The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1856-01-22
WASHINGTON,
Monday Eve. Jan,

Monday Eve. Jan. z,
This has been my first day in the National
Capitol, and you will of course expect to
hear something in regard to my ''hrst impress
sions" of men and things in and about it.
First, briefly Of the doings Of the National
Legislature. The Senate met at IL O'Clock,
received and referred several documents, and
then adjourned over till Thursday.
The House met at the same hour, and
went through the accustomed routine of
ballotng for Speaker some HAITI dozen times,
with the usual result. After all the billing
and cooing in certain quarters between Dem
ocrats and Americans, and the fears and
hopes entertained of union between these
two sections Of the House, all fears and
hopes were utterly dissipated by their con-
duet to-day. 1t now seems certain that they
Will not unite III any contingency, and the
prospect of union between the Banks men
and the Fuller men appears equally hopeless.
Everybody is in quandary between doubt
and despair. The House can't elect q Speak
er until two Of its sections unite, aud thev
can't unite till the House elects Speaker
As friend suggests, the House is in the pos
itlon that countryman represented the
mountains to be during the winter, they could
not thaw out till the snow melted off, and the
snow could not melt till there came thaw.
The immediate fault Of this state of things
rests entirely with the clique Of Northern
Fuller men, who were elected by force and
favor Of the Anti Nebraska sentiment. and
now refuse to give that sentiment a fair
chance Of development and effective organi-
cation, and who stand day after day feeble
| and factious band of impracticable, ambi-
tlous personal aspirants, and have the shame
less impudelce to ask more than hundred
men to come over to their ''corpora's guard
and thereby secure an organization Of the
House. But though this faction is directly
in fault and justly merits the scathing re-
buke of their constituents, the Democrats
are, after all, responsible to the country for
this useless waste of time and money, and
the general arrangement Of business result
ing thereirom. The Democratic party has
the administration Of public affairs; they
are feSponsibl To see TO il that the Republic
suffers no damage, that public appropriations
are made, public faith maintained and that
the reputation and fair character Of the Gov
eminent III all its branches should be pre-
served in the eyes of our own people and be-
fore the nations Of the world, so far as ii
lies in their power. How has that party dis
charged this acknowledged duty They
nominated for Speaker man notorious as
the champion Of a measure, the Nebraska
bill condemned by large majority of the
people of the United States, and in opposi-
ton TO which large majority Of the mem
bers had been eleeted. The majority could
not, without violating both their own con-
vletions and the faith due their constituents,
vote for the author and champion of the Ne
braska bill. To ask it Of them would be
both All outrage and an insult, and therefore
it is evident that the Democracy intended, if
in their power SO to do by the aid Of the
Fuller faction, TO prevent an organizations
The government is in their hands they are
responsible for its efficient conduct; and it
is their duty so to act MS to secure the pas
sage Of appropriation bills, and other acts
necessary and proper for the welfare of the
people. Let them see to it, or the people
will hold them to fearful account, should
they factously peril the public welfare or Sc
| riously impair, ut home or abroad, the fair
fame of the National Government.
| The Republicans are right in their faith
ful adherence to Banks, they are but carving
into practical effect the principle upon which
they were trumphantly elected and should
they give way or surrender, they will betray
their constituents, peril the cause in which
they are enlisted, and 10 effect DESTROY all
hope of permanent and effective organiza-
ton of the Republican party.
/ ASEcDoTE OF THE NEW CHAPLAIN. The
Rev. Henry Clay Dean, the present chaplain
to the Us. Senate, was some years ago q
resident \ Of Northwestern Virginia. While
preaching one day at a church situated few
miles from Paramount, he was ANNOYED at the
inattention Of his congregation as manifested
in turning their heads to see every body who
came in. "Brethren,o said he, sit IS very
difficult TO preach when thus interrupted
Now, do you listen TO me, and | will tell YOU
the name of every man as he enters lie
church, Of course this remark attracted
universal attention. Presently some one en-
tered ssBrother William Satterfeld - call
ed out the preacher, while that '.brother''
was astonished beyond measure, and endeav
ored in win to guess what was the matter.
Another person came ln-ssbrother Joseph