Middletown transcript., 1880-03-20

cession, or Delaware, with her stron
Southern sympathies, would have cas-
her lot with the Confederacy and d
vided with Maryland the disastrou
honor of being the battle-ground q
the contending forces This wa
shown when a commissioner came Of
from Mississippi and pleaded with tn
Delaware Legislature to pass an ordi
nance of secession. The Bayard infu
ence was omnipotent in that body, AM
under the Bayard influence the Mis-
sissippian was received with cold cour
tesy AMI sent back to Dixie, havin,
only his trouble for his pains. Adam
E. King, who made a sure enough Sc
cession speech, despite the protest o
Bayard and Others, at the Dover mas
meeting, afterward entered the Uniol
army, became a brigadier general anC
is now a stalwart Maryland Rrpubli
can and office-holder. After tha
meeting young Mr.. Bayard was a
quiet observer of political affairs, bu
he was not unconcerned. At one time
the troubles of the country so preyeC
upon his nervous organization that he
fell really y sick and had to quit work
and take a Northern trip for change
Of air, scene and thought. During
this period Delawarr passed into the
hands of the Republicans, and he held
commission as lieutenant in volun.
teer company under a Republican ad,
ministration.
THE FIFTH SENATOR IN THE FAMILY.
It was not until the war was over
that Thomas F. Bayard's public ca
reer began. Considering that he is
now one of the best known, most hon
ored and most infuintial men in the
nation, it is surprising to think that
he has been only ten years before the
country. When he entered Congress
Grant was already President. Conk-
ling was approaching his zenith, Blaine
was Speaker Of the House Of Repre-
sentatives, Seymour was supposed to
have quit public life. Hancock was
where he is now and Tilden was get
ting things.in shape for his guberna-
torial campaign of four years later,
with long look ahead to the Presi-
dency. Nobody outside of Delaware
had ever heard of Thomas F. Bayard.
His father was incensed at the exaction
of the iron-clad oath OF Il man whose
loyalty was not open to question.
When, therefore, it was submitted to
him, he showed that he could take it
by taking it and expressed his sense
of the unconstitutionality and injustice
Of the requirement by resigning his
seat. George R. Riddle was elected
to fill the unexpired term thus opened,
but Riddle lived only a little while,
and james A. Bayard was induced to
return and serve out the second unex-
pired term resulting from his own re-
signation. Thomas F. Bayard was
elected for the succeeding full term,
and thus it came about that father
and son were elected to the Senate on
the same day and sat in it on the
same day, the one going out and the
other coming in on the Attn of March,
1869, which was also the date of the
first Inauguration of Ulysses S. Grant
as President of the United States.
The senior Bayard still lives, full of
years and honors, and expects to be
gladdened by the sight of his son in
he White House-the first Demo
cratic President in twenty years.
When Mr.. Bayard took his seat in
he Senate the Democratic restora-
on had not begun. Both branches
II Congress were strongl, Republican.
Mr.. Bayard's colleague was Willard
salisbury, who had sat there all
through the war. The other Demo
ratio Senators were hardly enough in
lumber to go around on the commit
ees. fThfey were GGasseriy, Of GGaIiifor GGaIIiifforr-
Tia; Davis and McCreery, of Ken
ucky; Vickers and Hamilton. of
and Stockton, of New Jer-
ey. none of whom are there now.
thurman took his seat on the same.
lay, as the successor of Ben Wade.
stockton and Salisbury were the
Democratic leaders, but the real in
piration of the opposition lay in the
rains Of Trumbull, Schurz and a few
tler liberal Republicans. Mr. Bay
rd was given places at the tail of the
ommittees on finance, private claims
nd revision of the laws. He settled
asily into legislative methods and
BON became a master of them. 1t
as not long before he became a rec
gnized leader, and growing with ex-
erlence has maintained his command
lg position in spite of the fact that
is party has been reinforced from
me to time by men of the largest
alibre and great attainments. 1t is
0 part Of my task to give the details
his work as Legislator Suffice
to say, what every body must admit,
lat no man Of the present day more
early approaches the stature and
Of an ideal Senator. De ]
oted to his party he is more devoted
his country. In debate he is ever
.ady, sometimes aggressive, but al
nys discriminating and courteous.
/ the discha &c of his committee t
Ork he is patient and thorough to a l
onderful degree there is no bill i
,wever trivial in its purpose, mis- c
aiding in its title or obscnre in its $
Ording with which he is not familiar. I
Ike Edmunds, on the Republican a
lie. he scents a steal or detects a flaw
th unerring instinct, and is equally
'ompt to put his foot down on the i
e as to expose the other, regardless a
whose interests may be affected.
is reputation for integrity is abso- o
tely stainless. c
A STAINLESS REPUTATION. S
One who has known him from boy :
cd said to me yesterday, in homely :
"ase, God never made an honester /
an than Tom Bayard." This integ- :,
y of rare quality is inherited. His