TILTS IN CONGRESS.
The marriage of the King of Spain was celebrated at Washington by
Senor Mantilla, the Spanish Minister, who gave a magnificent
entertainment at Wormley's Hotel, where he was residing. The
parlors were decorated with the Minister's own furniture and
paintings, and with a profusion of rare plants and flowers. The
Diplomatic Corps wore their court costumes, while the officers of
our army and navy appeared in full uniform. Madame Mantilla was
an Andalusian, and had the clear, creamy complexion, the large,
dark eyes, the black hair, and the fine form which characterizes
that section of Spain. The waist of her satin dress was cut square,
before and behind, and was very low. The entire front of her long
skirt of white satin was covered with a network of pearls. A vest
of similar network trimmed the front of the basque. Folds of satin
went across the front of the waist and over the short sleeves, and
at the back fell from the waist in sash ends, edged with pearl
fringe and tassels. Around her throat she wore a band of dark red
velvet, studded alternately with diamonds and pearls. Below,
falling loosely on the neck, were three strands of pearls with a
magnificent pendant, composed of an enormous pearl and clusters of
diamonds. In her hair sparkled a superb diadem, formed of sprays
of diamonds, presented to the lady by her husband when they were
married. Lace stockings and white satin slippers completed her
toilet.
The supper-table was set along three sides of the room, forming a
hollow square. In the centre was a mound composed of myrtle, in
whose bright, green leaves were arranged large and beautifully
colored California pears and luscious bunches of Malaga grapes and
oranges. A tall silver epergne surmounted the mound, in the centre
of which was a cut-glass basket, holding fruits, and on the sides
vases of flowers. On the table were numerous silver candelabra
holding lighted wax candles, and, alternating with plants, pyramids
of bonbons, ices, and other dainties. The table linen, china, and
glass all bore the crest of the hostess.
Much ill-breeding had been shown by seekers after invitations, and
there was a sad exhibition of bad manners at the supper-table.
The lace on ladies' dresses was torn by the trappings of the
diplomats and officers, while terrapin and champagne were recklessly
scattered. With this exception everything passed off very smoothly,
and the hundreds of guests present heartily congratulated the host
and hostess. President Hayes and his wife declined departing from
their rule not to accept hospitalities, but the White House was
well represented by Mr. Webb Hayes and five young ladies, who were
at that time his mother's guests.
With the return of the Democrats to power in Congress came one of
those great moral struggles which convulses a nation with an
agitation only surpassed by a physical contest between hostile
armies. The approach of the Presidential contest added to the
acerbity of the debates, although some of the participants evidently
adopted as their motto the Quaker apothegm, "Treat your enemy as
if you thought he might some day become your friend, and your friend
as though he might become your enemy."
Those who occasionally engaged in criminations and recriminations
did it in a parliamentary and mild-mannered way, and a few hours
afterward they might have been seen meeting as guests at the same
social board, with every mark of reciprocal cordiality and success.
This was doubtless owing, in many instances, to the legal training
of the gentlemen who had been accustomed to bandy epithets and to
bully their adversaries before juries, and having thus earned their
fees, to leave the court, arm in arm, to dine harmoniously together.
One of the most interesting tilts in the Senate was between Matt.
Carpenter and James G. Blaine, on the Geneva Award question. Mr.
Carpenter was then approaching death's door, and his feeble voice
was at times inaudible in the galleries, but his argument sustained
his reputation as an advocate and as a Senator. Looking at everything
from a judicial standpoint, and manifesting (if he did not express
it) a profound contempt for non-professional men who discuss legal
questions, he displayed great ingenuity and persuasive eloquence
in the presentation of his views. He had evidently studied his
case carefully, but he did not hesitate to make strong assertions
take the place of authorities, and to base his arguments on those
assertions. The entire speech was peppered with cutting allusions
to Blaine, who sat unmoved, occasionally joining in the laugh
provoked at his expense. Carpenter concluded with an eloquent
allusion to General Grant, as one first in war, first in peace,
first in the hearts of his countrymen and of all mankind.
When Blaine finally took the floor it was soon evident that he had
studied the weak points in what Carpenter had said, and was ready
to let fly a volley of satire-tipped arrows with deadly aim. His
sentences were terse, crisp, strong, and entirely without ornamentation,
but every one told. He began by alluding to his having been often
reminded in the debate that he was not a lawyer. The wit would
have been brighter and the thrust would have been keener had it
been stated that when he set out on the vast sea of adventure he
had studied law for two years.
After elaborately reviewing the case and citing many authorities,
he concluded by alluding to a proposition that the balance of the
award be retained in the Treasury. "This," he said, "would disgrace
us in the eyes of the civilized world, by virtually admitting that
our legitimate claims did not amount to anything approaching the
sum which we demanded and obtained. The excuse made for the
notoriously unjust Halifax award was that we had obtained a large
sum under false pretenses, and that an offset should be made. Pass
around the hat, ask alms if you will, but don't acknowledge that
we received this Geneva award under false pretenses."
At the commencement of Mr. Blaine's remarks his well-modulated
voice assumed a conversational tone, tinged with sarcastic bitterness
as he occasionally indulged in bantering allusions to his lack of
legal education. As he proceeded he became more impressive in
words and action, and before he had concluded he had advanced
between the desks into the centre aisle, where, with head erect
and sweeping gestures, he poured forth a flood of stirring eloquence,
eliciting repeated applause.
Mr. Carpenter attempted to reply and to criticize humorously some
of Mr. Blaine's assertions, but he was not very successful. He
said that his long training at the bar had taught him never to
provoke a quarrel, and never to leave one unless successful. The
Senator from Maine began this, and he should follow it. The Senator
will never be able to say he has piped to me and I have not danced.
Mr. Blaine made a happy retort, speaking of General Grant in the
highest terms, and rivaling Mr. Carpenter in his eulogiums of him.
This prompted Mr. Thurman, who next took the floor to say: "The
Senators have both indorsed the third term," which provoked such
rounds of applause that the presiding officer threatened to have
the galleries cleared.
A more serious personal altercation occurred in an executive session,
between General Gordon, of Georgia, then the personal defender of
President Hayes, and Senator Conkling. General Gordon felt sore
because he had failed to secure the entire Democratic vote of the
Senate for the confirmation of some important New York nomination,
and he regarded Senator Conkling as having defeated this scheme.
The Senator from New York could not brook the interference of
General Gordon in what he considered a family quarrel, and the two
had not regarded each other for some days with looks of love.
Trouble was brewing evidently.
When the Senate was in executive session one Friday afternoon,
Governor Anthony occupying the chair, there was a warm discussion
over the nomination of Ward, a Georgia internal revenue collector,
in which some allusions were made to the New York case. When this
had been disposed of, General Gordon interrupted the calendar to
call for a report on the nomination of Smith, Collector of the
Customs at Mobile, and while he was speaking, Senator Conkling,
looking up from his letter writing, called out loudly, "Go on with
the calendar." Gordon immediately said: "Mr. President, the
Senator from New York is not in the chair, but he orders the Chair
to go on with the calendar." Several names had been called for
action when Gordon made this remark. Conkling was busy reading at
the moment, and did not hear it, but his attention was called to
it by a Senator who sat near him. Springing to his feet, Conkling
asked what the Senator from Georgia had said concerning him. Gordon
immediately repeated the language. Conkling said: "If the Senator
from Georgia says I ordered the Chair to go on with the calendar
he states what is not true." Gordon replied: "Very well, we will
settle that hereafter." Conkling retorted: "We will settle it
here," and repeated what he said before. Mr. Gordon then again
said: "We will not settle it here, but elsewhere."
It was finally agreed that Senators Hamlin and Howe, as friends of
Mr. Conkling, and Senators Ransom and McDonald, as friends of
General Gordon, should endeavor to adjust the difficulty. The
quartette sat in deliberation until one o'clock on Friday night,
and met again at ten o'clock on Saturday morning, finally agreeing
in the afternoon upon the adroitly drawn up statement made public,
after which "all was quiet upon the Potomac." It is not true that
any communication passed between the parties, although it is known
that Mr. Lamar, of Mississippi, counseled General Gordon, and that
Senator Jones, of Nevada, and General Phil. Sheridan were the
advisers of Senator Conkling.
A more dramatic incident occurred in a debate, when Senator Voorhees,
of Indiana, upbraided Senator Mahone, of Virginia, for acting with
the Republicans. When he had concluded the Virginian calmly said
that this denunciation of him must stop, and asked whether the
Senator from Indiana adopted the phrase, "renegade Democrat," in
a document which he had caused to be read as a part of his speech.
"Mr. President," retorted Mr. Voorhees, with a defiant air and a
contemptuous gesture, "I indorse every sentiment and word in that
article. I make it my speech. I indorse the word 'renegade' in
it. I indorse every criticism on the course of the Senator from
Virginia. He need waste no time in putting words into my mouth.
He said this must stop. No one can stop me. That is cheap--very
cheap." A profound stillness had fallen upon the chamber when
Mahone first arose. The silence became painful now. Mahone had
remained standing, calmly waiting for Voorhees' reply, the Indiana
Senator towering over his Virginia antagonist like a giant, when
Mahone, in a low voice that could be heard in the remotest corners
of the chamber, said: "That is an assertion that no brave or
honorable man would make. I denounce it as such. Let him take
that and wear it." The preliminary conditions of the code were
satisfied. The insult had been offered by Voorhees. The challenging
words had been spoken by Mahone. The incident ended there, and
the Senate, taking a long breath after its eight hours of strife
and passion, adjourned until the following Monday.
Mrs. Hayes, instead of frittering away the liberal appropriations
made by Congress for the domestic wants of the White House, expended
a large share of them in the purchase of a state dinner service of
nearly one thousand pieces, illustrating the fauna and flora of
the United States. The designs were executed by Mr. Theodore R.
Davis, who had fished in the rivers of the East and West and in
the sea, hunted fowl and wild game in the forests, the swamps, and
the mountains, shot the buffalo on the plains and visited the
historic haunts of the Indians in the East, met the Indians in
their wigwams and studied their habits on the prairies of the far
West. The designs were made in water colors, and although in nearly
every instance they were bold and striking, they were difficult to
reproduce perfectly upon porcelain with hard mineral colors, and
to accomplish this successfully it was necessary to invent new
methods and to have recourse to peculiar mechanical appliances,
but the effort was successful and the set was produced.
[Facsimile]
John Sherman
JOHN SHERMAN was born at Lancaster, Ohio, May 10th, 1823; studied
law; was admitted to the bar, May 11th, 1844; was a Representative
in Congress, December 3d, 1855 - March 3d, 1861; was United States
Senator from Ohio, March 4th, 1861 to March 8th, 1877, when he
resigned; was Secretary of the Treasury under President Hayes,
March 9th, 1877 - March 4th, 1881; was again United States Senator,
March 4th, 1881; and was elected President _pro tempore_ of the
Senate after the death of Vice-President Hendricks.