Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-05-21
Mr.. Blaine's Speech i'm the Senate
A Notable Effort.

WASHINGTON, May ~, 1879.
Mr.. BLAINE's SPEECH IN THE SENATE.
Mr.. Blaine won new laurels to-day in the
Senate chamber. He had apacked audience,
the British, Danish and Brazilian ministers,
with several secretaries of legation occupy
ing the diplomatic gallery, while Gen. Sher-
man and other notablcs were on the floor.
The House not being in session quorum of
representatives were present and the beauty
and fashion of the metropolis graced the
scene. Mr.. Blaine was in the best of health
and spirits. He is man of stately presence,
with broad shouldered. commanding figure,
a well poised head. expressive features and
ewes that add force and give additional point
to his remarks. He spoke without notes, oc-
casonally referring to memorandum on his
desk behind which he moved 10 and fro, adj
vancing and retreating. There was no hest
tation, no humming and having while waiting
for word, no gaps TO release the attention OF
his listeners. hut he went right ahead in his
characteristic, explosive style, now hitting
some senator on the other side of the cham
Der, then reading passage from Webster or
some other authority bearing on the question
and using it as a text for terse argument, now
indulging in tilt of words vet through his
sarcasms aud his reasonngs and his repartees
there ran a vein of old-tashioned practical
common sense that was unanswerable.
Mr. BLAINE's OPPONENTS.
Senator Eaton, TO whom Mr.. Blaine had
good deal to say, was evidently not happy,
and complained several times that he was
msquotcd and misreprcsentcd. He WINGED
under the aggressive sentences of the Senator
from Maine and endeavored to parry them,
a I;st,l 10 hi ,uxt rnnI n
and came of second best.
senator Bayard, whose grandfather, father
and uncle have also been L. ). Senators, came
to the defence of his father, of HON he spoke
with an earnestncss that carried weight. He
failed 10 show, however, that there was no
necessity for some of the orders issued by
Gen. Schenck during the war to prevent the
members of the secession army, home on
cave from voting at the polls.
Cerro Gordo Williams, as the new Senator
from Kentucky, is called because of his par
icipation in that Mexican battle, BE- came ex
ispcratcd by an allusion to him by MIR. Blaine
rs one, who. while others became secession
sts because their States seeded. became Il
,ccessionist because his State did not secede.
3y way of retaliation he said that he did not
purchase a substitute. This enabled Mr..
Blaine to explain how he came to obtain a
substitute, who proved to be worthless Eel
low Eaton came to the rescue of Williams,
but Blaine turned the laugh on both of them.
Wade Hampton had next to rise and eX
plain. Mr.. Blaine, who had previously read
some inilammatory passages f'om an address
by llampton's brother-in-law read from an
address by the Confederate cavalry leader, in
which he had compared the South to the Prus
slams. The French had Inundated the Prus
i. Al. Al
selves at Waterloo and had aftcrward occupied
Paris. Mr. Blaine asked whether this was
rhetoric or an insinuaton that the South is to
have its Waterloo and Paris triumphs, and
the gallant South Caroiniau had to admit
that it was only rhetoric, although it was very
evident that his object had been to fire the
Young Southern heart.