ployed for the illegal and unconstitutional purpose of sustaining a bogus Governor and a usurping legislature, against the solemn judgment of the Supreme Court, composed of Republican judges. And, as if to cap the climax of the iniquity and to fatigue the indignation of the American people, we have had issued by the President of the United States within the last few days an imperial edict forbidding the citizen soldiers of South Carolina to assemble peaceably for the purpose of celebrating the birthday and commemorating the virtues of the Father of His Country.

"And all this was done that order might reign in Warsaw, and upon the ridiculous assumption that it was necessary to preserve the public peace. Mr. Speaker, under a full sense of the responsibility resting upon me, I declare in the presence of this House and the country that the real disturbers of the public peace in South Carolina have been General Grant and his coadjutors, while the only promoters of the public peace, have been that Chevalier Bayard, that king of men, Wade Hampton and his devoted followers." (Applause.)

CHAPTER XI

The 45th Congress-My Virginia colleagues-Some distinguished members on both sides-The Speakership-Committee assignmentsThe 46th Congress convened in extraordinary session-Prominent members-Defeated as candidate for 47th Congress-The Readjuster party in control in Virginia-Mr. Massey and the billy-goat-Preliminary celebration at Yorktown-Bright sally of Major Bemiss -John Randolph of Roanoke.

The 45th Congress was, by proclamation of the President, convened to meet in special session on the 15th of October, 1877. My colleagues from Virginia were Beverly B. Douglas, Gilbert C. Walker, George C. Cabell, John Randolph Tucker, John T. Harris, Eppa Hunton, A. L. Pridemore, and Joseph Jorgensen, the last named being a Republican member. This House was composed of many able and distinguished members; among whom I may mention on the Democratic side, Samuel J. Randall, S. S. Cox, John G. Carlisle, Alexander H. Stephens, W. R. Morrison, John H. Reagan; and on the Republican side, James A. Garfield, William McKinley, Thomas B. Reed, W. P. Frye, N. P. Banks, B. F. Butler, and Charles Foster. In the Democratic caucus for the purpose of nominating a Speaker, I had the honor to receive a very considerable vote for that high office. This vote was cast by the low-tariff Democrats who were not inclined to support Mr. Randall on account of his high protection principles. Mr. Randall was chosen by a large majority in the caucus and was elected Speaker by the House in opposition to James A. Garfield, the Republican nominee.

I had the honor to be appointed a member of a committee of three appointed by the House to join a like committee on the part of the Senate and notify the President that a quorum of the two Houses had assembled and were ready to receive any communication he might be pleased to make.

Mr. Garfield and Mr. Sayler were the other two members of the House Committee. I was appointed a member of the Committee on Naval Affairs and also made chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor. During the session I reported from that committee a bill to reimburse the College of William and Mary for losses incurred during the war. This bill became a law at a subsequent session.

Beverly B. Douglas was one of the foremost men of his day. As a member of the Virginia Senate he achieved a great reputation as a logical and powerful debater. I remember hearing Mr. A. H. H. Stuart say on one occasion that he had served in the House of Representatives with Stephen A. Douglas and in the Virginia Senate with Beverly B. Douglas and that he considered the latter to be in every respect the equal of the former as a strong and vigorous debater. He was elected to the Forty-fourth and Forty-fifth Congresses as a member from the First Congressional district of Virginia, but owing to failing health he did not attain that position in the National councils which his numerous friends and admirers had fondly anticipated. He died in the city of Washington, and on the 22d of January, 1879, I had the honor to submit the customary resolutions of respect and condolence in the House of Representatives. On that occasion remarks were made by Messrs. Pollard, Hooker, Walker, Springer, Dunnell, Pridemore, Clark, Tucker, and myself. Mr. Tucker, in his address, paid a high tribute to the country lawyer. This admirable delineation of a character now rapidly passing away is well worthy of a perusal by all the members of the profession.

A committee of Senators and Representatives attended by the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House and others, making altogether quite a large party, accompanied the remains to the family burial-ground in King William County. On the trip, going and returning, we were very hospitably entertained by Mr. John B. Davis, a brother of ex-Senator Henry G. Davis, at his home on the York River Railroad known as Lester Manor. He furnished our large party of twenty-eight with two magnificent dinners and an elegant breakfast. When we took leave of him on our return trip the Sergeant-at-Arms

asked him for his bill, to which he replied, "I have no bill, sir." When this was reported to the committee, two members went to Mr. Davis and insisted on his accepting compensation. They told him that the money to pay all necessary expenses had been provided by the Government, that it did not come out of the pockets of the committee, and they thought it only fair and just to himself that he should receive remuneration. Mr. Davis replied with some feeling, "Gentlemen, Beverly Douglas was my personal friend and my Representative in Congress. You gentlemen have accompanied his remains to their last resting-place. I have been glad of an opportunity to entertain you at my home and I shall be very much obliged if you will say no more about a bill." What a striking illustration of that abounding hospitality for which the people of Virginia have been distinguished since the earliest day of the colony. The historian Beverly, in writing of the colony in 1705, says, "The inhabitants are very courteous to travelers, who need no other recommendation but their being human creatures. A stranger has no more to do than to inquire upon the road where any good gentleman or housekeeper lives and then he may depend upon being received with hospitality. This good nature is so general among their people that the gentry, when they go abroad, order their principal servant to entertain all visitors with everything the plantation affords."

On the 4th of March, 1879, the President issued his proclamation convening the 46th Congress in extraordinary session, and they met on the 18th of March, 1879. Among the more prominent members of the House of Representatives I may mention Samuel J. Randall, S. S. Cox, Robert McLane, Fernando Wood, Alexander H. Stephens, Hilary A. Herbert, John A. McMahon, Frank H. Hurd, J. Proctor Knott, J. C. S. Blackburn, W. R. Morrison, W. M. Springer, Adlai E. Stevenson, and Richard P. Bland on the Democratic side; and on the Republican side, Thomas B. Reed, Wm. P. Frye, George B. Loring, George D. Robinson, Nelson W. Aldrich, Levi P. Morton, Frank Hiscock, George M. Robeson, William McKinley, William D. Kelley, and Joseph D. Cannon. My colleagues in the House from Vir

ginia were R. L. T. Beale, Joseph E. Johnston, George C. Cabell, John Randolph Tucker, John T. Harris, Eppa Hunton, James B. Richmond, and Joseph Jorgensen, the last named being a Republican. Samuel J. Randall was reelected Speaker of the House in opposition to James A. Garfield, the Republican candidate, and I was reappointed chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor and also a member of the Committee on Naval Affairs.

In 1880 I was defeated as a candidate for the 47th Congress by John F. Dezendorf, a Republican. This result was brought about by an unfortunate division in the Democratic ranks on account of the Virginia debt question. There were three candidates in the field-John F. Dezendorf, the regular Republican candidate; Benjamin W. Lacy, the Readjuster candidate, and myself as the candidate of the debt payers. The Democratic party in the district being hopelessly divided between Judge Lacy and myself, and the Republican party being thoroughly united upon Mr. Dezendorf, he was elected, as a matter of course. The Readjuster party, organized by General Mahone in 1879, got control of the State government in all its departments-Legislative, Executive, and Judicial. In 1881 they elected William E. Cameron, Governor, both branches of the General Assembly, all the judges, and all the subordinate officers. Their victory was complete and overwhelming.

The Readjuster party, so called, was organized in February, 1879. General Mahone was its recognized leader, and he had an able corps of lieutenants, such men as William E. Cameron, John Paul, H. H. Riddleberger, S. V. Fulkerson, and John E. Massey. The last named had thoroughly mastered all the details of the debt question and exhibited unusual tact and adroitness in debate. On that question he was a foeman worthy of any man's steel. It was his invariable habit to insist upon making the last speech in his debates with speakers on the other side, and being unlimited as to time. The debt payers were very reluctant to submit to his terms, and sometimes refused to do so. On one occasion when he was addressing a large audience in a warehouse at the city of Lynchburg, some young men hitched a billy-goat