Delta chief., 1883-03-14
senator Tabor. Farewell.

Special advices from Washington agree
that yesterday. was the most exciting day
ever witnessed in the United States Senate.
1t terminated Hon. II. A. w. Tabor's career
in that august body, and it seemed as if the
whole nation rose up as one man and bewail-
ed the hour in which the patriot and states
man quilted the scenes of his labors and
triumphs. Early in the day the streets We're
alive with people hurrying to the capitol.
The flags were hung at half-mast, and in
many a shop window appeared the portrait
of the retiring stateman trimmed with Grape
and immor,elles. The lobbies of the Senate
chamber were ornamented with such notices
as "The Nation Mourns," ''He was the No
blest Roman" "Gone but not Forgotten"
ETC., etc. Senator Tabor's chair was one mass
of tube-roses and smilax, and numerous floral
designs were piled upon his desk. The gal
leries were filled to overfiowing with the
most beautiful and accomplished ladies of
the republic and the floor OF the Senate
chamber was crowded by eminent persons
who had been invited to witness the beloved
and great mans departure from the arena of
intellectual and political combat. Among
the notables present were S. J. Tilden, Ho-
ratio Seymour, General Hancock, Roscoe
Conkling, Charles Francis Adams, Carl
Schurz, Jefferson Davis, w. II. English,
Robert Toombs, W. T. Sherman, Jay Gould,
Georgs William Curtis, w. II. Vanderbilt,
Russell Sage, w. II. Bush, Joaquin Miller,
X. II. Hayes, U. S. Grant and Chas. A. Dana.
When Senator Tabor entered the room, bear
4. 4
ing a superb trousseau of broadcloth and dia-
monds, the vast crowd became hushed as the
grave. 1t was generally remarked the
Senator passed down the aisle, looking pale
and calm and bowling modestly to the right
and left, that his appearance bore striking
resemblance to the popular steel engraving
of Mary, Queen of Scots, going to execution.
He proceeded at once TO his old place, from
which he had thundered out those utterances
which shook the world and will live in all
history the grundest monuments To his
genius. Opening his gripsack, he proceeded
to stow away in il the countless pamphlets,
volumes and papers that had accumulated
during his long term. II was a touching
spectacle. Strong men wept like babies and
several ladies, notably the wife Of the Spanish
Ambassador, were borne out of the gallery in
q swooning condition. When the dust-en-
relcpe,i treasures had finally been deposited
in the gripsack, Senator Tabor took his seat
and Senator Edmunds, as president pro TEN,
called the Senate to order and informed them
that the time had come when they would have
10 part with their most venerable and esteem
cd associate. He alluded to the ingrstitnda
of the public: to that base born inapprecia-
ton which had robbed the highest council Of
the nation Of its ablcst member. He paid
glowing tribute to Tabor's sagacity, crudition
and elequence and expressed the belief that,
without his clear head TO direct, the Senate
wonld hereafter drift along like a rudd.rlcss
bark upon atempestous ocean. Senator Hoar
followed in an eloquent apostrophe to Tabor,
whom he addressed as the Admirable Crich-
ton of American craftsmanship. Senator
Sherman submitted series of resolutions
lamenting Tabors departure and eulogizing
him as the first and foremos, man among the
people of our glorious land tloud applaase).
Senator Cameron seconded the resolutions in
a speech that betokeued his deep emotion
The resolutions were unanimously adopted,
Senator Tabor maintaining his characteristic
modcsty TO the last and abstaining from
voting. The Senator arose to speak There
were tears in his eyes and his voice was very
tropulous. 1t were impossible to describe
the delicate beauty of his remarks and the in
tensity of the scene that ttauspired during
their delivery. As he proceeded to rccoun,
his services his love of country and his de
votion to the public veal, the men groaned
and sobbed in spcechless agony and whole
platoons of police were kept busy carrying in.
sensible ladies out of the galleries. When
Thomas II. Benton left the United States
Senate after thirty years term there was
every demonstration of grief, but no such des.
olation and woe as were manifest on this oc-
casiou. The Senate stood up as Tabor passed
from the midst of them, and as he vanished
through the storm doors of the chamber. his
late colleagues fell upon each others necks
and cried rs if their hearts would break. At
night there was torchlight procession in
ex-senator Tabor's honor. l; was an impos-
ing affair. numbering twelve thousand per-
sons in line and the entire American navy on
wheels and goIgeously illuminated. Tabor,
accompanied by President Arthur and mem
bers of the forSsgn Legation and their wives,
viewed the pageant from the frost stoop of
the Ebbit house. a charming feature of the
procession was a huge papier machc yacht,