The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1857-04-08
The Senatorial Droll,

The senate of the United States, as at
present constituted, is very grave, sedate
and sober assemblage of old, middle-aged
aud good many very common placed in
dividuals, with few who would be prom
inent and leading men in any age or place.
The debates in this body are generally
very dry aud dull. Ever oratory and rheto-
ric are, in great measure, discarded, and
elequence set down sophomore and dem
agogical. Now and then some very des-
perate and demure efforts are made at a
little humor and levity by the mercural old
Judge Butler, but they are soon "squelch-
ed" by the pervading gravity and dullness
of the body, and are only justly and fully
appreciated by the galleries and the re-
porters.
There is, however, one striking excep-
tion to this general gravity and duilness of
our Senators and one occasion of general
relaxation from the proverbial sobriety of
their department. This exceptional Sem
ator represents the renowned State of Ken
lucky, and it is when he rises to address
/
couscript fathers begin to smooth their
wrinkled brows and brighten their leaden
eyes with something approaching to smile
and a jolly expression of expectant fun
and frolic.
The Hon. John Thompson, familiarly
known as jolly Jack Thompson, is very
peculiarly constituted and organized Sen
ator Not only was he created in one
Natures frohc moods" but the Legislators
of Kentucky must have been in like mood
when they perpetrated the droll joke Of
electing him to so sedate and dull body
as the United States Senate. 1t was,
however, quite considerate and benevo-
lent act, as the august body to which Jack
: was so suddenly chosen needed some little
} foreign infuson-some touch of the out
side life and worldly feeling-to save it
from dying of em,sui, and from being gen.
eral bore to the quidauncs who frequent
the Capital. If this was the motive in
elec,ing Jack Thompson--and we can i'm
agine none other more creditable to the
heads and hearts of the Kentucky Legisla
ture-we bear witness to the jolly senator's
faithful discharge Of the trust committed
to him. He has certainly proved the sol
itary green spot of fun and jollity in the
: dreary Senatorial Zahura. The dullest
sessions have been suddenly enlivened by
| one Of his very peculiar speeches, and ths
most tedious debates have been happily
relieved by his touches of humor and fun
1t is true his speeches are anything bu
Senatorial, and his jokes border on the un
dignifed, and smack of the backwoods, o
the race-course, of the cross-road grocery
I. but their very strangeness and outernes
S contribute to the general good humor ant
: favor with which they received. Audac
ity is an essential of successful humor. 4
: wit must be man of nerve. No on
a ever heard Jack Thompson speak in tn
: Senate without conceding to him these a
e well as other qualifications of the humorist
y a thunderbolt from cloudless sky coul
k not aseonish the stranger more than q spec
/, from Jack Thompson liz the United State
e Senate. 1t stands out in such bold relic
IL from the pervading gravity and dulIuess
!, and does such terrible violence to all one
o preconceived ideas of Senatorial propri
S city. No wonder that when Jack rise
{ the Senator's gather around, cease writin