article
on the life of the late Senator Wade.
Among the many amusing incidents of
his life, while a Senator, are the follow
ing:
Soon after taking his sent in the Sen.
ate, Wade witnessed one of those scenes
so common in the Senate those days.
A southern fire-eater made an attack on
a northern Senator, and Wade was amaz-
ed and disguised at the cringing, coward
ly way in which the northern man bore
the taunts and insults of the hot-headed
| sOUtherner. As no allusion was made to
| himself or state, Mr.. Wade sat still; but
when the Senate adjourned, he said
| openly, if ever a southern Senator made
such an attack on him or his state, while
| he sat on that floor, he would brand him
as liar. This coming to the ears of the
southern men, a aSenatOr took occasion to
pointedly speak a few days afterwards
of Ohio and her people as negro-thieves.
Instantly Mr.. Wade sprang to his feet,
and pronounced the Senator a liar. The
southern Senators were thunder-struck,
and gathered around their champion,
while the northern men grouped about
Wade. A feeler was put out from the
southern side, looking to retraetion; but
Mr.. Wade retorted in his peculiar style,
and demanded an apology for the insult
offered himself and the people he repre-
sented. The matter thus closed, fight
was looked upon as certain. The next
day gentleman called upon the Senator
from Ohio, and asked the usual question
touching his acknowledgment of the
Code.
81 am here" he responded, Gin double
capacity. represent the State of Ohio,
and l represent Ben Wade. AS Sena-
tor am opposed to dueling; as Ben
Wade, recognize the Code"
Ny friend feels aggrieved," said the
gentleman, "at what you said in the Sem
ate yesterday, and will ask for an apollo
gy or satisfaction"
81 was somewhat embarrassed" con.
tinued Senator Wade, 'by my position
yesterday, as have some respect for the
Chamber. 1 now take this Opportunity
of saying what 1 then thought, and If
you please, can repeat it: Your friend
is a foul-mouthed old black-guard r'
Certainly, Senator Wade, you do not
wish me to convey such message as
that%
'Most undoubtedly do, and will tell
you, for your own benefit, that this friend
of yours will never notice it. I will not
be asked either for retraction, explana-
ton, or fight"
Next morning Mr.. Wade cameinto the
Senate, and, proceeding to his seat, de-
iberately drew from his coat two large
pistols, and, unlocking his desk, laid
them inside. The southern men looked
on in silence, while the northern mem
bers enjoyed to the fullest extent the
fire-eaters' surprise at the proceeding of
the Plucky Ohio Senator. No further
notice was taken of the affair of the day
before. Wade was not challenged, but
ever afterwards was treated with the
utmost politeness and consideration by
the Senator who had so insultingly at
tackled him.
Wade one day replied to Toombs, of
Georgia, and to all appearance used
language which would compel Tombs to
challenge him. Several friends went to
Wade and begged him to desist, but the
old man grew more and more violent,
until Toombs indicated his intention Of
calling Wade to account for the language
he was using, when Wade quietly sat
down, seemingly having accomplished
his object.
The Southern men looked at each
other in surprise, and it was manifest to
all that Wade had deliberately sought
quarrel with Toombs. That night a
friend of the Southern Senator called on
Mr.. Wade to know if he would retract
the offensive words he had used.
mo, won't take back word" was
Wade's emphatic reply.
Then" said the friend of Mr.. Toombs,
''it will be necessary for Senator ToombS
to challenge you to mortal combat"
'aThis is just what I want. and we
might have got to the point without all
this palaver," said Wade.
"You surely cannot be in earnest, Mr..
Wade" said the Southerner.
"Why, of course l am. You see, sir,
we Northern men do not like to fight.
Now, am opposed to the Code, and so
are my constituents; but you fellows
have broken Summers head, and we
must spunk up little, or you will break
all our heads.
The shortest way to end the matter is
to kill off few of you,. and I have
uDOu Olu 4OOluOo do llJ HAL lAO
will have to challenge me. Then, of
course, will have the choice of weapons,
and l will take my old rifle and - me
if 1 don't bring him down at the first
crack"
When Toombs heard of what Wade
said, he replied: 81 can't challenge him;
if 1 do, he will kill me-"
1t appears that Toombs and Wade had
- Oh, ia
several times, and, while Toombs could
shoot we'll with pistol, he was poor
rife-shot. Wade was an old hunter, and,
at distance of a hundred yards, could
hit dollar almost every SHOT.
Mr.. Wade afterwards said to the
writer: eff old Toombs had challenged
me that time, as l expected he would,
would have made him put patch on
his coat, the size of dollar, over his
heart, and the old fellow would have
got demoralized when he saw me draw
ing bead on it, and missed me, while
me if would't have cut the patchP
During the argument on the Nebraska
bill, Mr.. Badger, then a Senator from
North Carolina, drew glowing picture
of slavery. He had, he said, been
nursed by black woman, and had
grown from childhood to manhood under
her care. He loved his old black man,
my and now, if he was going to Nebraska,
and the opponents of the bill succeeded
in prohibiting Slavery there, he could
not take his old nanny with him.
Turning to Mr.. Wade, he said!
Surely you will not prevent me from
taking my old nanny with mer
Certainly not" replied Mr.. Wade;
.rbut this is not the difficulty in the mind
of the Senator. 1t is because, if we
make the Territory free, he cannot sell
his old nanny when he has got her
there"