Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-12-31
How Senator Sumner Defeated Lincoln's
Bill.


Senator Sumner: 4 few days before
Llncolns inauguration Sumner called
at the White House and told him that
he was determined to defeat in the SEN
ate his favorite bill regarding Louisiana
because it jnvolved vicious principle,
winch would be quoted as q precedent
when any large scheme of reconstruc-
ton, applying to the Confederate States,
might be brought forward. Lincoln
blandly listened to the Senator's remon-
STRANGE and replied: "Nr. Sumner, I
am not convinced by your arguments,
and as to your threat of defeating the
bill, l can tell you that it is impossible,
Tor l. know that clear majority of the
Senate is in its favor"
"But l tell you, Mr.. President"
answered Sumner, it shall and will be
defeated.n
TRY it, was the quiet retort.
Sumner did try it. He appeared on
the last night of that session of Con-
gress with small law library, partly
on his desk and partly piled up on each
side OF it. The bill was introduced, and
it was supposed it would be Immediately
passed. Sumner however, had the
floor and began to speak. After he
had spoken an hour or two, it occurred
to Senator Wade, of Ohio, to ask Sum-
ner-as the session of Congress would
soon expire, and as there was much
necessary business still remaining to
be done-how long the Senator from
Massachusetts intended to speak.
Sumner replied in his most courteous
tones that he feared he could not get
through his argument in less than six
hours. The Senator from Ohio must
see from the books he had about him,
every one of which contained matter
bearing on the question of the debate,
and from which he proposed to make
copious extracts, that his speech must
be of unusual length, and that he could
not promise it would come to a close
before the legal session of Congress
came to an end. Wade, who had in
his charge what was in effect Lincoln's
bill, was, on this announcement, COM
PEELED to abandon it. Sumner managed
to have the whole great subject of re-
construction postponed to that period
when it could be discussed in all its
larger relations, to the welfare of both
sections of the country. It is very
likely that this incident, as Sumner
told it, may be inaccurate in detail; if
so, the fault is in the memory of the
listener, not in his long narrative. But
his object in telling it was to illustrate
o beautiful quality Of Lincoln's charac-
ter.
II thought" he said, "that the Presi-
dent would consider my opposition a
personal affront. Instead of that you
may imagine my surprise when he sent
me note next day asking me to accom-
pany Mrs. Lincoln in his carriage to the
ceremonies of the Inauguration, and
also to accompany her to the inaugural
ball in the evening. AS to the ball,
you may imagine the kind Of wonder
that was excited when, with Mrs. Lin
coin Oh my arm, ] made my way
through the throng of ladies and gentle.
men present and placed her in selected
seat. The thing was nothing in itself,
but still I thought it read a lesson tc
shrewd politicians when they had tc
undertake the task to please such man
as President Lincoln. "-IVashingto77
correspondence Indianapolis Ne1cs.
Neat Replies.
Andrew Jackson, it is related, was at
one time entertained at dinner by 6
gentleman, and among those present
was one Of those people who often find
their way into story books, ETC., as the
type of that offensive class of Amsri
cans who are always trailing thei1
nationality in the dust in the effort tc
exact their individual independence.
This particular gentleman, over the
wine and walnuts after dinner, in order
to emphasize his own independence o.
disposition, Of which he was loudly
boastful, remarked with a rare exhibi
ton of self-complacence to Gen. Jack
son:
II always vote against you, sir"
The company was naturally rendered
speeches. by this unexpected dis
closure, and the scene actually looked
squally; but Gen. Jackson put {
stopper on the boastful individual anG
avoided further trouble by smilingly re-
marking:
"And I, sir, have always fought the
battles of my country that you NIGH
enjoy that privilege"
Another instance of happy response
is that of an old Southern judge-bu
whether Judge by courtesy or in fact, the
writer cannot state-who must have
had the faculty Of quick and appropri
ate reply pretty well developed, if The
story related of him is true. Speaking
at certain place one evening in the
interest of his own candidacy for Con
gress some one in the audience, wht
evidently had q good memory, inquired
Didn't you speak here just before
the WARP"
IT did," promptly responded tn
Judge.
"And didn't you say we could whi]
the burned Yankees with pop-guns ?"
At did," replied the unabashed judge
"but, confound 'em, they wouldn'
fight that way !"-Pittsbatrgh Dispatch
The Battle Of the BOyne.
This battle was fought near the Rive
Boyne in Ireland on July -, 1890, be