The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-06-20
UNITED STATES SENATE.
An All-Night Session.
Lively Colloquy Between Conkling and
Lamar-Democrats Suggest a Duel
as a Proper Settlement.

WASHINGTON, June 19.-The Senate spent
most of yesterday on the army bill. The Re-
publicanS, early in the session, allowed the bill
for the survey of the Mississippi river to come
up to accommodate Messrs. Lamar and Cor
don, with the general understanding that if at
the usual hour of adiourning the Republican
Senators should desire to speak the bill should
go over till tomorrow for vote. Messrs
Beck and Voorhees, occupied most of the day.
and at the end the Democrats refused to give
the Republicans time. This was prompted in
part by the fact that Mr.. Blaine had exasperat-
ed them by one of his peculiar and pointed
speeches, not exactly on the bill, but on the
kind of teaching the Southern youth were re-
ceiving from their home text books. Among
other things Mr.. Blaine read from textbook
a description of the home of jeff Davis and
his exploits in Mexico, in which was the story
of an Indiana regiment running at Buena
Vista, dressed up in high colors. This fired up
Mr.. Voorhees,, who instead of attacking the
school books launched into fierce assault on
Mr.. Blaine and upon about a dozen Republi-
cans in succession. He finally roared himself
out. When the time came when the Republi-
cans desired to end the session under the
agreement, and go on with their speeches to-
morrow, there was refusal to recognize any
agreement. Upon this the Republicans be-
gan to flibnster in an unusual way for the
Senate by calling the roll on great variety of
motions, forcing call of the house, breaking
the quorum, etc. The whole affair was mat
ter of bad faith on the part of the Democrats,
and cost them nights close watching to pre-
vent the Republicans from adjourning and
carrying their point.
AT 1870 this morning the excitement was in
tense. There has not been such an exhibition
of tiibustering in the Senate since the old
Kansas-Nebraska struggle. when it was sever
al times kept up all night. The Democrats
are now, as they were then, in a majority, but
the Republican minority were the best parlia-
mentarians, and they thus secured their right to
be heard, as they succeeded last night in do
ing.
Mr., Conkling made one of his extraordinary
speeches. He commenced by sketching the
tyrannical course of the Democrats in the Sem
ate yesterday. He showed how the entire day,
save twenty-five minutes consumed by Mr..
Blaine, had been occupied by the Democrats,
while the Republicans, in defiance of courtesy,
in violation of plighted faith, had been refused
right to speak; and he concluded with the
declaration that while he remained in the Sem
ate no minority should be gagged, throttled or
insulted. This was preliminary to the most
extraordinary scene that has ever occurred in
the Senate chamber, certainly since the old
slavery days. Referring incidentally to the
course of the Democrats ON the appropriation
bills, Mr.. Conkling said that the time has
come when the majority dare not adjourn and
leave the government to starve and the army
weaves a coarse web. The web in this So
called army BILL Mr.. Conkling said, is very
coarse. 1t is a trick, iuggle and he then i'm
puted bad faith to the Democrats
Mr.. Lamar, inferring that the imputation of
bad faith was made, among others, to him said
II pronounce the statement a falsehood, and /
repel it with the contempt I feel for the au-
thor of it -
Senator Conkling had been in the rear OF
the chamber and had not heard the whole of
Mr.. Lamar's remarks, but he had returned in
time to hear the sentence quoted. Raising
himself to his greatest height, with superb
pride, contempt and Scorn, waving aside an
attempted interruption by Mr.. Lamar, Mr..
Conkling said: will proceed in my own
time, and for the time I do not intend to hold
any communication with him Namar.) /
understood the Senator to say in plain unpar-
liamentary language that statement of mine
is falsehood, if 1 caught his words Alright. !
have nothing to say (this not being the place to
measure with any man capacity to defy
decency, to violate the rules of the Senate, OF
to commit any of the improprieties of life.)
have nothing to say, but if the Senator, if the
member from Mississippi, intended to impute
to me falsehood, nothing except the fact that
this is the Senate would prevent me from
denouncing him as BLACKBOARD and a coward.
Let me be more explicit. Mr.. President, if
the member from Mississippi except in the
presence of the Senate charged me by imputa-
ton or otherwise with falsehood, / would
denounce him as BLACKBOARD, a coward and a
liar; and understanding what he said as do,
only restraint upon me.
The extraordinary character of these state
ments started the Senate,
There was breathless silence in the chamber
when Mr.. Lamar arose and said: have only
to say that the Senator from New York
understood me correctly. beg pardon of the
Senate for the unparliamentary language. 1t
was very harsh and severe. 1t was such as no
good man would deserve and no brave man
would wear.
On the floor the Senators talked of nothing
else. The Southern Senators unanimously sus-
tanned MIR. Lamar, and overwhelmed him with
congratulations. One Senator, Lamar's most
intimate friend, and who in the event of a
challenge expects to act as his second, says: 81
don't think Mr.. Conkling will fight. do not
regard him as a man OF courage. Lamar will
only be delighted to have Mr.. Conkling chal-
lenge him. Of course, everything rests with
Mr.. Conkling, as he is the insulted party. OF
one thing you may be assured, no effort will be
made to fix up this matter as was
d the case w; when n Mr. H.a Conking had his
power on earth that will induce Mr.. Lamar to
withdraw his words, and Mr.. Salisbury thinks
it is a very bad business, but that Mr.. Conklng
has been very aggressive toward the South, and
that he was expecting something of the kind. !"
Ben Hill declares that he never saw or heard
anything like it, and he does not see how Mr..
Conkling can avoid taking notice of it. Mr..
Herman regrets the occurrence, but is, as usual,
reticent as to his opinion. Mr.. Eaton, who is
Mr.. Conklings best friend among the. Demo-
Gratis, says that he (Conkling) failed for once to
measure we'll his words, and in imputing bad
faith to Mr.. Lamar laid himself open to La
mars attack. He regrets the occurrence, but
cannot fortell the result. The Republicans are
united in the opinion that Mr.. Cnnkling was
not too severe in his denunciations of bad faith
on the part of the Democrats, and that he did
good and brave service in exposing it as he did.
That it led to the subsequent scene is the fault
of those whose bad faith made it necessary for
some Republicans to expose and resent it.