Part 22 (1/2)
The Northern States were hostile to negro suffrage, the first step of his revolutionary programme, and not a dozen men in Congress had yet dared to favour it. Ohio, Michigan, New York, and Kansas had rejected it by overwhelming majorities. But he could appeal to their pa.s.sions and prejudices against the ”Barbarism” of the South. It would work like magic.
When he had the South where he wanted it, he would turn and ram negro suffrage and negro equality down the throats of the reluctant North.
His energies were now bent to prevent any effective legislation in Congress until his strength should be omnipotent.
A cloud disturbed the sky for a moment in the Senate. John Sherman, of Ohio, began to loom on the horizon as a constructive statesman, and without consulting him was quietly forcing over Sumner's cla.s.sic oratory a Reconstruction Bill restoring the Southern States to the Union on the basis of Lincoln's plan, with no provision for interference with the suffrage. It had gone to its last reading, and the final vote was pending.
The house was in session at 3 a. m., waiting in feverish anxiety the outcome of this struggle in the Senate.
Old Stoneman was in his seat, fast asleep from the exhaustion of an unbroken session of forty hours. His meals he had sent to his desk from the Capitol restaurant. He was seventy-four years old and not in good health, yet his energy was tireless, his resources inexhaustible, and his audacity matchless.
Sunset c.o.x, the wag of the House, an opponent but personal friend of the old Commoner, pa.s.sing his seat and seeing the great head sunk on his breast in sleep, laughed softly and said:
”Mr. Speaker!”
The presiding officer recognized the young Democrat with a nod of answering humour and responded:
”The gentleman from New York.”
”I move you, sir,” said c.o.x, ”that, in view of the advanced age and eminent services of the distinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania, the Sergeant-at-Arms be instructed to furnish him with enough poker chips to last till morning!”
The scattered members who were awake roared with laughter, the Speaker pounded furiously with his gavel, the sleepy little pages jumped up, rubbing their eyes, and ran here and there answering imaginary calls, and the whole House waked to its usual noise and confusion.
The old man raised his ma.s.sive head and looked to the door leading toward the Senate just as Sumner rushed through. He had slept for a moment, but his keen intellect had taken up the fight at precisely the point at which he left it.
Sumner approached his desk rapidly, leaned over, and reported his defeat and Sherman's triumph.
”For G.o.d's sake throttle this measure in the House or we are ruined!” he exclaimed.
”Don't be alarmed,” replied the cynic. ”I'll be here with stronger weapons than articulated wind.”
”You have not a moment to lose. The bill is on its way to the Speaker's desk, and Sherman's men are going to force its pa.s.sage to-night.”
The Senator returned to the other end of the Capitol wrapped in the mantle of his outraged dignity, and in thirty minutes the bill was defeated, and the House adjourned.
As the old Commoner hobbled through the door, his crooked cane thumping the marble floor, Sumner seized and pressed his hand:
”How did you do it?”
Stoneman's huge jaws snapped together and his lower lip protruded:
”I sent for c.o.x and summoned the leader of the Democrats. I told them if they would join with me and defeat this bill, I'd give them a better one the next session. And I will--negro suffrage! The gudgeons swallowed it whole!”
Sumner lifted his eyebrows and wrapped his cloak a little closer.
The Great Commoner laughed as he departed:
”He is yet too good for this world, but he'll forget it before we're done this fight.”
On the steps a beggar asked him for a night's lodging, and he tossed him a gold eagle.