No Senator ever desired to get into a controversy with him, because he was not only a speaker of great power and eloquence, but as a debater he was cutting and scathing in his irony.

Senator Lamar, of Mississippi, who as an eloquent orator compared favorably with the best on both sides of the Chamber, had the misfortune to get into a controversy on one occasion with the distinguished New York Senator.

In repelling an accusation that the Senator from Mississippi had made against him, Mr.Conkling said: "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.