Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-06-21
pailp Aennebee sournal.
Augusta, Saturday Morng, June 81, 1879
Plantation Manners in Congress.

Augusta, Saturday Morn &, June o. 1o'''
Plantation Manners i'm Congress
The ex-Confederates are as much de-
termined to re-establish the brutal planta-
ton manners of the South in Congress as
TO renew the fight over the Calhoun theo-
~ of State Rights. They are the same
aristocrats, blackguards and DULLES as be-
fore the war. For while after they had
been compelled by trial of strength in
the battle field to succumb to the valor of
northern soldiers they were quite civil and
we'll behaved, but since they have arrived
at the leadership in Congress they are rs
turbulent and truculent as ever their faith
ers were before them.
The passage between Senator Conkling
and Lamar the other day is repetition of
the exhibition of plantation manners
which the Capitol is becoming acccus-
toned TO as the power of the South in
creases in Congress. Mr.. Conkling had
denounced in very strong terms the tyran-
meal action of the majority in the Senate in
refusing to the minority their rights in de
bate. But his remarks though very Sc
we're We're general and not personal.
Lamar was not called upon by anything
said by Mr.. Conkling to regard the re-
mark of the latter as personal to himself,
but he Immediately rose and denounced
Conkling rs a liar Conkling thus as
sailed rejoined in language similar to that
of Lamar, and now the question is will
there be a challenge and a duel to settle
the matter.
Senator Conkling will make a grave
mistake if on account of any false ideas of
honor he lowers himself so far as to give
or accept challenge, in this matter. Let
us not have the better manners and morals
of the North dragged down to the level
of those of the lnlldozers of the South.
Lamar in resorting to the modes of the
bandit to settle dispute is backed up by
the degraded civilization of the South,
the outgrowth of human slavery. His
constituents will applaud his rufiianly
speech and approve resort to pistols if
that should be the outcome of this affair.
But Conkling in consenting to play the
part Of duellist, if he should do so, flies
directly against the sentiments of the
North and all the most enlightened and
best opinion of the civilized world outside
of the Southern States. The North will
not excuse the Senator who by word or
act recognizes the code of the ducllist as
anything but 'cowardly, inhuman, dis
graceful. 1t is no test of bravery, con-
tains no argument but that of the BULLDOG
er. Northern men have proved their Prov
ess too well to shrink from any COMPARE
son in that respect with BLACKBOARD ex-
Confederates. Before the war it was quite
common for the slave holding aristocrats
to speak sneeringy of the courage and
capacity of the North, but that sort of
speech does not come now with any grace
at all from the whipped -Confederates.
II they desire to still farther arouse the
resentment of the North against their re-
turn to political power, they have only
to continue to display their plantation
manners in the Capitol. The sympathy
once felt for the conquered South cannot
abide in the North while the representa-
tives of the South at Washington bear
themselves with 50 much insolencc and
bravado.