Vidal Gore — Eighteen Seventy [3065]

MARCH 1. The joint session has now sat continuously for eighteen hours. Without a doubt, it has been the stormiest and most confusing session in the country’s history. The galleries are packed with noisy partisans. The floor is so crowded with lobbyists that at times the members of the Congress are outnumbered by their masters. Around midnight whisky bottles appeared openly. Around one in the morning, a revolver or two was noted. — Vidal Gore, Eighteen Seventy, 3065

Note

The vivid description of the chaotic session, marked by continuous hours of sitting, creates a palpable tension and immerses the reader in the atmosphere of political turmoil.