Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1854-05-17
Correspondence of the Times.
WASHINGTON, May z, 1854

still occupies the attention OF the House to the
exclusion of every thing else. The friends of
the bill are confident of its passage, and so far
from wishing to exclude debate on it they think
the longer it is delayed and the more it is debat-
ed the greater probability of its passing. Ben
toms speech has not materially injured its pros
poets, and Nebraska men do not appear to have
felt very severely the blows which the g. am
Sir Oracle" of the House has dealt, and even
Mr. Benton's reputation, age and experience
could not redeem portions of bis speech from
coarseness and vituperation, while the egotism
of the man appears too plainly throughout the
whole. The Senate, for the last three weeks,
has been in secret session on the Gadsden treaty.
They have at last offered Mr.. Santa Ana ten
millions of dollars for certain lands and privile-
ges on the Pacific r. r. and certain other con-
siderations respecting which there is much con-
lecture, but no positive knowledge.
A stranger here will be much interested in
going into the gallery of the Senate chamber
and taking view of our "potent, grave and
reverend Seignors" as they come in, and notice
their hearty and whole souled greetings to each
other. Truly they are Honorable men, in APP
pearance, and those of us who have heard so
much of their wire working-politica gambling,
&C., &c.-would have our confidence in the
charges much shaken by taking view of them
in their Senate Hall. They are noble set of
old Romans. should judge one-half of them
to be over sixty years od--many of them quite
bald and their locks as white as the winters
frost-men who have grown old in the service
of their country, and who have always been in
foreheads, their expressive countenances, and
see the immense mass of brain piled up in the
front part Of their heads, we realize that we are
in the presence Of our wisest and greatest men !;
and no longer wonder that among such an as
semblage of talent that even Webster, a Ben
ton, or Clay, could find "foemen worthy of
their STEEL" And with all due Difference to the
profession, think it quite an assumption for
any body of men to declare themselves the d.
vinely appointed means for the enforcement Of
all moral and religious truth, and attempt, prac-
tically, to carry out that assumption by instruct
ing our national Senators. There is, probably, as
much of intellect, craftsmanship and love of
country in our Senators as in the whole three
thousand and fifty clerical New England memo
riaists.
Our President rides out frequently on
horseback with nothing in his dress equip
ments that would attract attentions he is a very
plain, unassuming man, with rather marked
"phiz," keen eye and pleasant countenance,
but somewhat care worn, as though he might
have been engaged in numbering when lumber
was worth SIS and one.third of it culls.
| think we could not have made a better Sc
lection for member of Congress than we have
in Mr.. Clark. He is one of the most perseve-
ring and indutrious men in Washington He
can at all times be found at his desk when the
House is in session, and at other times can be
found at his rooms answering his numerous cor
respondents, or sending off" Pub Docs" Sena-
tor Stewart, we all know, has made his mark,
and his influence is felt among the proudest of
them. Gen. Cass is the father of them all. He
is as punctua at his desk as the clock to strike
the hour; and nothing that transpres in the
Senate escapes his notice. May he live thou
sand years. Michigan has just cause for pride
in her delegation to Washington.
Yesterday | took drive into the Old Domin-
ion, crossing the Potomac on the long bridge,
making from Washington to the Virginia shore,
and went into the country several miles, which
looks old and woe-be-gone. The land is CON-
pletely worn OUT the buildings in dilapidated
condition; the fences down and rotten. There
are large fields they do not try to cultivate or
do anything with, and which can be bought from
four to eight dollars an acre. The people don't
know anything about farming or improving the
land; they are indolent and ignorant. If they
have corn meal, coffee and whiskey, their wants
are supplied. If they have any produce to take
to market (Which is seldom the case(, they gear
up their teams to an article they call wagon, but
which looks as much like one of our wagons as
-as-a sawog but no more. They always
drive four horses, or two mules and two horses,
riding the nigh wheel horse, driving the whole
with one line and all they have in the wagon
would not bring dollar in Chicago. Every
thing in the shape of eatables bring enormous
prices here. Turnip tops, sprouts, and, guess,
siding mill sawdust with sprinkling of Indian
meal would sell Potatoes are two dollars per