Washington sentinel., 1855-03-06

tysix hours duration. A large assemblag'
was in attendance the whole time. The gale
ries of the two Houses and the rotunda Were
crowded, with young and old, ladies and gen
temen, army officers, navy officers, interested
and disinterested strangers. In that vast as
semblage was many an anxious countenance
and many throbbing heart. There were
all their substance, in the prosecution Of their
claims, who felt and looked as if they were
about to hear their doom pronounced All
night Saturday and during the whole of Sunday
morning the crowd remained. AT length, at
twelve o'clock, Sunday, the two Houses ad-
journed, the flags were let down, and the vast
crowd passed through the doors of the Capitol
into the grounds, and from the grounds into
the streets.
In so large body as Congress-, numbering
nearly three hundred of the chosen men Of the
nation-men generally chosen by the people
because of their talents, learning, and charac-
ter; attachments, both personal and political,
must necessarily be formed, that make the
| hour Of adjournment and the moment of sepa-
ration-perhaps forever-inexpr painful.
| That such emotions were experienced, no one
can doubt who has faith in human friendships.
Nor do we here speak Of political friendships.
They are hollow and ephemeral. We speak
more particularly of personal friendships the
most sincere and lasting Of which not unfre-
quently exist between persons of opposite po-
litical parties.
But a few hours have past since the adjourn
ment of Congress, and yet many of the mem
bers have left the Federal city, and are now
on their journeys homeward. Some have al
ready reached their homes. Others have jour
neys, indeed, before them. 1t will be days and
weeks before they reach their homes. 1t will
be months before some Of the delegates from
the Territories arrive at their places Of destina-
| ton.
When we consider the vast extent of the
Territory of this great Republic Of thirty.one
States, and the great distance that separates
many of the representatives from their homes
and their people, we are struck with the bene-
fetal influence which modern inventions, and
which improvements in, and facilities for travel
ing, have exerted on our country
The fundamental ideas of Republican Gov
ernment depend upon an easy and rapid COM
munication and correspondence between the
representatives and the people. In those old
fashioned fogy times, when we had no means of
travelling but those afforded by horses, and sail
vessels, purely Republican Government of
rhirty-one widely separated States would have
been plainly out Of the question. How long it
would have taken representative from Cali
fornia, or delegate from Oregon, New Mexico
or Utah to communicate with his people and
learn their wishes, We will not undertake to
compute. But this we can say-that instead
of being representatives they would have been
dictators.
Since the establishment of this free govern.
ment Providence seems to have changed the
whole plan of the world. He seems to have
inspired men to invent and to execute things
never before dreamed of in philosophy. All
such inventions have tended to enlarge liberty,
to cement union and to favor the spread of
American institutions. In this aspect of the
case, we are what Fourth Of July orators are
wont to declare-favored by Heaven.
But to return to Congress. We find one
great fault with Congress. Nor are we singu.
lar in this regard. The whole country sympa.
thizes with u.s. There is loud, a general and
a Just complaint that all the most important
business-indeed, nearly all Of the business, is
deferred until the last few hours Of the session.
We think that this is owing to two main causes
the delay of committees, and the love of
Buncomb speeches. Again: When members
get here in the atmosphere of this godly Fed
eral city, some of them think great deal more
about pleasing the Federal Rulers than they do
of helping their constituents.
The curse of the States is, that their repre-
sentatiyes too often look to Federal honors.
They would rather have national than local
regulations.
| But whatever the cause or causes may be,
the effect is plain and palpable. Too much OF
the important business Of Congress is put Of
| to the last hours OF the session. Alter having
months and months for reflection, for acquir-
ing information, and for action, which are
idled away or spoken away, they find themselves
at the end Of the session with the most impor-
tant business unattended TO. 1t is sometimes
even doubtful whether they will have the time
to pass the regular and necessary appropria-
ton bills for carrying on the Government. We
have but one opinion about these things, and
that opinion is, that they are outrages.
The remarks we have made are general re-
marks. They are not intended, particularly, TO
apply to the last Congress, for that had too
many precedents to plead in justification. Be.
sides, as we have before, and often said, the
Thirty.third Congress was a working, faith
ful and an enlightened Congress. 1t passed
many most useful measures. Yet, in such q
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