diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'old/60479-0.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | old/60479-0.txt | 1620 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 1620 deletions
diff --git a/old/60479-0.txt b/old/60479-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index fa4864e..0000000 --- a/old/60479-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1620 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's 1900 or, The last President, by Ingersoll Lockwood - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: 1900 or, The last President - -Author: Ingersoll Lockwood - -Release Date: October 12, 2019 [EBook #60479] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 1900 OR, THE LAST PRESIDENT *** - - - - -Produced by Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - —1900— - OR, - THE LAST PRESIDENT - - - BY - - INGERSOLL LOCKWOOD, - - Of the New York Bar. - - - Copyright, 1896, by INGERSOLL LOCKWOOD. - - - The Trade Supplied by - THE AMERICAN NEWS COMPANY, - New York. - - - - - The Chicago Platform assumes, in fact, the form of a - revolutionary propaganda. It embodies a menace of national - disintegration and destruction. - - GARRET A. HOBART. - - - - - CHAPTER I. - - -That was a terrible night for the great City of New York—the night of -Tuesday, November 3rd, 1896. The city staggered under the blow like a -huge ocean liner which plunges, full speed, with terrific crash into a -mighty iceberg, and recoils shattered and trembling like an aspen. - -The people were gathered, light-hearted and confident, at the evening -meal, when the news burst upon them. It was like a thunder bolt out of -an azure sky: “Altgeld holds Illinois hard and fast in the Democratic -line. This elects Bryan President of the United States!” - -Strange to say, the people in the upper portion of the city made no -movement to rush out of their houses and collect in the public squares, -although the night was clear and beautiful. They sat as if paralyzed -with a nameless dread, and when they conversed it was with bated breath -and throbbing hearts. - -In less than half an hour, mounted policemen dashed through the streets -calling out: “Keep within your houses; close your doors and barricade -them. The entire East side is in a state of uproar. Mobs of vast size -are organizing under the lead of Anarchists and Socialists, and threaten -to plunder and despoil the houses of the rich who have wronged and -oppressed them for so many years. Keep within doors. Extinguish all -lights.” - -Happily, Governor Morton was in town, and although a deeper pallor -overcame the ashen hue of age as he spoke, yet there was no tremor in -his voice: “Let the Seventh, Twenty-second and Seventy-first regiments -be ordered under arms.” In a few moments hundreds of messengers could be -heard racing through the silent streets, summoning the members of these -regiments to their Armories. - -Slowly, but with astonishing nerve and steadiness, the mobs pushed the -police northward, and although the force stood the onslaught with -magnificent courage, yet beaten back, the dark masses of infuriated -beings surged up again with renewed fury and strength. Will the troops -be in time to save the city? was the whispered inquiry among the knots -of police officials who were directing the movements of their men. - -About nine o’clock, with deafening outcries, the mob, like a four-headed -monster breathing fire and flame, raced, tore, burst, raged into Union -Square. - -The police force was exhausted, but their front was still like a wall of -stone, save that it was movable. The mob crowded it steadily to the -north, while the air quivered and was rent with mad vociferations of the -victors: “Bryan is elected! Bryan is elected! Our day has come at last. -Down with our oppressors! Death to the rich man! Death to the gold bugs! -Death to the capitalists! Give us back the money you have ground out of -us. Give us back the marrow of our bones which you have used to grease -the wheels of your chariots.” - -The police force was now almost helpless. The men still used their -sticks, but the blows were ineffectual, and only served to increase the -rage of the vast hordes now advancing upon Madison Square. - -The Fifth Avenue Hotel will be the first to feel the fury of the mob. -Would the troops be in time to save it? - -A half cheer, a half cry of joy goes up. It is inarticulate. Men draw a -long breath; women drop upon their knees and strain their eyes; they can -hear something, but they cannot see as yet, for the gas houses and -electric plants had been destroyed by the mob early in the evening. They -preferred to fight in the dark, or by the flames of rich men’s abodes. - -Again a cheer goes up, louder and clearer this time, followed by cries -of “They’re coming, they’re coming.” - -Yes, they were coming—the Twenty-second down Broadway, the Seventh down -Madison avenue, both on the double quick. - -In a moment or so there were a few bugle calls, and a few spoken -commands rang out clear and sharp; and then the two regiments stretched -across the entire square, literally from wall to wall, in line of -battle. The mob was upon them. Would this slender line of troops, could -it hold such a mighty mass of men in check? - -The answer was a deafening discharge of firearms, a terrific crack, such -as some thunder bolts make when they explode. A wall of fire blazed -across the Square. Again and again it blazed forth. The mob halted, -stood fast, wavered, fell back, advanced again. At that moment there -came a rattle as of huge knives in the distance. It was the gallant -Seventy-first charging up Twenty-third street, and taking the mob on the -flank. They came on like a wall of iron, bristling with blades of steel. - -There were no outcries, no cheers from the regiment. It dealt out death -in silence, save when two bayonets crossed and clashed in bearing down -some doubly-vigorous foe. - -As the bells rang out midnight, the last remnants of the mob were driven -to cover, but the wheels of the dead wagons rattled till daybreak. - -And then the aged Governor, in response to the Mayor’s “Thank God, we’ve -saved the city!” made answer: - -“Aye, but the Republic——.” - - - - - CHAPTER II. - - -Great as has been the world’s wonder at the uprising of Mr. Bryan’s -“struggling masses” in the city by the sea, and the narrow escape of its -magnificent homes from fire and brand, yet greater still was the -wonderment when the news was flashed across the land that Chicago did -not stand in need of a single Federal soldier. - -“Chicago is mad, but it is the madness of joy. Chicago is in the hands -of a mob, but it is a mob made up of her own people—noisy, rude and -boisterous, the natural exultation of a suddenly enfranchised class; but -bent on no other mischief than glorying over the villainous and -self-seeking souls who have ground the faces of the poor and turned the -pitiless screw of social and political power into the hearts of the -‘common people’ until its last thread had been reached, and despair -pressed its lupine visage hard against the door of the laboring man.” - -And yet, at this moment when the night air quivered with the mad -vociferations of the “common people,” that the Lord had been good to -them; that the wicked money-changers had been driven from the temple, -that the stony-hearted usurers were beaten at last, that the “People’s -William” was at the helm now, that peace and plenty would in a few moons -come back to the poor man’s cottage, that Silver was King, aye, King at -last, the world still went wondering why red-eyed anarchy, as she stood -in Haymarket Square, with thin arms aloft, with wild mien and wilder -gesticulation, drew no bomb of dynamite from her bosom, to hurl at the -hated minions of the law who were silent spectators of this delirium of -popular joy. - -Why was it thus? Look and you shall know why white robed peace kept step -with this turbulent band and turned its thought from red handed pillage. -He was there. The master spirit to hold them in leash. He, and he alone, -had lifted Bryan to his great eminence. Without these twenty-four -electoral votes, Bryan had been doomed, hopelessly doomed. He, and he -alone, held the great Commonwealth of the West hard and fast in the -Democratic line; hence he came as conqueror, as King-maker, and the very -walls of the sky-touching edifices trembled as he was dragged through -the crowded streets by this orderly mob, and ten times ten thousand of -his creatures bellowed his name and shook their hats aloft in mad -exultation: - -“You’re our Saviour, you’ve cleaned the Temple of Liberty of its foul -horde of usurers. We salute you. We call you King-maker. Bryan shall -call you Master too. You shall have your reward. You shall stand behind -the throne. Your wisdom shall make us whole. You shall purge the land of -this unlawful crowd of money-lenders. You shall save the Republic. You -are greater than Washington. You’re a better friend of ours than -Lincoln. You’ll do more for us than Grant. We’re your slaves. We salute -you. We thank you. We bless you. Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!” - -But yet this vast throng of tamed monsters, this mighty mob of -momentarily good-natured haters of established order, broke away from -the master’s control for a few brief moments, and dipped their hands in -the enemy’s blood. The deed was swift as it was terrible. There were but -four of them, unarmed, on pleasure bent. At sight of these men, a -thousand throats belched out a deep and awful growl of hatred. They were -brave men, and backed against the wall to die like brave men, stricken -down, beaten, torn, trampled, dragged, it was quick work. They had faced -howling savages in the far West, painted monsters in human form, but -never had they heard such yells leave the throats of men; and so they -died, four brave men, clad in the blue livery of the Republic, whose -only crime was that some months back, against the solemn protest of the -Master, their comrades had set foot on the soil of the commonwealth, and -saved the Metropolis of the West from the hands of this same mob. - -And so Chicago celebrated the election of the new President who was to -free the land from the grasp of the money-lenders, and undo the bad -business of years of unholy union between barterers and sellers of human -toil and the law makers of the land. - -Throughout the length and breadth of the South, and beyond the Great -Divide, the news struck hamlet and village like the glad tidings of a -new evangel, almost as potent for human happiness as the heavenly -message of two thousand years ago. Bells rang out in joyful acclaim, and -the very stars trembled at the telling, and the telling over and over of -what had been done for the poor man by his brethren of the North, and -around the blazing pine knots of the Southern cabin and in front of the -mining camp fires of the Far West, the cry went up: “Silver is King! -Silver is King!” Black palms and white were clasped in this strange -love-feast, and the dark skinned grand child no longer felt the sting of -the lash on his sire’s shoulder. All was peace and good will, for the -people were at last victorious over their enemies who had taxed and -tithed them into a very living death. Now the laborer would not only be -worthy of his hire, but it would be paid to him in a people’s dollar, -for the people’s good, and now the rich man’s coffers would be made to -yield up their ill-gotten gain, and the sun would look upon this broad -and fair land, and find no man without a market for the product of his -labors. Henceforth, the rich man should, as was right and proper, pay a -royal sum for the privilege of his happiness, and take the nation’s -taxes on his broad shoulders, where they belong. - - - - - CHAPTER III. - - -The pens of many writers would not suffice to describe with anything -like historical fullness and precision, the wild scenes of excitement -which, on the morning after election day, burst forth on the floors of -the various exchanges throughout the Union. The larger and more -important the money centre, the deeper, blacker and heavier the despair -which sank upon them after the violent ebullitions of protest, defiance -and execration had subsided. With some, it seemed that visions of their -swift but sure impoverishment only served to transform the dark and -dismal drama of revolution and disintegration into a side-splitting -farce, and they greeted the prospective loss of their millions with loud -guffaws and indescribable antics of horseplay and unseemly mirth. - -As the day wore on, the news became worse and worse. It was only too -apparent that the House of Representatives of the Fifty-fifth Congress -would be controlled by the combined vote of the Populists and Free -Silver men, while the wild joy with which the entire South welcomed the -election of Bryan and Sewall left little doubt in the minds of the -Northern people that the Southern Senators would, to a man, range -themselves on the Administration side of the great conflict into which -the Republic was soon to be precipitated. Add to these the twenty -Senators of the Free Silver States of the North, and the new President -would have the Congress of the Republic at his back. There would be -nothing to stand between him and the realization of those schemes which -an exuberant fancy, untamed by the hand of experience, and scornful of -the leading-strings of wisdom, can conjure up. - -Did we say nothing? Nay, not so; for the Supreme Court was still there. -And yet Justice Field had come fully up to the eightieth milestone in -the journey of life and Justice Gray was nearly seventy, while one or -two other members of this High Court of Judicature held to their lives -with feeble grasp. Even in due and orderly course of events, why might -there not come vacancies and then?... - -In spite of the nameless dread that rested upon so many of our people, -and chilled the very blood of the country’s industries, the new year ’97 -came hopefully, serenely, almost defiantly in. There was an -indescribable something in the air, a spirit of political devil-me-care, -a feeling that the old order had passed away and that the Republic had -entered into the womb of Time and been born again. This sentiment began -to give outward and visible signs of its existence and growth in the -remote agricultural districts of the South and Far West. They threw -aside their working implements, loitered about, gathered in groups and -the words Washington, White House, Silver, Bryan, Offices, Two for One, -the South’s Day, Reign of the Common People, Taxes, Incomes, Year of -Jubilee, Free Coinage, Wall Street, Altgeld, Tillman, Peffer, Coxey, -were whispered in a mysterious way with head noddings and pursing up of -mouths. - -As January wore away and February, slipping by, brought Bryan’s -Inauguration nearer and nearer, the groups melted into groups, and it -was only too apparent that from a dozen different points in the South -and North West “Coxey Armies” were forming for an advance on Washington. -In some instances they were well clad and well provisioned; in others, -they were little better than great bands of hungry and restless men, -demoralized by idleness and wrought up to a strange degree of mental -excitement by the extravagant harangues of their leaders, who were -animated with but one thought, namely, to make use of these vast crowds -of Silver Pilgrims, as they called themselves, to back up their claims -for public office. - -These crowds of deluded people were well named “Silver Pilgrims,” for -hundreds of them carried in hempen bags, pieces of silverware, in -ninety-nine cases of a hundred, plated stuff of little value, which -unscrupulous dealers and peddlers had palmed off upon them as sterling, -with the promises that once in Washington, the United States Mint would -coin their metal into “Bryan Dollars” giving “two for one” in payment -for it. - -While these motley “armies” marched upon the capitol of the Republic, -the railway trains night and day brought vast crowds of “new men,” -politicians of low degree, men out of employment, drunken and -disgruntled mechanics, farmer’s sons, to seek their fortunes under the -Reign of the People, heelers and hangers-on of ward bosses, old men who -had not tasted office for thirty years and more, all inspired by Mr. -Bryan’s declaration that “The American people are not in favor of life -tenure in the Civil Service, that a permanent office holding class is -not in harmony with our institutions, that a fixed term in appointive -offices would open the public service to a larger number of citizens, -without impairing its efficiency,” all bearing new besoms in their hands -or across their shoulders, each and every one of them supremely -confident that in the distribution of the spoils something would surely -fall to his share, since they were the “Common People” who were so dear -to Mr. Bryan, and who had made him President in the very face of the -prodigious opposition of the rich men, whose coffers had been thrown -wide open all to no purpose, and in spite too of the satanic and truly -devilish power of that hell upon earth known as Wall Street, which had -sweated gold in vain in its desperate efforts to fasten the chains of -trusts and the claws of soulless monsters known as corporations upon -these very “Common People,” soon to march in triumph before the silver -chariot of the young Conqueror from the West. - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - - -There had been a strange prophecy put forth by some one, and it had made -its way into the daily journals, and had been laughingly or seriously -commented upon, according to the political tone of the paper, or the -passing humor of the writer, that the 4th of March, 1897, would never -dawn upon the American people. There was something very curious and -uncanny about the prediction, and what actually happened was not -qualified to loosen the fearful tension of public anxiety, for the day -literally and truly never dawned upon the City of Washington, and well -deserves its historical name, the “Dawnless Day.” At six o’clock, the -hour of daybreak, such an impenetrable pall of clouds overhung the city -that there came no signs of day. The gathering crowds could plainly hear -the plaintive cries and lamentations put up in the negro quarters of the -city. Not until nearly nine o’clock did the light cease to “shine in -darkness” and the darkness begin to comprehend it. - -But although it was a cheerless gray day, even at high noon, its -heaviness set no weight upon the spirits of the jubilant tens of -thousands which completely filled the city and its public parks, and ran -over into camps and hastily improvised shelters outside the city limits. - -Not until the day previous had the President announced the names of -those selected for his Cabinet. The South and Far West were fairly -beside themselves with joy, for there had been from their standpoint -ugly rumors abroad for several days. It had even been hinted that Bryan -had surrendered to the “money-changers,” and that the selection of his -constitutional advisers would prove him recreant to the glorious cause -of popular government, and that the Reign of the Common People would -remain but a dream of the “struggling masses.” - -But these apprehensions were short lived. The young President stood firm -and fast on the platform of the parties which had raised him to his -proud eminence. And what better proof of his thorough belief in himself -and in his mission could he have given than the following: - -Secretary of State—William M. Stewart, of Nevada. - -Secretary of Treasury—Richard P. Bland, of Missouri. - -Secretary of War—John P. Altgeld, of Illinois. - -Attorney General—Roger Q. Mills, of Texas. - -Postmaster General—Henry George, of New York. - -Secretary Navy—John Gary Evans, of South Carolina. - -Secretary Interior—William A. Peffer, of Kansas. - -Secretary Agriculture—Lafe Pence, of Colorado. - -The first thing that flashed across the minds of many upon glancing over -this list of names was the omission therefrom of Tillman’s. What did it -mean? Could the young President have quarreled with his best friend, his -most powerful coadjutor? But the wiser ones only shook their heads and -made answer that it was Tillman’s hand that filled the blank for -Secretary of the Navy, left there by the new ruler after the people’s -own heart. Evans was but a creation of this great Commoner of the South, -an image graven with his hands. - -The inaugural address was not a disappointment to those who had come to -hear it. It was like the man who delivered it—bold, outspoken, -unmistakable in its terms, promising much, impatient of precedent, -reckless of result; a double confirmation that this was to be the Reign -of the Common People, that much should be unmade and much made over, and -no matter how the rich man might cry out in anger or amazement, the -nation must march on to the fulfillment of a higher and nobler mission -than the impoverishment and degradation of the millions for the -enrichment and elevation of the few. - -Scarcely had the young President—his large eyes filled with a strange -light, and his smooth, hairless visage radiant as a cloudless sky, his -wife’s arm twined around his, and their hands linked in those of their -children—passed within the lofty portal of the White House, than he -threw himself into a chair, and seizing a sheet of official paper penned -the following order, and directed its immediate promulgation: - - - EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, D. C., March 4th, 1897. - - Executive Order No. 1. - -In order that there may be immediate relief in the terrible financial -depression now weighing upon our beloved country, consequent upon and -resulting from the unlawful combination of capitalists and money-lenders -both in this Republic and in England, and that the ruinous and -inevitable progress toward a universal gold standard may be stayed, the -President orders and directs the immediate abandonment of the so-called -“gold reserve,” and that on and after the promulgation of this order, -the gold and silver standard of the Constitution be resumed and strictly -maintained in all the business transactions of the Government. - - -It was two o’clock in the afternoon when news of this now world-famous -Executive Order was flashed into the great banking centres of the -country. Its effect in Wall street beggars description. On the floor of -the Stock Exchange men yelled and shrieked like painted savages, and, in -their mad struggles, tore and trampled each other. Many dropped in -fainting fits, or fell exhausted from their wild and senseless efforts -to say what none would listen to. Ashen pallor crept over the faces of -some, while the blood threatened to burst the swollen arteries that -spread in purple network over the brows of others. When silence came at -last, it was a silence broken by sobs and groans. Some wept, while -others stood dumb-stricken as if it was all a bad dream, and they were -awaiting the return of their poor distraught senses to set them right -again. Ambulances were hastily summoned and fainting and exhausted forms -were borne through hushed and whispering masses wedged into Wall street, -to be whirled away uptown to their residences, there to come into full -possession of their senses only to cry out in their anguish that ruin, -black ruin, stared them in the face if this news from Washington should -prove true. - - - - - CHAPTER V. - - -By proclamation bearing date the 5th day of March 1897, the President -summoned both houses of Congress to convene in extraordinary session -“for the consideration of the general welfare of the United States, and -to take such action as might seem necessary and expedient to them on -certain measures which he should recommend to their consideration, -measures of vital import to the welfare and happiness of the people, if -not to the very existence of the Union and the continuance of their -enjoyment of the liberties achieved by the fathers of the Republic.” - -While awaiting the day set for the coming together of the Congress, the -“Great Friend of the Common People” came suddenly face to face with the -first serious business of his Administration. Fifty thousand people -tramped the streets of Washington without bread or shelter. Many had -come in quest of office, lured on by the solemn pronouncement of their -candidate that there should be at once a clean sweep of these barnacles -of the ship of State and so complete had been their confidence in their -glorious young captain, that they had literally failed to provide -themselves with either “purse or script or shoes,” and now stood hungry -and footsore at his gate, begging for a crust of bread. But most of -those making up this vast multitude were “the unarmed warriors of -peaceful armies” like the one once led by the redoubtable Coxey, decoyed -from farm and hamlet and plantation by some nameless longing to “go -forth” to stand in the presence of this new Savior of Society, whose -advent to power was to bring them “double pay” for all their toil. While -on the march all had gone well, for their brethren had opened their -hearts and their houses as these “unarmed warriors” had marched with -flying banners and loud huzzas through the various towns on the route. - -But now the holiday was over, they were far from their homes, they were -in danger of perishing from hunger. What was to be done? “They are our -people,” said the President, “their love of country has undone them; the -nation must not let them suffer, for they are its hope and its shield in -the hour of war, and its glory and its refuge in times of peace. They -are the common people for whose benefit this Republic was established. -The Kings of the earth may desert them; I never shall.” The Secretary of -War was directed to establish camps in the parks and suburbs of the city -and to issue rations and blankets to these luckless wanderers until the -Government could provide for their transportation back to their homes. - -On Monday, March 15th, the President received the usual notification -from both houses of Congress, that they had organized and were ready for -the consideration of such measures as he might choose to recommend for -their action. - -The first act to pass both houses and receive the signature of the -President, was an Act repealing the Act of 1873, and opening the mints -of the United States to the free coinage of silver at the ratio of -sixteen to one, with gold, and establishing branch mints in the cities -of Denver, Omaha, Chicago, Kansas City, Spokane, Los Angeles, Charleston -and Mobile. - -The announcement that reparation had thus been made to the people for -the “Crime of 1873” was received with loud cheering on the floors and in -the galleries of both houses. - -And the Great North heard these cheers and trembled. - -The next measure of great public import brought before the House was an -act to provide additional revenue by levying a tax upon the incomes, -substantially on the lines laid down by the legislation of 1894. The -Republican Senators strove to make some show of resistance to this -measure, but so solid were the administration ranks, that they only -succeeded in delaying it for a few weeks. This first skirmish with the -enemy, however, brought the President and his followers to a realizing -sense that not only must the Senate be shorn of its power to block the -“new movement of regeneration and reform” by the adoption of rules -cutting off prolonged debate, but that the “new dispensation” must at -once proceed to increase its senatorial representation, for who could -tell what moment some one of the Northern Silver States might not slip -away from its allegiance to the “Friend of the Common People.” - -The introduction of a bill repealing the various Civil Service acts -passed for the alleged purpose of “regulating and improving the Civil -Service of the United States,” and of another repealing the various acts -establishing National Banks, and substituting United States notes for -all national bank notes based upon interest bearing bonds, opened the -eyes of the Republican opposition to the fact that the President and his -party were possessed of the courage of their convictions, and were -determined, come good report or evil report, to wipe all conflicting -legislation from the statute books. The battle in the Senate now took on -a spirit of extreme acrimony; scenes not witnessed since the days of -Slavery, were of daily occurrence on the floors of both the House and -the Senate. Threats of secession came openly from the North only to be -met with the jeers and laughter of the silver and populist members. -“We’re in the saddle at last,” exclaimed a Southern member, “and we -intend to ride on to victory!” - -The introduction of bills for the admission of New Mexico and Arizona, -and for the division of Texas into two States to be called East Texas -and West Texas, although each of these measures was strictly within the -letter of the Constitution, fell among the members of the Republican -opposition like a torch in a house of tinder. There was fire at once, -and the blaze of party spirit leapt to such dangerous heights that the -whole nation looked on in consternation. Was the Union about to go up in -a great conflagration and leave behind it but the ashes and charred -pedestals of its greatness? - -“We are the people” wrote the President in lines of dignity and -calmness. “We are the people and what we do, we do under the holy -sanction of law, and there is no one so powerful or so bold as to dare -to say we do not do well in lifting off the nation’s shoulders the -grievous and unlawful burdens which preceding Congresses have placed -upon them.” - -And so the “Long Session” of the fifty-fifth Congress was entered upon, -fated to last through summer heat and autumn chill, and until winter -came again and the Constitution itself set limits to its lasting. And -when that day came, and its speaker, amid a wild tumult of cheers, arose -to declare it ended not by their will, but by the law of the land, he -said: “The glorious revolution is in its brightest bud. Since the -President called upon us to convene in last March, we have with the -strong blade of public indignation, and with a full sense of our -responsibility, erased from the statute books the marks of our country’s -shame and our people’s subjugation. Liberty can not die. There remains -much to be done in the way of building up. Let us take heart and push -on. On Monday, the regular session of this Congress will begin. We must -greet our loved ones from the distance. We have no time to go home and -embrace them.” - - - - - CHAPTER VI. - - -When a Republican member of the House arose to move the usual -adjournment for the holidays, there was a storm of hisses and cries of -“No, no!” - -Said the leader of the House, amid deafening plaudits: “We are the -servants of the people. Our work is not yet complete. There must be no -play for us while coal barons stand with their feet on the ashes of the -poor man’s hearthstone, and weeds and thorns cumber the fields of the -farmer for lack of money to buy seed and implements. There must be no -play for us while railway magnates press from the pockets of the -laboring man six and eight per cent. return on thrice watered stocks, -and rapacious landlords, enriched by inheritance, grind the faces of the -poor. There must be no play for us while enemies of the human kind are, -by means of trust and combination and ‘corners,’ engaged in drawing -their unholy millions from the very life-blood of the nation, paralyzing -its best efforts and setting the blight of intemperance and indifference -upon it, by making life but one long struggle for existence, without a -gleam of rest and comfort in old age. No, Mr. Speaker, we must not -adjourn, but by our efforts in these halls of legislation let the nation -know that we are at work for its emancipation, and by these means let -the monopolists and money-changers be brought to a realizing sense that -the Reign of the Common People has really been entered upon, and then -the bells will ring out a happier, gladder New Year than has ever dawned -upon this Republic.” - -The opposition fairly quailed before the vigor and earnestness of the -“new dispensation.” There were soon before the House and pressed well on -toward final passage a number of important measures calculated to awaken -an intense feeling of enthusiasm among the working classes. Among these -was an Act establishing a Loan Commission for the loaning of certain -moneys of the United States to Farmers and Planters without interest; an -Act for the establishment of a permanent Department of Public Works, its -head to be styled Secretary of Public Works, rank as a cabinet officer, -and supervise the expenditure of all public moneys for the construction -of public buildings and the improvement of rivers and harbors; an Act -making it a felony, punishable with imprisonment for life, for any -citizen or combination of citizens to enter into any trust or agreement -to stifle, suppress or in any way interfere with full, open and fair -competition in trade and manufacture among the States, or to make use of -any inter-State railroads, waterways or canals for the transportation of -any food products or goods, wares or merchandise which may have been -“cornered,” stored or withheld with a view to enhance the value thereof; -and, most important of all, a preliminary Act having for its object the -appointment of Commissioners for the purchase by the Federal Government -of all inter-State railway and telegraph lines, and in the meantime the -strict regulation of all fares and charges by a Government Commission, -from whose established schedules there shall be no appeal. - -On Washington’s Birthday the President issued an Address of -Congratulation to the People of the United States, from which the -following is extracted: - -“The malicious prognostications of our political opponents have proven -themselves to be but empty sound and fury. Although not quite one year -has elapsed since I, agreeable to your mandate, restored to you the -money of the Constitution, yet from every section of our Union comes the -glad tidings of renewed activity and prosperity. The workingman no -longer sits cold and hungry beside a cheerless hearthstone; the farmer -has taken heart and resumed work; the wheels of the factory are in -motion again; the shops and stores of the legitimate dealer and trader -are full of bustle and action. There is content everywhere, save in the -counting-room of the money-changer, for which thank God and the common -people of this Republic. The free coinage of that metal which the -Creator, in His wisdom, stored with so lavish a hand in the subterranean -vaults of our glorious mountain ranges, has proven a rich and manifold -blessing for our people. It is in every sense of the word the ‘people’s -money,’ and already the envious world looks on in amazement that we have -shown our ability to do without ‘foreign cooperation.’ The Congress of -our Republic has been in almost continuous session since I took my oath -of office, and the administration members deserve your deepest and most -heartfelt gratitude. They are rearing for themselves a monument more -lasting than chiseled bronze or polished monolith. They knew no rest, -they asked for no respite from their labors until, at my earnest -request, they adjourned over to join their fellow citizens in the -observance of this sacred anniversary. - -“Fellow citizens, remember the bonds which a wicked and selfish class of -usurers and speculators fastened upon you, and on this anniversary of -the birth of the Father of our Country, let us renew our pledges to undo -completely and absolutely their infamous work, and in public assembly -and family circle, let us by new vows confirm our love of right and -justice, so that the great gain may not slip away from us, but go on -increasing so long as the statute books contain a single trace of the -record of our enslavement. As for me, I have but one ambition, and that -is to deserve so well of you that when you come to write my epitaph, you -set beneath my name the single line: - - “Here lies a Friend of the Common People.” - - - - - CHAPTER VII. - - -This first year of the Silver Administration was scarcely rounded up, -ere there began to be ugly rumors that the Government was no longer able -to hold the white metal at a parity with gold. “It is the work of Wall -Street,” cried the friends of the President, but wiser heads were shaken -in contradiction, for they had watched the sowing of the wind of -unreason, and knew only too well that the whirlwind of folly must be -reaped in due season. - -The country had been literally submerged by a silver flood which had -poured its argent waves into every nook and cranny of the Republic, -stimulating human endeavor to most unnatural and harmful vigor. Mad -speculation stalked over the land. People sold what they should have -clung to, and bought what they did not need. Manufacturers heaped up -goods for which there was no demand, and farmers ploughed where they had -not drained and drained, where they were never fated to plough. The -small dealer enlarged his business with more haste than judgment, and -the widow drew her mite from the bank of savings to buy land on which -she was destined never to set foot. The spirit of greed and gain lodged -in every mind, and the “Common People” with a mad eagerness loosened the -strings of their leather purses to cast their hard-earned savings into -wild schemes of profit. Every scrap and bit of the white metal that they -could lay their hands upon, spoons hallowed by the touch of lips long -since closed in death, and cups and tankards from which grand sires had -drunken were bundled away to the mints to be coined into “people’s -dollars.” - -At the very first rumor of the slipping away of this trusted coin from -its parity with gold, there was a fearful awakening, like the start and -the gasp of the miser who sees his horded treasure melting away from -before his eyes, and he not able to reach out and stay its going. - -Protest and expostulation first, then came groans and prayers, from -which there was an easy road to curses. The working man threw off his -cap and apron to rush upon the public square, and demand his rights. -Mobs ran together, processions formed, deputations hurried off to -Washington, not on foot like the Coxey Army, but on the swift wings of -the Limited Express. - -The “common people” were admitted to the bar of the house, their plaints -patiently listened to, and reparation promised. Bills for increased -revenue were hurriedly introduced, and new taxes were loaded upon the -broad shoulders of the millionaires of the nation;—taxes on checks, -taxes on certificates of incorporation, taxes on deeds and mortgages, -taxes on pleasure yachts, taxes on private parks and plaisances, taxes -on wills of all property above $5,000 in value, taxes on all gifts of -realty for and in consideration of natural love and affection, taxes on -all passage tickets to foreign lands, and double taxes on the estates of -all absentees on and after the lapse of six months. - -There was a doubling up too of the tariff on all important luxuries, for -as was said on the floor of Congress, “if the silks and satins of -American looms and the wines and tobacco of native growth, are not good -enough for ‘my Lord of Wall Street,’ let him pay the difference and -thank heaven that he can get them at that price.” - -To quiet the murmurs of the good people of the land, additional millions -were placed to the credit of the Department of Public Works, and harbors -were dredged out in one month only to fill up in the next, and new -systems of improvement of interstate waterways were entered upon on a -scale of magnitude hitherto undreamt of. The Commissioners for the -distribution of public moneys to farmers so impoverished as to be unable -to work their lands, were kept busy in placing “Peffer Loans” where the -need of them seemed to be the greatest, and to put a stop to the -“nefarious doings of money-changers and traders in the misfortunes of -the people,” a statute was enacted making it a felony punishable with -imprisonment for life, for any person or corporate body to buy and sell -government bonds or public funds, or deal in them with a view to draw -gain or profit from their rise and fall in value. - -But try never so hard, the Government found itself powerless to check -the slow but steady decline in value of the people’s dollar. By -midsummer, it had fallen to forty-three cents, and ere the fair -Northland had wrapped itself, like a scornful beauty, in its Autumn -mantle of gold, the fondly trusted coin had sunk to exactly one-third of -the value of a standard gold dollar. People carried baskets in their -arms, filled with the now discredited coin, when they went abroad to pay -a debt or make purchase of the necessaries of life. Huge sacks of the -white metal were flung at the door of the mortgagee when discharge was -sought for a few thousand dollars. Men servants accompanied their -mistresses upon shopping tours to carry the necessary funds, and leather -pockets took the place of the old time muslin ones in male habiliments, -least the weight of the fifteen coins required to make up a five dollar -gold piece should tear the thin stuff and spill a dollar at every step. - -All day long in the large cities, huge trucks loaded with sacks of the -coin rolled and rumbled over the pavement in the adjustment of the -business balances of the day. The tradesman who called for his bill was -met at the door with a coal scuttle or a nail keg filled with the -needful amount, and on pay day, the working man took his eldest boy with -him to “tote the stuff home” while he carried the usual bundle of -firewood. And strange to say, this dollar, once so beloved by the -“common people,” parted with its very nature of riches and lay in heaps -unnoticed and unheeded on shelf or table, until occasion arose to pay it -out which was done with a careless and contemptuous toss as if it were -the iron money of the ancient Spartans, and Holy Writ for once at least, -was disproven and discredited for the thief showed not the slightest -inclination to “break in and steal” where these treasures had been laid -up on earth, although the discs of white metal might lie in full view on -the table, like so many pewter platters or pieces of tinware. Men let -debts run, rather than call for them, and barter and exchange came into -vogue again, the good housewife calling on her neighbor for a loan of -flour or meal, promising to return the same in sugar or dried fruit -whenever the need might arise. - -And still the once magic discs of silver slipped slowly and silently -downward, and ever downward in value and good name, until it almost -seemed as if the people hated the very name of silver. - - - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - -The “Fateful year of ’99” upon its coming in, found the Republic of -Washington in dire and dangerous straits. The commercial and industrial -boom had spent its force, and now the frightful evils of a debased -currency, coupled with demoralizing effects of rampant paternalism, were -gradually strangling the land to death. Capital, ever timid and -distrustful in such times, hid itself in safe deposit vaults, or fled to -Europe. Labor, although really hard pressed and lacking the very -necessities of life, was loudmouthed and defiant. Socialism and -Anarchism found willing ears into which to pour their burning words of -hatred and malevolence, and the consequence was that serious rioting -broke out in the larger cities of the North, often taxing the capacities -of the local authorities to the utmost. - -It was bruited abroad that violent dissensions had arisen in the -Cabinet, the young President giving signs of a marked change of mind, -and like many a man who has appealed to the darker passions of the human -heart, he seemed almost ready to exclaim: “I stand alone. The spirits I -have called up are no longer obedient to me. My country, oh, my country, -how willingly would I give my life for thee, if by such a sacrifice I -could restore thee to thy old time prosperity.” - -For the first he began to realize what an intense spirit of sectionalism -had entered into this “revolutionary propaganda.” He spoke of his fears -to none save to his wise and prudent helpmate. - -“I trust you, beloved,” she whispered, as she pressed the broad, strong -hands that held her enclasped. - -“Ay, dear one, but does my country?” came in almost a groan from the -lips of the youthful ruler. - -Most evident was it, that thus far the South had been the great gainer -in this struggle for power. She had increased her strength in the Senate -by six votes; she had regained her old time prestige in the House; one -of her most trusted sons was in the Speaker’s chair, while another -brilliant Southron led the administration forces on the floor. Born as -she was for the brilliant exercise of intellectual vigor, the South was -of that strain of blood which knows how to wear the kingly graces of -power so as best to impress the “common people.” Many of the men of the -North had been charmed and fascinated by this natural pomp and inborn -demeanor of greatness and had yielded to it. - -Not a month had gone by that this now dominant section had not made some -new demand upon the country at large. Early in the session, at its -request, the internal revenue tax which had rested so long upon the -tobacco crop of the South, and poured so many millions of revenue into -the national treasury, was wiped from the statute books with but a -feeble protest from the North. - -But now the country was thrown into a state bordering upon frenzy by a -new demand, which, although couched in calm and decorous terms, nay, -almost in the guise of a petition for long-delayed justice to -hard-pressed and suffering brethren, had about it a suppressed, yet -unmistakable tone of conscious power and imperiousness which well became -the leader who spoke for “that glorious Southland to which this Union -owes so much of its greatness and its prestige.” - -Said he: “Mr. Speaker, for nearly thirty years our people, although left -impoverished by the conflict of the states, have given of their -substance to salve the wounds and make green the old age of the men who -conquered us. We have paid this heavy tax, this fearful blood money -unmurmuringly. You have forgiven us for our bold strike for liberty that -God willed should not succeed. You have given us back our rights, opened -the doors of these sacred halls to us, called us your brothers, but -unlike noble Germany who was content to exact a lump sum from “la belle -France,” and then bid her go in peace and freedom from all further -exactions, you have for nearly thirty years laid this humiliating war -tax upon us, and thus forced us year in and year out to kiss the very -hand that smote us. Are we human that we now cry out against it? Are we -men that we feel no tingle in our veins after these long years of -punishment for no greater crime than that we loved liberty better than -the bonds of a confederation laid upon us by our fathers? We appeal to -you as our brothers and our countrymen. Lift this infamous tax from our -land, than which your great North is ten thousand times richer. Do one -of two things: Either take our aged and decrepit soldiers by the hand -and bless their last days with pensions from the treasury of our common -country, for they were only wrong in that their cause failed, or remove -this hated tax and make such restitution of this blood money as shall -seem just and equitable to your soberer and better judgment.” - -To say that this speech, of which the foregoing is but a brief extract, -threw both Houses of Congress into most violent disorder, but faintly -describes its effect. Cries of treason! treason! went up; blows were -exchanged and hand to hand struggles took place in the galleries, -followed by the flash of the dread bowie and the crack of the ready -pistol. The Republic was shaken to its very foundations. Throughout the -North there was but a repetition of the scenes that followed the firing -upon Sumter. Public meetings were held, and resolutions passed calling -upon the Government to concentrate troops in and about Washington, and -prepare for the suppression of a second Rebellion. - -But gradually this outbreak of popular indignation lost some of its -strength and virulence, for it was easy to comprehend that nothing would -be gained at this stage of the matter by meeting a violent and unlawful -demand with violence and unwise counsels. Besides, what was it any way -but the idle threat of a certain clique of unscrupulous politicians? - -The Republic stood upon too firm a foundation to be shaken by mere -appeals to the passions of the hour. To commit treason against our -country called for an overt act. What had it to dread from the mere -oratorical flash of a passing storm of feeling? - -It is hard to say what the young President thought of these scenes in -Congress. So pale had he grown of late that a little more of pallor -would pass unnoted, but those who were wont to look upon his face in -these troublous times report that in the short space of a few days the -lines in his countenance deepened perceptibly, and that a firmer and -stronger expression of will-power lurked in the corners of his wide -mouth, overhung his square and massive chin, and accentuated the -vibrations of his wide-opened nostrils. He was under a terrible strain. -When he had caught up the sceptre of power, it seemed a mere bauble in -his strong grasp, but now it had grown strangely heavy, and there was a -mysterious pricking at his brow, as if that crown of thorns which he had -not willed should be set upon the heads of others, were being pressed -down with cruel hands upon his own. - - - - - CHAPTER IX. - - -When the last embers of the great conflagration of the Rebellion had -been smothered out with tears for the Lost Cause, a prophecy had gone up -that the mighty North, rich with a hundred great cities, and strong in -the conscious power of its wide empire, would be the next to raise the -standard of rebellion against the Federal Government. But that prophet -was without honor in his own land, and none had paid heed to his -seemingly wild words. - -Yet now, this same mighty North sat there in her grief and anxiety, with -her face turned Southward, and her ear strained to catch the whispers -that were in the air. Had not the sceptre of power passed from her hand -forever? Was not the Revolution complete? Were not the Populists and -their allies firmly seated in the Halls of Congress? Had not the Supreme -Court been rendered powerless for good by packing it with the most -uncompromising adherents of the new political faith? Had not the very -nature of the Federal Government undergone a change: Was not Paternalism -rampant? Was not Socialism on the increase? Were there not everywhere -evidences of an intense hatred of the North and a firm determination to -throw the whole burden of taxation upon the shoulders of the rich man, -in order that the surplus revenues of the Government might be -distributed among those who constitute the “common people?” How could -this section of the Union ever hope to make head against the South, -united, as it now was, with the rapidly growing States of the Northwest? -Could the magnificent cities of the North content themselves to march at -the tail of Tillman’s and Peffer’s chariots? Had not the South a firm -hold of the Senate? Where was there a ray of hope that the North could -ever again regain its lost power, and could it for a single moment think -of entrusting its vast interests to the hands of a people differing with -them on every important question of statecraft, pledged to a policy that -could not be otherwise than ruinous to the welfare of the grand -commonwealths of the Middle and Eastern sections of the Union and their -sister States this side of the Mississippi? It were madness to think of -it. The plunge must be taken, the declaration must be made. There was no -other alternative, save abject submission to the chieftains of the new -dispensation, and the complete transformation of that vast social and -political system vaguely called the North. - -But this revolution within a revolution would be a bloodless one, for -there could be no thought of coercion, no serious notion of checking -such a mighty movement. It would be in reality the true Republic purging -itself of a dangerous malady, sloughing off a diseased and gangrened -member; no more, no less. - -Already this mighty movement of withdrawals from the Witenagemote of the -Union was in the air. People spoke of it in a whisper, or with bated -breath; but as they turned it over and over in their minds, it took on -shape and form and force, till at last it burst into life and action -like Minerva from Jupiter’s brain—full-fledged, full-armed, full-voiced -and full-hearted. - -Really, why would it not be all for the best that this mighty empire, -rapidly growing so vast and unwieldy as to be only with the greatest -difficulty governable from a single centre, should be split into three -parts, Eastern, Southern and Western, now that it may be done without -dangerous jar or friction? The three republics could be federated for -purposes offensive and defensive, and until these great and radical -changes could be brought about there would be no great difficulty in -devising “living terms,” for immediately upon the Declaration of -Dissolution, each State would become repossessed of the sovereign powers -which it had delegated to the Federal Government. - -Meanwhile the “Fateful year ’99” went onward toward its close. The whole -land seemed stricken with paralysis, so far as the various industries -were concerned, but, as it is wont to be in such times, men’s minds were -supernaturally active. The days were passed in the reading of public -prints, or in passing in review the weighty events of the hour. The -North was only waiting for an opportunity to act. - -But the question that perplexed the wisest heads was: How and when shall -the Declaration of Dissolution be made, and how soon thereafter shall -the North and the States in sympathy with her withdraw from the Union, -and declare to the world their intention to set up a republic of their -own, with the mighty metropolis of New York as its social, political and -commercial centre and capital? - -As it came to pass, the North had not long to wait. The Fifty-sixth -Congress soon to convene in regular session in the city of Washington, -was even more Populistic and Socialistic than its famous predecessor, -which had wrought such wonderful changes in the law of the land, showing -no respect for precedent, no reverence for the old order of things. -Hence all eyes were fixed upon the capital of the nation, all roads were -untrodden, save those which led to Washington. - - - - - CHAPTER X. - - -Again Congress had refused to adjourn over for the holidays. The leaders -of the Administration forces were unwilling to close their eyes, even -for needful sleep, and went about pale and haggard, startled at every -word and gesture of the opposition, like true conspirators, as they -were, for the Federal troops had been almost to a man quietly removed -from the Capital and its vicinage, lest the President in a moment of -weakness, might do or suffer to be done some act unfriendly to the Reign -of the Common People. - -Strange as it may seem, there had been very little note taken by the -country at large of the introduction at the opening of the session of an -Act to extend the Pension System of the United States to the Soldiers of -the Confederate Armies, and for covering back into the various -treasuries of certain States of the Union, such portions of internal -revenue taxes collected since the readmission of said states to the -Federal Congress, as may be determined by Commissioners duly appointed -under said Act. - -Was it the calm of despair, the stolidity of desperation, or the cool -and restrained energy of a noble and refined courage? - -The introduction of the Act, however, had one effect; it set in motion -toward the National capital, mighty streams of humanity—not of wild-eyed -fanatics or unshaven and unkempt politicasters and bezonians—but of -soberly-clad citizens with a business-like air about them, evidently men -who knew how to earn more than enough for a living, men who paid their -taxes and had a right to take a look at the public servants, if desire -so moved them. But very plain was it that the mightier stream flowed in -from the South, and those who remembered the Capital in antebellum days, -smiled at the old familiar sight, the clean-shaven faces, the long hair -thrown carelessly back under the broad brim felts, the half unbuttoned -waistcoats and turn down collars, the small feet and neatly fitting -boots, the springy loping pace, the soft negroese intonation, the long -fragrant cheroot. - -It was easy to pick out the man from the Northland, well clad and -well-groomed, as careful of his linen as a woman, prim and trim, -disdainful of the picturesque felts, ever crowned with the ceremonious -derby, the man of affairs, taking a business-like view of life, but -wearing for the nonce a worried look and drawing ever and anon a deep -breath. - -The black man, ever at the heels of his white brother, set to rule over -him by an inscrutable decree of nature, came forth too in thousands, -chatting and laughing gayly, careless of the why or wherefore of his -white brother’s deep concern, and powerless to comprehend it had he so -desired. Every hour now added to the throng. The broad avenues were none -too broad. The excitement increased. Men talked louder and louder, women -and children disappeared almost completely from the streets. The -“Southern element” drew more and more apart in knots and groups by -itself. Men threw themselves upon their beds to catch a few hours sleep, -but without undressing, as if they were expecting the happening of some -portentous event at any moment, the event of their lives, and dreaded -the thought of being a moment late. - -If all went well, the bill would come up for final passage on Saturday, -the 30th day of the month, but so fierce was the battle raged against -it, and so frequent the interruptions by the contumacy both of members -and of the various cliques crowding the galleries to suffocation, that -little or no progress could be made. - -The leaders of the administration forces saw midnight drawing near with -no prospect of attaining their object before the coming in of Sunday on -which the House had never been known to sit. An adjournment over to -Monday of the New Year might be fatal, for who could tell what -unforeseen force might not break up their solid ranks and throw them -into confusion. They must rise equal to the occasion. A motion was made -to suspend the rules, and to remain in continuous session until the -business before the House was completed. Cries of “Unprecedented!” -“Revolutionary!” “Monstrous!” came from the opposition, but all to no -purpose; the House settled down to its work with such a grim -determination to conquer that the Republican minority fairly quailed -before it. Food and drink were brought to the members in their seats; -they ate, drank and slept at their posts, like soldiers determined not -to be ambushed or stampeded. - -It was a strange sight, and yet an impressive one withal—a great party -struggling for long deferred rights—freemen jealous of their liberties, -bound together with the steel hooks of determination that only death -might break asunder. - -Sunday came in at last, and still the struggle went on. “The people know -no days when their liberties are at stake,” cried the leader of the -House. “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.” - -Many of the speeches delivered on that famous Sunday sounded more like -the lamentations of a Jeremiah, the earnest and burning utterances of a -Paul, or the scholarly and well-rounded periods of an Apollos. The weary -hours were lightened by the singing of hymns by the Southern members, -most of them good methodists, in which their friends and sympathizers in -the galleries joined full throated and fuller hearted; while at times, -clear, resonant and in perfect unison, the voices of the staunch men of -the North broke in and drowned out the religious song with the majestic -and soul-stirring measures of “John Brown’s Body,” the “Glory, Glory -Halleluiah” of which seemed to hush the tumult of the Chamber like a -weird chant of some invisible chorus breaking in upon the fierce rioting -of a Belshazzar’s feast. - -Somewhat after eleven o’clock, an ominous silence sank upon the opposing -camps, the Republican leaders could be seen conferring together -nervously. It was a sacred hour of night, thrice sacred for the great -Republic. Not only a New Year, but a New Century was about to break upon -the world. A strange hush crept over the turbulent House, and its still -more turbulent galleries. - -The Republican leader rose to his feet. His voice sounded cold and -hollow. Strong men shivered as they listened. “Mr. Speaker: We have done -our duty to our country; we have nothing more to say, no more blows to -strike. We cannot stand here within the sacred precincts of this -Chamber, and see our rights as freemen trampled beneath the feet of the -majority. We have striven to prevent the downfall of the Republic, like -men sworn to battle against wrong and tyranny, but there comes a time -when blank despair seizes upon the hearts of those who struggle against -overwhelming odds. That hour has sounded for us. We believe our people, -the great and generous people of the North, will cry unto us: Well done, -good and faithful servants. If we do wrong, let them condemn us. We, -every man of us, Mr. Speaker, have but this moment sworn not to stand -within this Chamber and witness the passage of this act. Therefore we -go——” - -“Not so, my countrymen,” cried a clear metallic far-reaching voice that -sounded through the Chamber with an almost supernatural ring in it. In -an instant, every head was turned and a thousand voices burst out with -suppressed force: - -“The President! The President!” - -In truth, it was he, standing at the bar of the House, wearing the -visage of death rather than of life. The next instant the House and -galleries burst into a deafening clamor which rolled up and back in -mighty waves that shook the very walls. There was no stilling it. Again -and again it burst forth, the mingling of ten thousand words, howling, -rumbling and groaning like the warring elements of nature. Several times -the President stretched forth his great white hands appealing for -silence, while the dew of mingled dread and anguish beaded on his brow -and trickled down his cheeks in liquid supplication that his people -might either slay him or listen to him. The tumult stilled its fury for -a moment, and he could be heard saying brokenly: - -“My countrymen, oh, my countrymen——” - -But the quick sharp sound of the gavel cut him short. - -“The President must withdraw,” said the Speaker, calmly and coldly, “his -presence here is a menace to our free deliberation.” - -Again the tumult set up its deafening roar, while a look of almost -horror overspread the countenance of the Chief Magistrate. - -Once more his great white hands went heavenward, pleading for silence -with such a mute majesty of supplication, that silence fell upon the -immense assemblage, and his lips moved not in vain. - -“Gentlemen of the House of Representatives, I stand here upon my just -and lawful right as President of the Republic, to give you ‘information -of the state of the Union.’ I have summoned the Honorable the Senate, to -meet me in this Chamber. I call upon you to calm your passions, and give -ear to me as your oath of office sets the sacred obligation upon you.” - -There was a tone of godlike authority in these few words, almost divine -enough to make the winds obey and still the tempestuous sea. In deepest -silence, and with a certain show of rude and native grandeur of bearing, -the Senators made their entrance into the Chamber, the members of the -House rising, and the Speaker advancing to meet the Vice-President. - -The spectacle was grand and moving. Tears gathered in eyes long unused -to them, and at an almost imperceptible nod of the President’s head, the -Chaplain raised his voice in prayer. He prayed in accents that were so -gentle and so persuasive, they must have turned the hardest heart to -blessed thoughts of peace and love and fraternity and union. And then -again all eyes were fixed with intensest strain upon the face of the -President. - -“Gentlemen of the House of Representatives, this measure upon which you -are now deliberating”—— - -With a sudden blow that startled every living soul within its hearing, -the Speaker’s gavel fell. “The President,” said he with a superb dignity -that called down from the galleries a burst of deafening applause, “must -not make reference to pending legislation. The Constitution guarantees -him the right ‘from time to time to give to the Congress information of -the Union.’ He must keep himself strictly within the lines of this -Constitutional limit, or withdraw from the bar of the House.” - -A deadly pallor overspread the face of the Chief Magistrate till it -seemed he must sink then and there into that sleep which knows no -awakening, but he gasped, he leaned forward, he raised his hand again -imploringly, and as he did so, the bells of the city began to toll the -hour of midnight. - -The New Year, the New Century was born, but with the last stroke, a -fearful and thunderous discharge as of a thousand monster pieces of -artillery, shook the Capitol to its very foundations, making the -stoutest hearts stand still, and blanching cheeks that had never known -the coward color. The dome of the Capitol had been destroyed by -dynamite. - -In a few moments, when it was seen that the Chamber had suffered no -harm, the leader of the House moved the final passage of the Act. The -President was led away, and the Republican Senators and Representatives -passed slowly out of the disfigured Capitol, while the tellers prepared -to take the vote of the House. The bells were ringing a glad welcome to -the New Century, but a solemn tolling would have been a fitter thing, -for the Republic of Washington was no more. It had died so peacefully, -that the world could not believe the tidings of its passing away. As the -dawn broke cold and gray, and its first dim light fell upon that -shattered dome, glorious even in its ruins, a single human eye, filled -with a gleam of devilish joy, looked up at it long and steadily, and -then its owner was caught up and lost in the surging mass of humanity -that held the Capitol girt round and round. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES - - - 1. Silently corrected typographical errors and variations in spelling. - 2. Anachronistic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings retained as - printed. - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's 1900 or, The last President, by Ingersoll Lockwood - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 1900 OR, THE LAST PRESIDENT *** - -***** This file should be named 60479-0.txt or 60479-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/0/4/7/60479/ - -Produced by Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive -specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this -eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook -for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, -performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given -away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks -not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the -trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country outside the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no - restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it - under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this - eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you - are located before using this ebook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The -Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org - - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the -mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its -volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous -locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt -Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to -date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and -official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - |