Democratic Sentinel, Volume 1, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 February 1878 — FORTY-FOURTH CONGRESS. [ARTICLE]

FORTY-FOURTH CONGRESS.

An Exciting Debate in the Senate. A literal mad bull plunging about in the traditional china shop, says a Washington correspondent, could not have created greater havoc than did Mr. Blaine in the Senate Chamber today. Hamlin took the floor with a written speech upon the life and virtues of William King, the first Governor of Maine, whose statue was to be unveiled. in the national memorial gallery. Immediately a calm settled upon the Senate. Every Senator was in his seat and the galleries were densely crowded. Hamlin’s speech was a plain one, dwelling upon the life and virtues of Mr. King, and the reasons which prompted Maine to select him as the most fitting representative whose marble statue was to adorn the memorial gallery of the nation. When Hamlin had finished Blaine arose, and at once there was a general commotion in the galleries, and the throng of spectators bent their heads in all directions to catch a glimpse of the orator. Btaine’n speech was a masterpiece of elocution. It lasted over thirty minutes. It was an analytical review of Maine’s s= greatest men, and a selection of William King as the greatest. He spoke of the powers of leadership of this hero, and, in doing so, placed him as foremost in the movement which separated the district of Maine from the commonwealth of Massachusetts and made it a separate-state. In this connection he dwelt upon the circumstances of this separation, told of the rancor and hate engendered between the people of the two sections, and which, to some extent, still exists, and how Maine was unable to bear the tyrannical domination of Massachusetts. He spoke with great warmth, and was very severe on Massachusetts people. He even referred to the part which Massachusetts had taken in the war of 1812, and gave it some pretty hard raps, several times making ridiculous comparisons, and producing general laughter at the expense of Massachusetts. All throughout his speech a whisper might have been heard in the Senate, and, when he ended, the Senate sat motionless as Vice President Wheeler was about to put the question upon the adoption of appropriate resolutions. The scene was at this point suddenly changed by the rising of Senator Dawes, of Massachwette. He said that he did not desire to interfere with the formal arrangements of the occasion] by presuming to make a speech when it was only intended that the two Senators from Maine should speak, but he leli that he could not allow the occasion to pass without some remarks from him. Then he even outdid Blaine’s want of decency by indulging in a most partisan attack upon the peopftwf Maine, a defense of Massachusetts, and a bitter charge upon Blaine for having dragged from the ashes of the events whioi the rer^udiated temeUt “ Masaa<3jinße Uß SM long After Dawee came Hoar. His speech was very severe upon Blaine. Indeed, Hoar’s main forte is his venomous tongue, and when he wishes he can turn himself into a bag of the bitterest gall. He grew very excited as he addressed himself almost exclusively to Blaine, and walking in the direction of the latter, with flashing eyes, compressed lips, and his finger shaking at the rate of forty motions to to-day expressed that heart did not beat in Massachusetts. He defended his people and defended their valor and patriotism in the war of 1812, saying, that the only naval battle that had occurred off the coast of Maine citement, shouted out, “No, sir! that was a Portland crew.” Thic sudden outburst was the occasion of laughter and applause, during which Hoar’s voice was completely drowned. He went on. however, and said that Blaine’s attempt at ridicule of his State was done only for the purpose of ingratUtjng himself with a certain class of Sen-

a tors upon the floor whft may nottfeeljfceiM kindly, tn J|kffiiW|)jjtiiitf(i He vent further, and charged that Blaine s grievance By this he referred to thßjtouure frf/Bleine io sect®# thb Votes of th® Massachusetts delegation in the CTUcinneti Convmition, Sun everybody so understood it. SubseqffMnfy Dawes spoke again, and made the same pointy only with greater force. Blaine quietly replied to Hoar that he had no desire to enter into a controversy upon the subject on this occasion, but went on to criticise Massachusetts’ course in the war of 181S> Dawes undertook to get in a little more abuse of Blaine, when the latter, as if unable to longer restrain himself, arose very excitedly, and, addressing himself to both hia antaaow ists, aslfod if the Senators. f*wi Magtegtoißtfi could stand thaw to-day t*R State had not bristled all over cowardio# that nigh * ‘ Certainly, said he,' of as are recounted here to-day would have been better if done in war.” Dawes tried to interrupt Blaine here to K “V •omalhinG olvint the promptness or Massachusetts soldiers to respond to the call to arms, but Blaine laughed to derision this statement, and, walking up and down in the greatest excitement imaginable, said that it was not true, but that Maine volunteers had first crossed the line. Soar took another hand and made a personal onslaught upon Blaine, charging prostitution of his office as Speaker of the House to accomplish party ends, when Blaine suddenly interrupted him and asked him what he meant. “ I mean,” said Hoar, “the Ku-Klux legislation of 1871.” Blaine retorted that, whatever were his acts then, Hoar, who was then a member of the House, was always his closest adviser. Blaine then fired another long-range volley of canister at his adversaries, and especially at Hoar. He repudiated the charge that he (Blaine) was trying to ingratiate himself with the Southern Senators, and said that the remark came with bad taste from Hoar, who was one of those anxious for reconciliation, and was willing to embrace every wayward brother in the land. This disregard of dignity and personal and political abuse of each .other continued for some time. Several times during the scene the galleries became very noisy, and loud applause came forth unrebuked ’by the chair.