Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-03-15
A STORMY SCENE
v,u,cu OCCURRED IN THE coNfEo-
eRATE STATES CONGRESS,
=. which Ben. Hill, Of Georgia. and VIII
liam L. Ysnccy. Of AIsbsma' were
the Principals.
Atlanta Constitution.

rha reeert exciting scenes IN Congress
rsmind the knowing ones OF an incident OK
!. .,ormv character occurring IN secret
";on If the Senate Of the Confederate
states. when there was violent rupture
bo,wsen two famous southern men whose
nsmas now belong to our common history
Rem. Hill, of Georgia, and william L.
yancev. of Alabama. Both men are now
l., their Graves, and so far as know neither
ono ever saw in print any reference 20 the
;s.pi,,nsdiate death of Yancey, and wnich
sa;ii bas the touch OF fatality shout ~.
WntnaI friends at the time made every Ell
saut 90 teep the full facts from the news;
roongers OF the day, and the story had
dnnbtless been forgotten by nearlyall VINO
o.er did hear ANYTHING about the difficulty
ard ;ts ending. In the forthcoming Lite
~ M Yanceyn-one of the series OF
b;ogranhies OF illustrious Americana
donbtless the details will be, given, as y IS
known that, before his death, the as
tinquished Albanian gave q frienu OF Ifs
vi III az nerticulars with the request that he
saa that Justice was done to both the sens
TORS A word of reference here NAV not DO
uninteresting TO your readers. -.
Both of the eminent southerners were OF
sary and inpassIoned natures. Yancey
10 Doubtless the gentler and moro bril-
liant of the two, although his attainments
were not so popular nor SO varied as those
Of Senator Hill, who was, lin fact, one OF
the greatest men the South has produced IN
the more modern era. iancey was inner
Scholar was less excitable, and was more
y;nnine in his manner. Indeed, perso-
nailv William l.. Yancey was one OF the
unrest and noblest characters the nation mas
aver produced, and he has been mis-
iudoad by all who did not know him inti-
matelv and especially by people OF the
North. Yancey was to the South what
Wandell Phillips was to the North--a man
offranscendont intellect, of violent hates,
vet of a generous. kindly nature, with q
heart overlooking with love and goodness.
And vet Phillips was not In love Win
Union that upheld slavery; nor was IAN
Gov IN love with Union which was to be
controlled by fanatics who were willing 10
oyerride the Constitution in their hates.
Yancev was not an original secesslonlst
that fact must ne remembered IN his FAVOR:
He violently opposed notification, and
only became o follower and advocate OF Sc
cession when he-like thousands OF other
natriots-believed that nothing but cut
| TING loose from the abohtlonists OF the
North could bring justice TO the south.
| Like BDllnpS, IhhCSy ""o 81 SA
the very highest type. In the, purity OF
| his passion there was an absolute lntol'
erance of what he conceived TO be wrong
He despised the duplicity OF the mere
politician; he abhorred everything thai
| had even the semblance OF trlekery OF
knavery in politics, and he died With
clean hands and pure heart, II be was Q
| secessionist, ut the last.
II was Yancey's lofty character and ms
utter detestation of what he conceived tC
| he the impure, in either public or private
| life which involved him in the dlthculty
| with Senator Hill. He impugned the mo-
| tiyes of the Georgian, at the time have
| referred TO, in secret session OF the Con
| federate Senate. Hill, whose sense OF honol
was the very highest. instantly resented th'
| imputation, and by way of adding empha
sis to mis- Indignation in the enforcement o.
| mis- resentment, he hurled heavy desk INK
stand at the Albanian. The blow wa
aimed with such precision and force that
| striking Yancey in the region OF the TEN
ole. il foored him, and came, as have
| iptimated, well nigh proving fatal on thu
SPOT. Friends interfered, and that wa
! the end of the trouble there. Ysncey tolt
| subsequently that the wound was accl
| dentally inhincted by boy on the street
| The great Albanian never. fully re
covered from the effects of the blow: jus
before he died he told confidential trien'
| of the particulars, and it was believed q
the time that his death was indeed FASTENED
- ' NJ V. MOORE.