Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-03-14
Bluff Ben. Wade.
Remiuisc ences Of the Late benjamin Wade.
Gen. Brisbiu's Recoliect ions.
(From the Boston Traveller


Southerner As no allusion was made to
himself or State, Mr.. Wade sat still, but
when the Senate adjourned, he said
openly, IL ever a Southern Senator made
such an attack on him or his State, while
he sat on that floor, he would brand him
as a liar. This coming to the ears of the
Southern men. a Senator took occasion to
paintedly speak a few days afterward OF
Ohio and her people as negro thieves.
Instantly Mr.. Wade sprang to his feet, and
pronounced the Senator liar. The South
ern Senators were thunderstruck, and
gathered around their champion. while the
Northern men grouped about Wade. A
feeler was put out from the southern side,
looking to retractien, but Mr. Wade rotor.
ted in his peculiar style. and demanded all
apology for the insult offered himself and
the people he represented. The matter
rpalosed fight was looked upon as
certain The next as.uy pray2..les'tiiaa9 'tiiaa9 Gsslled
upon the Senator fl, . discharge from a
the usual question toe y,.nsrshlp, ,nas ra,dPS pro
edgment of the code. q. Q,
II am here, " he responda y earip
capacity | represent the ,I -
and | represent Ben Wade. IA 30
am opposed to dueliug as l->/@,E y
recognize the code. :, q "
"My friend feels aggrieved," sa,. ..
gentleman, sat what you SAID in the .
ate Yesterday, and will ask for an apollo. Z
or satisfaction"
II was somewhat embarrassed" con
tinued Senator Wade, by my position
Yesterday, as I have some respect for the
chamber. | now take this opportunity of
saying what | then thought. and you. il
YOU please. repeat it, Your friend is n
foul-mouthed old blackguard!
E..l. 10. nor
wish me to convey such message a
that?"
Most undoubtedly | do, and will tell
you. for your own benefit, this friend OF
YOURS will never notice 1t. will not be
asked either for retraction, explanation,
or a fight
Next morning Mr.. Wade came into the
Senate, and. proceeding to his seat, de-
lberately drew from his coat two large
pistols, and, unlocking his desk, laid them
inside. The Southern men looked on In
silence. while the Northern members en-
loved to the fullest extent, the fire-eaters'
surprise at the proceedings 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 81
insultingly attacked hun.
Mr.. Greeley, in speaking of his first
great effort in the kansasNebraska bill,
said: There are many fine orations and
good arguments delivered In the United
States senate from time to time, but not
often a real good speech. In order to have
good speech there must be a man Behind
il Such a speech we have in the power
ful eifort OF Jude Wade, and in this case
the speech is but the just measure of the
man
That was Mr.. Greeley's opinion OF Mr..
Wade's power as a debater, and he did not
put the matter bit too strongly. The eX-
citement at the Capitol, and the interest In
the speech onwbich Mr.. Greeley was writ
ing. fully bore out his opinion OF 1t. A
correspondent, writing from Washington
on the day OF the delivery of the speech,
said Wade is now going it in the Sem
ate like steamboat. He has collided two
or three times to-day, and little while
ago run into his colleague. Pugh. He
said. in reply, to taunting question from
Pugh, about the common brotherhood Of
mankind. i have always believed hereto
fore in the doctrines of the Declaration OF
Independence, that all men are born free
and equal, but OF late it appears that some
men are born slaves. and | regret that
they are not black, so that all the world
might know them As he said this he
pointed to Pugh. and stood looking at him
for several moments, with a scowl and eX-
preston of countenance that was perfect
" ferocious. while il conveyed the utmost
contempt for the Northern doughtaces.'
The debates were full of Incidents and
brought out all of Mr.. Wsde's strong
points and sterng qualities. Mr.. Bro"n,
OF Mississippi, interrupted him just a ir
had said
Il know very well. sir, with what a yell
of triumph the passage of this bill will be
hailed both in the South and in pandemo-
MUM
Mr.. Brown--"Do you know what is
going on thereI" Laughter
Mr.. Wade-'I do not pretend to know
precisely what is on foot there. but think
it pretty evident that there is a very free
communication between that country and
this BODY. and. unless | am greatly mis-
taken, | see the dwarfish medium by
which that communication is kept up"
Great laughter, and q voice on the South
ern side: II guess he has got you.
Brown
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
a black woman, and had grown from
childhood to manhood under her care. He
loved his old black nanny aud now if
he was going to Nebraska, and the oppo-
nents of the bill succeeded in prohibiting
slavery there, he could not take his old
NANNY with him. Turning 10 Mr.. Wade,
he SAID:
Surely you will not prevent me from
taking my oil nanny with me-"
sf'artain1y ~ rpnliel Mr. do
but that is not the difficulty in the mind
of the Senator. II is because if we make
the territory free, he cannot sell his Old
nanny when he has got her there"
While the LecomptoG bill was under dis
cussion Mr.. Toombs, Of Georgia. referring
to the minority, OF which Mr.. Wade was
one, said:
'.i'he majority have rights and duties
and I trust there is fidelity enough to
themselves and their principles and their
country In the majority to stand together
at all hazards, and crush the factiOus mi
norty."
Instantly Mr.. Wade sprang to his feet,
and shaking his fist at Toombs, roared
out. Have care, sir. Have a care.
You can't crush me nor my people. You
can never conquer us; We will die first. l
will fall here in the Senate Chamber, but
any such men. You may bring a majority
and out vote me. but will neither be com
promised nor be crushed. That's what
have to say to your threat"
Southern Senator said one day roughly
to Wade, IF you don's stop your abolition
doctrines we will break up the Union
We will secede. SIR
Wade held Ou. his hand and said, conf
cally. "GOod.by. Senator, If you are going
now. pray YOU don't delay a moment on
my account"
Senator Evans. of South Carolina, a
very grave and good old man, one day was
exhibiting in the Senate Chamber and
speaking of copy of Garrison's Liberator.
with its horrible pictures of slavery.
Turning TO Mr.. Wade, who sat near him,
ha oa;l