New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-04-20
THE COMBAT IN THE SENATE.

|
Mr.. CARPENTERS sARCAsMs--THE DIFFERENCE BE-
TWEEN LAWYER AND A STATESMAN - Mr..
| BLAINEs MEMORY ENABLES HIM TO TURN THE
TABLES ON HIS AssAILANT.
| IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.
| WASHINGTON, April 1o.-rhere was q combat
between Rant intellects in the Senate this after
noon, lasting from the expiration of the morning
hour until after O'Clock, commanding the undi-
vided attention of crowded galleries and Of as largo
an audience of senators and Representatives as
could be comfortably accommodated upon the floor
of the Chamber.
One of the chief features of interest will not APP
pear In the record of the speeches. although it was
fully appreciated by oil who listeners to-day.
| Senator Carpenter shares with Senators Conk-
! ling Logan, and Cameran. of Pennsylvania, the
responsibilities and hODOrs Of the management Of
| the thrd-term movement. 1t became known last
week that he would. to use the language Of the
| Grant men, go for the scalp of Senator Blaine"
in the course Of speech which be had prepared
upon the Geneva Award bill 1t was immediately
understood that his motive was quite
as much to show that the Senator
from Maine does not deserve his great
reputation as q ready debater as to secure for the
| insurance companies the unpaid millions OF the
! Geneva award now awaiting distribution On two
occasions during the last fortnight he has alluded
| IN sighting terms and o c0ntemptuOus manner to
| the legal ability Of Senator Blaine, and has ridi-
Culed the arguments advanced by the latter. Sen
ator Blaine. in his retOrts. has not manifested the
consideration he would have accorded to less re-
nOwned antagonist
On the Lost occasion when the two crossed
swords Senator Blaine secured, IN the Judgment OF
the galleries at least decidedly the advantage.
| Senator Carpenter is not the kind Of man to let
contest Of words end while the advantage rests
with his antagonist. 1t was late last Friday when
he began his speech, and he held the floor for its
completion to-day. His arguments upon the merits
OF the controversy were worthy Of all the praise
that can be bestowed upon them. They seemed
during their delivery to be unanswerable They
| were not novel, and, indeed. it is impossible that
anything new can remain to bo said upon subject
which has been discussed so many years. In tho
| remarks directed especially to Senator Blaine he
alluded in tones Of inimitabe sarcasm TO the
| hab Is of statesmen as contrasted with those Of
mere lawyers. He said that Senators were not act
ing as LAWYERS; the Senator from Maine had eman-
cipated himself from law and from justice as he had
from the recorded facts was soaring aloft in the
blue ether Of craftsmanship. He alluded at least
twenty times TO the habits of lawyers described
what lawyers would aud would not do, ana with
simulated regret confessed himself to have become
too much addicted to lawyer-lke methods OF reason
ing to be able readily to break away from them.
Last week Senator Blaine had asserted that he held
letter from gentleman to whom the president Of
Philadelphia insurance company had said that his
company had no claims against the Government on
account of the Geneva award. Mr.. Carpenter sent
TO the clerks desk kilograms from the presidents
Of all the insurance companies of Phila-
delphia, which had sustained losses from
Confederate cruisers, declaring that none
He reached his climax when dealing with the alleged
letter of Caleb Cushing from which Mr.. Blaine had
quoted This letter he declared to be in his opinion
forgery, and he sent to the Clerks desk an afli-
dayit signed and sworn to by J. Langdon Ward,
| saving that Mr. Cushing had pronounced it to be
| forgery.
Senator Blaine asked leave to interrupt for mo-
ment.
He was rather discourteOusly refused permission,
and was lectured at some length upon the proper
function of an interruption lawyers understand
it, Senator Carpenter closed his speech by sending
10 the clerks desk to be read several extracts from
the messages of President Grant to whom he al
luded as the greatest captain of the nge man who
has become lover Of peace by witnessing the hOr-
rors Of war. There was suppressed applause in the
galleries a. the Senator from Wisconsin stalked
away to the clOakroom.
Senator Blaine sat quietly throughout tho de-
livery Of the speech, apparently not reshing its
sharp thrusts and sarcasms aud never joining In the
laugh occasionally raised NJ MS eApoHso' w uou ho
rose to speak, he said he would make no reference
to the frequent illusions to his alleged dislike for
lawyers,n" his contempt for lawyers" etc. Tho
Senator from Wisconsin and others had often re-
minded him that he was not lawyer; the wit would
have been brighter, the thrust keener, IL he had
ever laid claim to the distinction and for the satis-
faction Of the honorable Senator he begged to say
that he was not he had never been In court as an
attorney, plaintiff defendant, witness or jurorj he
had nothing to answer for and no responsibilities In
that regard but he had spent two years OF his young
life under the tuition of lawyer who was too great
70 taunt anybody. The Senator from Wisconsin
had lectured to the Senate upon common honesty
aud had referred to the universal demand upon
every principle of law aud justice that the demands
of the insurance companies should be reoog-
nized. There is an adage, he said, that
liars should always have good memorial
So Senators ought TO have good memories. The
Senator from Wisconsin, who had occupied seat
In the Senate for two years during the time when
this question first came before Congress, had re-
corded his vote distinct times in direct oppOs-
on to the claims of the insurance companies, which
he Is now 80 strenuOusly advocating upon every
principle of law and Justice.
Senator Blaine warming up to his work, soon mad
the entire audience IN sympathy with him. he
caused much amusement by his frequent compn-
meatary illusions to the legal ability OF the Senator
| from Wisconsin, "whO we all know is great law
yern while showing from that Senator'S OWn record
| that his course had been utterly inconsistent. Re
ferring to the Gushing letter, Mr. Blaine produced
letter from Richard s. spofford, gentleman who
was perhaps better qualified than any other
living person, by reason Of long intimate personal
and business relations with Mr.. Gushing, to speak
as with authority Mr.. Spoford declared that the
letter Of Mr. Cushing was authenttcj that 1t "as
written partly at Mr. spoOrds instance partly at
the instance Of certain merchants in Boston, ana
that on repeated occasions Mr.. Cushing nau ex'
o,sed oninions consistent with those contained in