Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-03-07

!ii!t = gi;i ra1it!e0 10 response OF lepIy
i in u ,rtsence so august and distinguished as
| the Serate of the United States. What
cause of grievance the Senator has that war
rante5 him in applying language to the
| Chief MAGISTRATE which wouid not bo per-
missile %. the husGn2s would notsay thet
it uoui,. be disgrsceiul cgau 20 be employed
| by fsh ;ycme0). do not kuow. Bat %heG
that Senator undertook to denounce tbs
Chief Executive of the United STATES after
such fashion as to: deliberately declare
that no man afflicted with Ignorance 50 pro
found, with obscurity so gross. should coa-
| slider himself as unfit 10 become the Presi-
| dert'a successor, it does seem to me tna5 the
dignity Of the Senate chamber refuses per
mission to respond
J He was not here to defend the President
| from such unwarranted attacks BE knew
but one sin which the President had COM
mitted in the eyes O. the Senator from Kan
sas. That might be the objectionable sin.
1t was that, having defeated toe Senator's
perty at the polls, he had given to the
American people io- three years past SO ei
| ficient, go honest, 80 clean handed al ad-
minstration as to doom the last OF repubil-
can aspirations to disaster Applause on
the democratic side and in the galleries
But the Senator from Kansas had even gone
|
zeal. He had not spared tie sanctity OF
the grave in bis frantic efforts to stir up
preiudices between sections already relnl.
| ted He had dragged up for abuse and viii
| LITIGATION before the American Senate such
men as had furnished with their uOblem-
ished swords the brightest pages Of Ameri
can history. Mcclellan and Hancock were
to be denounced in the Senate chamber IS
allies of the Confede-ates. Would ii not
have been in better taste ct least more
credtable to the courage and candor OF the
Senator if he had made such charge be.
fore both these men were buried.
ingalls, from lis at)-"I did often. J"
lMurmurs of applause and laughter.
Mr.. Blackburn-"Then so much the worse
for the Senator from Kansas. Whatwarraht
or ground had be for that, except t6et they
were both different from himself, al least in
political faith, if may we not hopa also in
many other regards? Hancock an ally CT
Confederates Was he so regarded and be-
sIeved when, wetering in his blood on Cen
setery Heights, be refused to be removed
from the field, and persisted 10 giving orders
which checked the last advance Of Long
streets Irresistible battalioDs? Was IL this
man who was honored by the American
people, whether republicans or democrats,
up to the very date when he had accepted
the nomination ofthe democratic party, who
was to be spoken of az 81 ely of the Con-
federates? The Senator from Kansas COM
plains of the Senator from Missouri, and
Saws that he rests his complaint upoG tnas
Senator's autobiography. I believe it is
generally assumed that gentleman writes
that bit of interesting history FIR himself Ia
looking over the short but conspicuously
brilliant autobiography Of the Senator from
Kansas fiud that BE was not in the army
in 1861. He certainly wa5 not iG the army
in 1862, because he saii he was in the State
Senate Of Kansas in that year. But he wss
in the army from 1863 to 1S65-and in what
capacity? One who had sat and iistened to
the Senator might suppose that he was con-
TROLLING the great army operating in the
West if not that operating at The East also.
I saw the brcDzed and weather beaten con-
mander of the American army (eiuGine to
Gen. Sheridan, who had occupied seat on
the floor during Mr.. Ingalls, epeech) ait
here in this chamber aud blush III uiodesty
at the humble part which he found he had
played in the war Of the rebellion in CON-
parison with tina: from The Senator from
Kansas. What was that Senator's occupa-
ton in military capacity? He was Judge
Advocate of the Kansas Volunteers.
Laughter While Gen. Black, the Com
missioner of Pensions, was bleeding on The
Kansas frontier, while Mcclellan was com-
manding the army at Getty s5urg, while
Hancock was welterine in his blood on Cen
etery Heights, at Gettysburg, the Senator
from Kansas, always behind in the rear of
the army, was prosecuting Kansas Jay
hawkers for riflipg hen-.oosts. Loud
laughter and applause. Now what are you
to think of the arguments of the Senator
who will leave his aect as the presiding
officer and come to the floor in the il
lustration of 81 partizan zesl, which Il
am glad to say I have never seen eqlali
ed, attacking ell the Gecent people,
from the President ofthe United States down
(cvilians as well as military nep) and let
ting no object escape the venom CT his ton
que? One would say that be- was 8 cynic,
despisng mankind, perhaps, because he had
q suspicion that mankind is not enamoured
of him. But neither President nor soldier,
living or dead. Confederate or Federal ex-
cept he accords With him in political convic
tons, is cafe from his unjust and unfounded
attacks do not want to be put in the posi-
ton Of an opponent or enemy of penslouiDg
honest Federal soldiers. I have never OPP
posed pensioniog men vino have served III
the Union army, and who We're capscita-
ted from supporting themselves either by
disease or wounds, And do not know lhe
Confederate who hes done so. The Senator
tells us, in that haate with gghich he rushed
to conclusions, that no democratic coDsti
tuency in the South had ever elected . Un.
ion soldier to either House of Congress- |
do not know thatit is material to answer
that assertion; hut there is nos an atom OF
foundation liz fact, for the statement The
State of Texas sent to Congress, terra after
term, q distingui; led Union soldier. in the
person Of Gov. Hancock. This State of Ar
kansas sent 10 recent years, from g demo
cratic constituency, Union soldier to repre-.
sent her in the other House of Congress. I
would like to know if the late Goy Walker
was not Union soldier and an honored
Representative ia the other branch of Con-