Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-02-17

replied with declaration of equal contempt
for the "swaggering insolence" Of the New
York Senator. Mr.. Conkling declared in
replication his belief that the South Carolina
Senator was not the sort of parsonage" for
him to exchange epithets or words with, espe-
cially in the Senate Chamber.
Thus was Mr.. Conkling again a partici-
pant in "scene" in the Senate. as is now in
Washington's parance the descriptive term
for any occasion in which personalities OF g.
sharp and offensive character are exchanged
between Senators. Singularly enough, it was
the first emeute in which the New York Sena-
tor has borne a. part in which he has not been
generally assumed to have been the aggres-
sor. In his memorable encounter with Mr..
Blaine, years ago in the House, the provoca-
ton seemed to be deliberately and with cal
culation of its possible effects, offered by Mr..
Conkling. That episode, however, did not
bring to Mr.. Conklng either the immediate
fruits or the remote benefits that he may have
expected or desired. 1t probably cost either
one or possibly both of them the Presidency,
as it resulted eventually in the incurable
arrangement of their respective followers,
and to day confronts each with the other as
disputant for the favor of the incoming ad-
minstration.
1t is stated on good authority that Senators
Butler and Conkling have never spoken to
each other, Senator Butler always declining
personal or social relations with Senator
Conkling because of the extremely offensive
reference to himself by Mr.. Conkling in his
debates, preliminary to Mr.. Buffers adms-
L - Al. Il ha
extra session Of 1877. At that time the Re-
publican press, as In the canvass OF 1910,
were freely assailing Mr.. Butler as the "Herc
of the Hamburg Massacre" and their favor:
ite epithet for him was Sitting Bull Butler"
Mr. Conkling was unsparing in his use of
epithets during that debate, and became more
than ever obnoxious to Southern Senators
because of his studied insults to individuals.
He spoke of Mr. Butler, in substance, as
coming into the Senate with his face and
hands dripping with the blood of his victims,
and that reference to the so.called "Hamburg
massacre was emphasized at the time by the
fact that the reference to the South Carolina
Senator was mere parapbrase of John
Quincy Adams salutation to Henry A. Wise
after the Graves and Cilley duel, in which
Wise had been the second of Graves, a Con-
gresham from Kentucky, who had killed
Cilley, Congressman from Maine.
1t was interesting to observe the attitude
of Senators during the rejoinder and repli.
cation of the Senators from New York and
South Carolina. Senator Lamar was busy
with papers during the latter part of Sena-
tor Buffers speech, and continued so occu-
pied during Mr.. Conkling's rejoinder, and
was noticed to be more attentive and inter
rogative in manner when Mr.. Conkling made
his final answer. Ben Hill looked through
out as if he thought the whole scene strange
surprise, and wondered what it all meant.
Senator Hampton listened attentively to his
colleague, and when Mr.. Conkling arose, kept
his back turned and examined a paper he
held in his hand. 1t was observable that in
the interest of both the galleries and the SEN
ate, there was plain depreciation of the prac-
tice of making the floor of the Senate the
arena of cockpit display.
The following is an extract from the
stump speech Of Conkling, which elected the
remarks of Senator Butler: i
For the population of Southern States we
must 20 back to the census of 1870, as that
count was made by enumerators not selected
by Southern Senators and members of the
House as mon partisans" and professional
reformers. 1t was made by the regular mar
shals and their deputies, and the compensa-
ton was so adjusted as 10 induce thorough
visitation and guard against exaggeration Of
numbers No imputation of fraud was ever
cast upon the work. Such thing as a plot
to fabricate monstrous increase of popula-
tion in one section in order to battle the course
of nature and the logic of events in another.
plot to change the balance of power and
population in order to aggrandize one section
by establishing false basis of representation
and apportionmeut, and thus robbng other
sections of their share in governing the coun-
try, had not at that time occurred to the con-
servative foes of Radicalism. That particu-
lar spoke in the wheel of deviltry had not
turned up to the shifty patriot of the day.
Now such schemes seem to wax apace.