The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-03-10


he, "by the death of Calhoun before / took
my seat in the House. Webster and Clay
died the following summer. Thomas H.
Benton, their old time rival, however, sur
viyed them a number of years.
"After Benton retired from congress, and
while he was engaged on his condensation Of
congressional debates, he sent for me one day
and asked that, as had to pass his house on
my way from my lodgings 20 the capitol, l
would drop in daily and / tell him what was
going on in congress. j did so for long
time, and as Il consequence enjoyed many
long and pleasant chats with him which are
among tho most delightful rocolcctons Of
that period of my life. On one occasion ]
remember while the repeal Of tho Missouri
compromise was under discussion / asked
him how he thought General Cass, then
senator from Michigan, would vote on the
measure"
"'Genoral Cass, sir said he in answer TO
my question, don't know how he will vote
on the repeal. lie is a man that is very easily
seduced. 1t is very fortunate for General
Cass, sir this after moments thought
that no wasn't born q woman. II he had
been he would have been without Il character
before he was sixteen years old, sir After
wards we were talking Of Senator Douglas
position on slavery he said: They say
Douglas is leading the Democracy Of. No,
sir; the Democracy is leading Douglas Off,
sir. He would 90 TO hell, sir il the majority
were going there
William II. Seward came 10 the senate
from New York, in l8l9 whore he soon be-
came the leader in debate, first Of the anti
slavery Wings and afterwarI Of the Repub-
leans. No man could have done better than
ho the work he was then called on to do, but
in the management Of mcnhe was not so sue
cessiul. Itwasa most fortunate thing that he
failed TO receive the Republican nomination
for president in 1860, and that the wise and
patient Lincoln was nominated in his stead.
John ?. Hale had been in the senate four
/ years when took my seat in the House. He
was very indolent man and for that reason
never rose to the position for which his
abilities fitted him.
Some years before the repeal Of the Mis-.
souri, compromise Senator Sldell intro.
duced a bill appropriatng some s2OOOOOO,
for the purchase of Cuba, the object o.
| course being to strengthen the slave power
| General Cass made an elaborate speech sup
! porting the bill, on the grounds that it wa.
dangerous to our government 10 have {
dependency Of foreign power so near OIL
shores as Cuba. Hale followed, 'Consis
tency,' said he, has always been a GROWING
| jewel in the diadem Of the senator from
Michigan. He favors the annexation o
Cuba because its proximity is a constan
menace to our welfare when every night @
his life when he is at home. General Gas
lived in Detroit, - from the window Of tn
room in which he sleeps you can throw
stone into the possessions Of her Bhttani
majesty"
Ben Wade entered congress as a senate
ON thetsame day that entered the House
During the following twelve years we Wer
thrown much together, and came to knoy
him very intimately. he was one Of tn
most manly Of men, thoroughly honest an
terribly in earnest.
q recall one occasion when George I
Pugh, his colleague during the first part O
his senatorial career, and one of the mos
plastic of doughfaces, had finished a pro
slavery speech which aroused Wade's anger
he said While listening to the words o
my colleague / have wondered why Co
Almighty did not make some men spames in
stead Of men, Toombs, Of Georgia, one fth
southern leaders in the senate, was a goo
deal Of a blusterer. While the bill for tn
purchase Of Cuba was up Toombs ono nigh
made a speech in support of it. He dC
nounced the Republican senator's as dema
gogues, who were afraid Of the lakeland
ers' Of the North. When he had fnishe
Wade, who sat next to him, sprang to hi
feet and turning upon Toombs, his eye
flashing fire, burst out Afraid are We
Afraid are We! There is no man or thing O
Gods footstool that / am afraid Of, and b
brought his fist down on Toombs desk wit
a vigor that made the latter vince. 8
except the senator from Ohio from my +,
marks, said Toombs. An right if yo
want to back out you can,' rotortcd Wad
We gladly accept the issue which the senate
from Georgia presents aud will 20 to Ii
people on it, land for the landless againl
niggers for the niggerless
"Salmon p. Chase was in the senate fro,
lS52-1SGl, and his prc-eminent talent rel
derad his services of the greatest valu
Chase's vanity was his bcsctdng weakness
When he became mcmber OF Lincoln
cabinet it surrounded him with mischicvor
advisors, who greatly impaired his us
fumess Other strong men on the r.
publican side whose friendship I enjoyt
during these years were Charles Sumnc
, Henry Wilson, Hannibal Hamlin, Jacc
Collamer, Lyman Trumbull and William Pi
, Tess6nden, all pure and able men. Toomb
J6Mcrson Davis. John Sidcll and Judah
Benjamin, were the leaders Of the southel
. contingent. Davis was the emost supercilio,
aud condoscending and Benjamin the willie
| and brinicst of the lot In the art ofmaeh
, a weak ease appear strong Boniamin's git
, amounted almost TO genius
, "Thorc were also strong men in the Hou
p during your period Of seryice?"
@ "Therc werc indeed. Thaddms Steve
4 was a member Of the House during the latt
= part of my congressional life, and whcnev
e. he was there of course, he was always
0 prominent figure. He was equal to al
s emergency, and remorseless antagoni'
n His grim humor often mado oven those
- ward whom it was directed laugh. On
y whcn Whaley, member from West v
gnia, begged for the floor in order to ma
L u statement while Mr.. Stevens was spea
l. ing ON an important question, Stevens tina
/. yielded, saying Mr.. Speaker, | yield to {
l. gentleman from West Virginia for f
n feeble remarks"