The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1882-04-19
JOHN C. CALHOUN.
How He Killed Senator McROberts, Of
Illinois.
a "Reminiscences of the United States Senate
offs

DENVER, March 81 To the Hon. John
Wentworth, Editor Of the Democrat in
,hicago, from 1886 to 1864: Your eloquent
and interesting lecture to the old settlers of
Chicago, on your recollections Of Adams,
Clay, Calhoun, Webster and Benton, on
the 18th inst, has Just reached me- for
which thank you. 1t has stirred up my
memory Of bygones in the United States
Senate, and | telephone back to you
through the brightest and youngest of our
papers in Denver, Hello, of my frat visit to
that illustrious body, n the 22d of Decen-
Der, 1912.
AID strange to say, sentence in your
lecture affords the text on which my visit
on that eventful morning turns. You say,
al had never seen Judge McRoberts, our
United States Senator from Illinois. but 1
hurried around among my colleagues and
gathered what information L could, and did
the best could to make myself ready for
the resolution Of coincidence at his death,
sent over from the Senate"
Now il so happened that on my frst visit
to the Senate / saw Senator McRoDerts when
he received mis- death blow. l saw the
arrow aimed at him by that greatest Of all
of or Senatorial gladiators, John g. Cal
houn; watched the sbaft as it struck him,
and heard the moal Of that poor old
Senator rs ne went out of the Senate cham
Der to his grave on his way back 10 Illinois
TO his Democratic constituents, of whom
you were One-reveT again 70 appear
on earth, as he died of the
intellectual, logical and wonderful debating
power Of John G. Calhoun, who never had
and never viii have peer il the Senate.
And it happened In this wise: That morn
ing, Decembar p, 1912, was one of those
old fashioned winter mornings in Washing
ton, such as were never equsled elsewhere.
when the air was keen, cool and sharp. and
the sun shone as in the tropics, which made
every one feel as if ne wanted prize fight,
and that all his mental and physical facul-
ties were strung to their highest tension. L
was then but twenty-five years Of age, and
on that bright, beautiful morning, for the
first time ia my lie L entered that august
tribunal as spectator. There sat kufus
Choate aud homes. Joh1 Davis, frOta Mass
schusetis; Siias Wright and Nathaniel
Talmsdg5, of New Iorki Senators Phelps
and CollsneT, of Vermont; John NJ. Barri-
en-. of Georgia; John =. Calhoun, of South
Carolina; Henry Clay and Governor Met
calf, OF Kentucky; William Woodbrid ge
and Augustus S. Porter, my old law-tesch-
or, of Michigan, and such mea. AS [ en-
tered the Chaplain commenced bis short,
earnest prayer, and then that stanch, ster-
ling old Wing, Willie p Mangum, Presi-
dent OF the Senate, called the body TO order
and the days work began. This was the
old Senate Chamber, now the Supreme
Court room, and not that tawdry, Vulgar
room used by the present Senate, resem-
bling the gambling houses Of Monaco. As
business began my patron asked me 'if he
might introduce nae to the leading Senh-
tors" but declined, saying 1 would sit in
the corner and listen, as l did do. Mr.. Nc
Roberts Was then your Illinois Senator, and
came forward, and then the Vice-President,
Mangum, announced "the Senator from IL
linois, on the third reading of his bill to
lease .he lead lands of Illinois TO actual
settlers thereon" And thereup0n your
Senator, ever whose memory at the next
session you delivered 2 eulogy, arose, and
for nearly three hours read printed speech
''in favor of leasing the lead lands oil the
United States 10 American citizens as ten
ants OF the United States"
While he was reading noticed in front
of me very tall, spare, nervous man, with
hair Ike quilts of fretful pOrcupine, APP
parently immersed in reading a newspaper,
but very restless, and no sooner was Nc
Roberts IN bis seat than up shot, like an
arrow, John q. Calhoun, over six feet high,
straight as a ramrod, and, as he shouted out
''Mr. President" with a snap like rifle,
the President replied: "The Senator from
South Carolina has the foorl' and the still
ness Of death came over the Senate Chamber.
Standing IS erect as mountain pine, max.
la4r xrrffh hf-
bony fore-fnger, he spoke no! exceeding
fifteen minutes, and in that time he demon
.rssed that our Government could never
eco-ae great landlord, and the people of
illinois were never intended to become
sna=ts, like the Irish, snd his logic was so
lasteriy, his eloqusnce was so convincing.
hat or taking his seat the McRoberts bill
vas killed forever, and the old author on
leaving the Senate to return to Illinois died
en- route h0me-a victim to the mental pow
er,the wonderful ability of John G. Calhoun
who, fer intellectual force, logical and foren-
sic ability, was the peer of any man in the Ma
ton, aud equal only Daniel Webster. AS
soon as the speech was ended i sought an
introduction to Mir. Calhoun, who, grasping
my hand in his two, talked to me Of Mich
Igan, all its forts, Notifications ETC.. which
he had located as Secretary of War under
OOU1 quincy hudul3 do lccALChby uhu III
day or two dined with Mr.. Calhoun hi:
son, Capt. Pat Calhoun, then of the army
His house had but one or two carpets In al
the rooms, and his table was as simple q;
those among the Spartans, but over and
around al this was the spirit and halo o.
intellectually, learning. logic, and mental
refinement. / was then, as always, Wing
and kSd no sympathy with Mr.. Calhoun
secession doctrines but feel as you did
John Wentworth, that no more able debster
no moro logical reasOner, no purer and mort
elegant Senator ever graced that Chamber
and so l feel to-day. When l contrast srcl
men as Dawes, and the present New Eng
land Senator'S, except Edmunds, will
Choate, and Webster, and Phelps snC
George Evans of that day, 1 thank my GoC
that the time will soon come when | mus
no longer grieve over the fscilis descensu
averini of our American Senate. 1t grow
small BY degrees and each year beautiful.
less.
GEoRGEsC. BATES.
"OId si'' ON Drunkenness.
ATLANTA Constitution