American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-06-26
FRIDAY MORNING,

AMERICAN SENATORS IN A LONDON PAPER
The following sketches of some of the leading
members of our Senate, are from Washington
letter in the London Morning Chronicle, writ
ten in style which many of our readers will
recognize as that off we'll known and favorite
letter writer-N. P. Willis
l did not arrive in Washington till after the
discontinue of the ''war party" and in the
calm which succeeded there was no oratory a.
woke. passed morning in looking at the
Senate in deliberatve session, however. 70
one who came with travellers experience of
disappointment in the looks of great men, this
body ofsenators would | think, seem a rare col
lection of impressive physiognomies. Indeed
you have but TO know the ordeals through
which men pass to arrive here, to know that
most of them are spirits (good or bad) of mark
undeniable, and even where nature has neglec-
ted, as she sometimes does, to repeat he inner
seal upon the outer man, these trying ordeals
have done it legibly for her. They have all the
look of men who have done more than their
share OF thinking and struggling, hoping and
fearing; though on the faces OF some of the least
noble and worthy one finds Byron's recognition
of those who have
You have seen Webster IN England, and
though his "Olympian front" is the finest in
the Senate, yet this rs the only company in
which ever saw him where he stood supposa-
bly, "among his fellows" Mr. Allen, the
Thraso Of the war party, who speaks with bloc
dy hands, LITERALLY knocking off the skin from
his knuckes by beating his desk at his last ar
gument,) looks like a cross between William
Pitt and an angry cockatoo-a tall, peering,
wedge-nosed, cadaverous, thin-lpp'd specimen
of irascibe tmidity. He walks with ready
for-inauguration kind of gait, and, palpably, in
every thread he weaves has the tow of his mem
tai ropewalk fastened to the presidential chair.
Mr.. Crittenden, of Kentucky whose able crush
ing of this fire work comet, few days since,
was so much relished by men of all parties is
man of middle stature and plain exterior, but
with presence expressive of thorough honesty
and inevitable penetration. Heis, perhaps, the
most generally respected and esteemed member
ofthe Senate. Mr.. Dallas, the Speaker, "a CT
deUant bel homme) is a man of dignity and abil-
ity, but with his small regular features, and
massy white hair, he looks like promoted
Antinous in the chair of Rhadamanthus s.
There are several very elegant men in the Sem
ate. Mr.. Archer and Mr.. Haywood more par
ticulary land there are two or three of the elder
members who seated in the House of Lords,
would really look picked by nature to grace
the coronets of dukes-Ashly, of Arkansas, for
example, and Mangum, of North Carolina
both men of great aristocracy Of presence.
MIR. Calhoun is by much the most singular
looking man in the Senate. Great statesman,
exemplary man, and honest patriot as he is, he
looks, at the first glance, like phrenzed In
dian prophet, breathing after supernatural con-
| ak IL Ioll n,,lt 81 49, -,
are gray, wry and neglected. His sallow com.
plexon and scanned features are impressed with
self-reliance, and a superiority more forgetful
than dsdainful of others. He sits in the Sc
nate like Luciler, whose thoughts of rebel
lion had been oVerruled-powerful and spotless,
but still broodng and dreaded.
Mr.. Cass is another of the senators Of whom
you have lately heard great deal. He is a
large, fine looking man, with the air Of one
"born to authority"-a stamp from nature,
that has been recognized in his various past
Offices, as governor, foreign minister and Sena-
tor, and in his present prominence as a candi-
date for the presidency. Benton, Of Missouri,
whose late unexpected secession from the
'Fifty- four-fortys" to the "Forty-nine" threw
such important weight into the peace party, is
stiffened and rlISe likeness of Louis Philippe.
! Houston, late president of Texas, is power
fully built, breadthy, frank-teatured man who
looks indigenous to a prairie, and bornHto pop
ularty with the uproarous. He appears in
the street, wearing loosely on his shoulders a
Mexican blanket, premonitory symbol (say
some) Of the "annexation," upon the promise
Of which he is to base his claims to the presi-
dency. These are the senators whose names
have been prominent in the late question so in
teresting to England. Perhaps the news oil
the coming debates may give occasion for men,
ton of others hereafter.