The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-12-06

tnces of John J. ingalls,. Among othe,
things he says:
OF all the public men with whom have
served, John James ingalls,, of Kansas
was the most original and eccentric. He
was a living enigma, and | could never
fully understand his motives and the
many-sided phases of his character. He
had strong, daring intellect, which de-
fed all limitations, and was an eloquent,
attractive speaker with a wealth of mag
ination and diction which was mex
haustible. He was at times cynical and
morose, but was great word painter and
could express the most elevated thought;
in language so beautiful as to fascinate
his hearers. Above all, he was an icoro
clast, and nothing delighted him SO much
a. to startle and even shock the staid and
dignified senate by the utterance of
opinions utterly at variance with the set
tied belief of many centuries.
The first debate in which l took part
after entering the United States senate.
was with ingalls,. In an eloquent and
vigorous speech. which he delivered at
the called session of 1879. Senator ingalls,
bitterly assailed the Southern whites for
having caused the negro exodus from
preceding year by their outrages upon
the negroes who had been emancipated
during the war. In concluding his adj
dress he paid glowing tribute to the
people of Kansas who had received with
open arms the negroes flying from the
South to an asylum in his own state.
and declared that his constituents were
glad to have them as citizens and neigh
bors.
VESTS FIRST TILT WITH INGALLS,
l was at that time a resident of Kan
sas City, Mo-. and lived in sight ci
Wyandotte, Kas., where the first con-
Segment OF negroes from the South had
been landed under the promise that they
should be taken to an elysium where
they would have happy homes and both
political and social equality. / felt it
my duty to answer the assertions OF
Senator ingalls, In regard to the exodus,
and stated in the senate that l HAD
visited Wyandotte for the purpose OF
ascertaining the real facts, and had
hound about two hundred of the poor
deluded negroes living in holes dug in
the bank OF the Missouri river-one-third
OF their number having died from ex-
posture and resulting disease, the citizens
Of Wyandotte refusing them shelter, food
or necessary clothing.
l read to the senate a circular given
to me by one of the negroes, who claimed
to be a citizen of Topeka, Kas., in which
the negroes were advised to leave their
southern homes and come to Kansas,
where they could live in comfort and
escape the oppression of their former
masters. The negro who gave me this
circular said he had received it at his
home in Mississippi and that many thou
sand copies of the circulars had been
distributed among the negroes throughout
the South Senator Ingalls, interrupted
me to declare that this circular was
forgery l replied that the paper had
been given me in Wyandotte by negro
who had come with the exodus and that
he could have had no motive in stating
a falsehood as to when and where he
obtained it. / also read to the senate
an address to the people of the United
States by the mayor and principal citi-
zens of Wyandotte, majority of WHOM
/ knew to be Republicans protesting
against the coming to Kansas of south
ern negroes, and stating that the cIti-
Zens OF Wyandotte and Of the entire
state would resist the influx of these
unfortunate creatures in the future. Sen
ator ingalls, interrupted me again to say
that the signers Of this address were
Democrats, and after denying his state
ment from personal knowledge, l asked
him the direct question, whether the
mayor of Wyandotte, whose name ap-
peared as the first in the list of signers,
was not, and had not always been, a
staunch Republican. This question he de-
ciined to answer, and his refusal to do so
satisfied me that he believed any means
justifiable to success in political war
fare 1t was impossible that Senator
Ingalls,, who lived at Atchison, short
distance from Wyandotte. did not know
that my statement in regard to the ex-
odus was true. as the matter had caused
great excitement in all parts of his state
and had been commented upon In the
newspapers for many weeks.
Nine years after this debate I was
Internationally the cause of an acri-
monious encounter between Senator In
gals and Senator Blackburn, of KeE-
lucky.
Just before the presidential election of
1888 l alluded in a general political dis
cussion to resolution adopted at meet
ing of the citizens of Washington de-
caring in favor of Senator ingalls,, who
was then chairman Of the committee on
the District of Columbia. for the presi
dcney, and l expressed regret that the
compliment was an empty one, as the
gentlemen rendering it could not vote
and were possibly influenced by their
desire to obtain large appropriations IN
congress for the improvement of Wash
ington City Being informed on the next
day that ingalls, was irritated by what
/ had raid, l requested Senator Plumb
to ask his colleague if he intended to
make any reply. and if he did. to say
that l should be glad to know what day
he would do so. as I expected to leave
the city on important business the next
morning, to be absent some four or five
days, and that l wished to be present
when he addressed the senate. Senator
Plumb returned to me in a few moments
with the statement that Senator ingalls,
had assured him he had no intention OF
speaking and that I could govern my
actions accordingly. 1 left Washington
the next morning, and was surprised to
read in the New York papers two days
afterward that ingalls, had delivered 3
bitter speech in the senate in which he
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