:
"If it were not that this is the United States Senate I would
characterize the member from Mississippi as a coward and a
prevaricator."

If those words had been uttered by any other Senator than Roscoe
Conkling it is more than probable that he would have been severely
reprimanded; no other Senator, however, cared to incur Conkling's
displeasure by becoming the author of a resolution for that purpose.

Senator John J. Ingalls, of Kansas, was the only other Senator that ever
came near holding a similar position; for, while he was by no means the
equal of Conkling, he was both eloquent and sarcastic. For that reason
Senators were not anxious to get into a controversy with him. On one
occasion it seemed that he came near getting into a dispute with Senator
Manderson, of Nebraska. While the Senator from Nebraska was delivering a
speech, he made a remark to which the Senator from Kansas took
exceptions. When the Kansas Senator arose,--flushed with anger, and
laboring under intense excitement,--to correct what he declared in words
that were more forcible than elegant, to be a misstatement of his
position, the Senator from Nebraska did not hesitate for a moment to
accept the correction, remarking by way of explanation and apology that
he had not distinctly heard the remark the Senator from Kansas had made,
and to which he was alluding when interrupted.

"Then," retorted the Senator from Kansas, "that is your misfortune."

"I admit," the Senator from Nebraska quickly replied, "that it is always
a misfortune not to hear the Senator from Kansas."

The unfortunate controversy between President Garfield and Senator
Conkling resulted in a national calamity. The bitterness that grew out
of it had the effect of bringing a crank on the scene of action. Early
in July, 1881,--when the President, in company with Mr. Blaine, was
leaving Washington for his summer vacation,--this cowardly crank, who
had waited at the railroad station for the arrival of the distinguished
party, fired the fatal shot which a few months later terminated the
earthly career of a President who was beloved by his countrymen without
regard to party or section.

Whatever may have been the merits of this unfortunate controversy, it
resulted in the political death of one and the physical death of the
other; thus depriving the country of the valuable services of two of the
greatest and most intellectual men that our country had ever produced.

When the President