Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1893-02-02
C.. H. WAITE.

gress" Mr.. Blaine has reproduced many
of the striking episodes of congress, and
in those pages one may read and learn of
the vast responsibilities met by our leg
slators. In the pageant so graphically
described stands in glowing colors the
scene in congress when the vote passed
which secured the adoption of the thir-
teenth amendment to the constitution.
The final struggle over this measure took
place in the house of representatives on
January 81, 1865. The galleries and
floor were filled. Mr.. Blaine says: "When
the announcement of the vote Con the
amendment, 10 yeas to Sc nays, more
than the constitutional twO-thirds re-
quired) was made the speaker became
powerless to preserve order. The men,
bers upon the Republican side sprang
from their seats cheering, shouting and
waving hats, hands and canes, While the
spectators upon the floor and in the gal
leries joined heartily in the demonstra-
ton. Upon the restoration of order Mr..
Ingersoll of Illinois rose and said Mr..
Speaker, In honor of this immortal and
sublime event, l move that this house do
now adjourn"
To dwell at anything approaching full
detail on congre ssional measures of this
era would demand space that cannot be
aft ,rded. Every one now knows the
record, even if vaguely. The winter of
lS64-5 witnessed the closing struggles of
the rebellion, and on April 8, 1865, Gen.
Lee surrendered to the great capt ain al
Appomattox. Gen. Grant had crushed
the reb. lion and had commanded a mil
lion soldiers, more than were ever before,
in the history of the world, organized in
| TO one army.
| The summer of 1865 was spent by Mr..
Blaine at Augusta. He visited his
orother-in-law in Lynn in August and
was then and there Frustrated by an i'll
ness which led very nigh to deaths door
The skill and care Of his personal friends.
Doctors D Humphrey Storer and George
H Gay of Boston, brought him safely
through the illness, however, and he re-
turned to Augusta to regain his lost
-trength. The thirty-ninth congress as
sembled on the first Monday of Deem
Der, 1865, and Mr.. Colfax was again
elected speaker. Mr.. Blaine went to
Washington with restored health, and
was now fast becoming Well-knowb
figure and important factor in Washing
ION life. He did not keep house there
until he had been elected speaker of the
forty first congress- but he extended such
hospitality as was possible under the cir
cumsrances of one dependent upon the
skilled providers of the capital. He was
acquiring a reputation as brilliant de-
batter and as skillful parliamentarian,
and he took an active part in all the i'm
) portant legislation Of this and the follow
: ing sessions, making such an impression
!, upon his fellOw-workers as led to his
lection as speaker Of the house when the
, forty-first congress met in 1869. As
speaker he served in three congresses
!, and for six years, and at the close of this
episode in his career the Republican
party had turned it's attention to him as
J the one to be the recipient of the CHIEF
J place in the gift of the American people
: The loyal old Kennebec district re.
turned Mr.. Blaine as a member to the
e forty fourth congress, and for many rea
! sons he became the leader of the now
; Republican minority, and was soon, ir
, the estimation of the people, the fore
most Republican OF the land. The atti
session on all the public questions of the
0 day, the searching, vigor us and compre
hensive ability with which he discussed
them, his able and dashing leadership OF
the Republican minority, his marvellous
t parliamentary tactics and his inspiring
] words of lOyalty combined to fix attention
e upon him insuch a way as to make hin
i'll the popular eye the unquestiOned RI.
l publican nominee for the next presiden
, tial campaign. Opposed, however, t.
such party action stood the forces of the
administration but these were not pow
T erful enough to defeat Mr.. Blaine. Dem
e ocratic party animosity began to search
: for weapon wherewith to kill &c
: formidable foe, and special "commit
tee of investigation" took the field anC
I pulled every possible wire of Islander ant
d scandal within its reach, all with tn,
: hope of preventing nomination which
: he great Democrat, Judge Holman o.
Indiana, told them meant sure election
+ blaine would carry every northern
{ state," the Judge asserted, land he mus
: be smircht d."
. One charge and then another was made
: up against the man from Maine, anC
{ all went to pieces under his vigorous re
t fu atoms Matters looked desperate
:: when finally word reach d the commit
: tee that in the good city OF Boston th.r,
! dwelt man named James Mulligan
e who could give them all. II his Null ga,
t was an Irisi man by birth, and had com'
d TO America in his youth. He was wei
b educated and in his early days secured {
s position in the counting room of jacob