The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1879-05-21


the radicals in the Hoase and Senate;
but have been in doubt weetlrer to
attribute it to the natural arrogance of
long continued power or to studied de-
sign of provoking retaliation. Some
times when ] have seen Cunger or
Burrows, of Michigan, in the House,
and Conkling or Blaine in the Senate,
behaving with deliberate insolence to-
ward gentlemen of Confederate ante
cedence, | have been tempted to be
lieve that it was their deliberate pur-
pose to provoke an assault-to get
themselves kicked by Confederate
Brigadier as | have sometimes phrased
it, with a view to subsequent postu-
ring "a martyrs before the gaze of the
"solid North"
This impression sustained confirma-
ton to-day by curious coincidence,
in events happening simultaneously at
both ends of the Capitol building. On
the Senate side the Salisbury resolu-
ton was under consideration, and in
the House Gen. Chalmers had the
floor on a question of privilege grow
ing out of the assault made on HIM
sometime ago by Burrows, of Michi
gan, in relation to the Fort Pillow
affair.
Conkling as is we'll known, is gen.
orally offensive in his manner Yards
Southern Senators, and particularly
so whenever lie encounters Gordon,
Butler or Ransom. He seems to have
selected these three as his special ob-
jects of .discourtesy: possibly because
they are-or because he supposes them
TO be-man Of more fiery temper than
the average of Southern Senators AMI
hence more likely to afford him the
row he seems determined to provoke.
BE this as it may, his discourtesy and
arrogance toward these three has long
been a subject Of special comment, not
only among habitues Of the gallery,
but among Senators themselves. Re
Gently he has added fourth to his
list of pet diversions in the person of
the magnificent old hero of Cerrn Cor
don Williams, OF Kentucky. Williams
as everybody knows, is a veritable
bluegrass giant: the only man on the
Democratic side, in fact, who is fully
the equal of Cnnkling in lofty stature
aud muscular development. Well, the
first time ConklIng set his eyes on
Williams he seeus toIlaye said to him
self, "Here Is my man | will torture
him into an assault npon me, and then
rua for President Oh my gaping
wounds"
Conkling's behavior towards Will
llams Oh one or two occasions has been
mndulated upon a key of annoying SUI
perciliousuess and exasperating dis
courtesy which has not failed to at.
tract the attention oil the spirited Ken
tuckian, aud my, if persisted in, lead
to interesting results; for Williams,
though one of the nohlest and most
generous of men, is the fortunate or
nnfort'lnate possesSor of IL tempera-.
ment of Unusual inf .mmabiIity, and
is rs swift aud bitter in his resentments
as ho is trne and frank in his friend.
ships. This by way o. Illustration.
Returning to tile matter i'll hand,
when the debate OF the S;,niford Kel-
I"gg ease had proceeded ioa certain
Stage, Cpnkllpg rose in HE most lord :
~ mannrr, and began. not TO discuss
the merits of the COZ. troversy, but to
impnte aiScretlitahle motives to SEMI
tors for their action in the premises.
Inr custom in the Senate from time
imneln"rial has been to avoid this sort
ot thing. Even Charles Sumner, s,uns
rs he was by his Treatment ut the
nands nf Sinon Cameron, eight years
ago, refrnincd from personal aIlusiOn,
and when asked him how he con-
trired To curb himself from personal
attack upon such helplossly vuiner-
able antagonist, he told mo that, how
ever little respect he might have for
the person of Simon Cemeron. he had
an infinite regard for the traditions OF
! the Senate.
In fact, to such an extreme has tho
decorum of the Senate been carried
] that it has come to rival the British
House Of Lords in the severity of its
dignity of procedure and the loftiness
OF its controversial courtesy. PrOba-
bly, the greatest excitement ever wit.
messed was in 1868, when Fessenden,
the bitterest-tongued man that ever
sat in that body, made his historic 70.
tort to Zach Chandler. Fessenden
had made speech, and when Zach
rose to reply he prefaced his remarks
with "Fhe Senator from Maine, who
testifies his patriotism by voting
against the impeachment of a CORRUPT
Executive, and who represents his
State by reposing his confidence in a
President who is not fit to be clerk
in country grocery"
Whereupon Fessenden, as white with
rage as this sheet Of paper that am
writing on, slowly elongated his tall
gaunt form, and, in voice fairly
hoarse with wrath, said MIR. Presi-
dent, I must interrupt the Senator
from Michigan, to explain my action
whatever it may have been in the
past, or whatever it may be in the fu-
ture touching the Executive of the
United States, has been and will be
dictated, not by my confidence in An.
drew johnson, but by my want Of
confidence in drunken blackgaards
who habitually disgrace themselves
and disgrace this floor far below the
humble but not indecent level of the
meanest clerk in the smallest country
grocery"
This is probably the severest Ian
guage ever employed in the Senate
Chamber in reference to any personal
matter. At all events it is notorious
ly the severest now extant in the prin-
ted records of the body. And, if one
may judge from the sensation il crea.
ted at the time, it is to be inferred
that it will not soon be repeated. In
fact there was some talk among the
Radical Senators of expelling Fessen-
den, and but for their wholesome fear