The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1852-05-27
from the Louisville Journal, I
THE FEEDLENEss OF THE PRESENT CON
GRESS.

/
| GREsS.
When President Taylor took his seat in
the Executive chair on the fourth Of March
IS49, the United States Senate contained
four gentlemen of great distinction, whe
are not now to be found in that body
Those four gentlemen were acknowledged
by common consent TO be the ables. mem
bers Of that body, and would have shed
lns,rc on any body of statesmen the world
has ever seen. Of course we refer to Mr.
Clay, Mr.. Webster, Mr. Calhoun and Mr.,
Benton The brilliant though erratic Car.
Gilman has been removed 10 the world tina,
lies beyond the tomb's dark shadows, while
his great cotemporary and opponent, Mr.
Clay, is still lingering dimly amid those
shadows, awaiting his not tobe-delayed re-
moyal "beyond this visible diurnal sphere
Mr.. Webster's presence will not probably
again give dignity to the Senate, and oi
Mr. Benton's return to that body there is
hardly chance. So long as four such
men continued members Of the Senate, it
was an eminen,Iy respectable body, how
ever much mediocrity, utterly contempt
bic in such place, in which there is so
strong an aroma Of ancient greatness,
might surround them.
Blu, these giants are gone, hopelessly
gone from the places that once knew them,
and from which they have often rayed
forth light on the minds Of their listening
coun'rymen. The Senate is greatly weak
ened by their removal from its councils
That body now resembles forest, once
majestic and magnificent, from which the
all over shadowing oaks have been re-
moved, and which, with the exception Of a
few stately specimens, contains nothing
but "scrubby" trees.
When one thinks of the Senate and re-
fleets on wha, ii has been in former years,
he can scarcely resist the tendency 10 des,
pair. Who are to take the places of the
giants formerly in tha, body? Who are TO
be the great leaders in Senatorial contests? =?
Who are the men that are from time TO
time TO address their countrymen in tones
Of lofty wisdom from that place Of old re-
nown? And to whom in that body shall
the country look hereafter, when peril
and the black cloud of discord
hangs mutteringly on the brow Of the hor-
zon? On whose shoulders have the man
ties oftae prophets lnllen2
Alas. if hereafter faction and discord
shall rend this Union. we fear much that
no great man vii! be fouad 10 the Senate
whose accents of honed wisdom can per-
suade his coun,rymen to ceaee from strife.
When again the political ocean shall be
dashed into fury by the tempest, what voice
will be able 10 hush its clamor, and TO com
mand with spell ofpower its angry waves
TO be still?
The Senate still contains few men Of
eminent ability and of acknowledged wis
dom. What amount of influence they
won!d be able TO WELD in critical period
we cannot cav. We fear, however that no
one Of them is so en,hroned in the afiec-
tions Of the country as To be ab,e, however
wisely he may speak, to Did the raging pas
sions of the human heart to cease from
their warfare, to evoke the spiri, Of harmo-
ny, aud to quell the demon Of discord.
A large majority OF the present Senators
arc utterly without influence. They are
by their unscrupulons parti-
zan zeal far more than by ability and COM
prehensive patriotism. Such men are uu-
fit for station in a body which has been
pre- eminently distinguished for wisdom,
and where the recollcc,ions Of the past are
blended with great eloquence and great
deeds, the eloquenco which moves the world
of the human heart, and deeds which give
untadng aurels to the brows of the actors.
In the places Of the mighty statesmen of
the past, in the seats Of those worthless who
have achieved world wide and enduring
iame for the republic, are now seen little
men who are addicted TO the whims of par
tyism, and whose mind chcrishes no thought
that rises above the most vapid common
places of common men. And worse than
mere commonplace is the fact that sever
al of these men are the creatures OF vices
that society ccntemns, men whose chlel
iea,s are recorded in the annals of black
uuardism, drunkenness, debauchery, pecu,
ialion and fraud. Alen, whose association
would be contcmned by all those whose in
stnc,s are gentlemanly, and whose sen,i-
ments are truly honorable, are now seen in
the Senate OF the United States, where in
former wears were to be seen men Of gig an
tic iniellects and noble naturcsl The
change which has come over the Senate Is
disheartening. The reverence which used
10 be felt for that body is now unknown.
and until some man, worthy to be named
among those grea, and shining lights which
have now passed beyond its walls, shall
rise and yindicate it from the charce of lit
tleness, the country will not look in that di-
rection for counsel and instruction in peri
DDS Of fearful peril and disaster.
five turn from the Senate TO the House
OF Representatives. it is turning from
place of shadow to gross darkness. The
present body of Representatives is the fee
blcst the country has ever known. There
is no, man capable of leading the forces
OF either party in the House. Speeches IN
which there is not one brilliant or wise
though, nre chcercd as il they were worthy
Of the worlds attention. Such speeches
are precisely worthy Of such body, bu,
such body is utterly unworthy OF the
American people, is unworthy Of that mag
ni6ceut republic over whose interests i is
expected to legislate, We have sickened
over and turned in disgust away from
sn,ocbes made by members who are ap-