San Andreas independent., 1858-03-06
Correspondence of the Chicago Times
Some of the Personnel of the United
States Senate

Some of the Personnel of the United
States Senate.
WASHINGTON, January 9Th, 1853.
Your correspondent for one Will be sorry
when the Senate shall transfer itself from
It's present cosy quarters to the new cham
Der in preparation for it. The change will
not be for the better. Here, as it were,
conjured into the compass of small circle,
may be seen at one glance the leading po-
litical spirits of the country. The first
seat On the left as you enter is occupied
by Senator Mason, of Va. He is one of
the blue hoods, one of the sangre azula
of the Old Dominion, very incarnation
of f. f. V.-ism. Right across, on the
right, is the thin, tall person of Cameron,
of Pa. He is the antipode of Mason AT
a little distance from Cameron, in the
same circle of seats, you see Seward, a
short gentleman, with prominent bcak
regular ST Anthony s nose. The redoubt-
able New Yorker is of a reddish, sandy
complexion, which indicates tempera-
ment generally associated with great phys
ical and intellectual activity Seward S
voice seems to be altogether dispropor-
tionate to his almost puny figure. Itseems
to issue from the chest of giant, so deep
and sonorous is it. Next to Seward comes
bluff, witty, oleaginous, imperturbable
Jack Hale, of n. H., the 'Yoricl1" of the
Senate, who can put the floor and CALLER
les In roar whenever he chooses to do so.
Obnoxious as his sentiments are to many
Senators, he can at any time hold the floor
on sufterance, when single objecting
voice would stop his mouth, in such good
humor does his wit put his audience =
Beyond Jack are several other free .soilers,
new to the Senate, and indeed to the
country. There is Chandler, from Mich
igan. He looks like smart, well-to-do
New England store-keeper, or speculator.
He has not the aspect OF q man of thought
or education. Trumbull, of Illinois, may
be man of brains, for aught that the
writer knows to the contrary, but he has
a sneaking sort Of demeanor that do not
like. As the colleague ofthe little giant"
he makes rather 'ill-matched span. -
Doolittle, of Wisconsin, talks like "a Meth
ody parson." Below, on the same side,
sits Senator Fessenden, of Maine He is
also one of the humanitarian brethren.
He is evidently man of resolution, abil-
ity and culture. His countenance is rath-
er rigid, severe and puritanish. Collamer
and Foote, of Vermont, sit just above
him. They are grave and reverend seign-
ors both, with an unmistakable New Eng
land air. Below Fessenden sits young
Senator Pugh, of Ohio, with a well beard
ed eountenance. His clear, open fore
head, such an one as the Psychologist holds
in high estimation. Great energy and a
vigorous, decisive character, evidently be-
longs to the able young Ohioan, who rep
resents young America in the grave body
to which he belongs. The word senate, as
is well known, implies age in its members;
but capacity is an equivalent for it in Mr..
Pugh's case Right up amongst the mag
mates of free soilism, its sages and ex-
Founders, sits Toombs, of Georgia, the
most noticeable man in the Senate One
would hardly look for the distinguished
Georgian In such an environment He
can take care of himself, however, in the
midst of any number of foes. You feel
sure of that as you contemplate his fine,
massive countenance, visibly stamped with
the zeal and superscription of mind and
strong manhood. Near Toombs sits SEN
ator Benjamin, of Louisiana short,
muscular, compact parsonage, with as keen
and logical an intellect as the best of his
compeers. There is no better lawyer in
the Senate than Benjamin The spirit of
the lawgiver of his race is strong in him,
and will be readily perceived by listening
to him in the Supreme Court, where his
services are IN great requisition
On the same side, lower down, sits
Senator Evans, of South Carolina, grand
fatherty, Pickwickian, benevolent looking
old gentleman-the very last parsonage
who you would suppose to be the chosen
representative of the land of notification
and fire eating. Senator Crittenden, of
Kentucky, also sits on this side; his locks
are literally powdered with the frosts of
time, but old as he is, and long associated
with the Senatorial history of the country,
ne can cope in debate with any antago-
mist however strong. The venerable Ken
tuckian is still full of fire and uin,; his
features are open and strongly marked;
his temperament is choloric and easily
aroused to a consuming ire. Preston
King, of New York, is the opposite of
Seward, his colleague, in person; he never
will lie awake from leanness; he sleeps
soundly O nights, and is of Daniel Lam
bertish obesity; viewed a tergo he forms
a spacious parallelogram; if he had
Dutch name one might suppose him to be
linealdescendant from Walter the Doubt
ct, described by Dicdrich Knickerbocker.