The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1858-03-03
Personal Criticisms.

i"S So""'o - So'h poSei, 1T tue !HOSt
part. OF grave end venerable seniors, who
have passed the middle stage of fe.-
But there are several who have ONLY
reached the wrong side OF thirty, and who
have been selected for the post because they
were old young men-justifying the pro-
Vero that wisdom does not grow under
every bald pate, but is sometimes found
budding and blooming out from young
heads. Among the younger memhers, is
the president of tie body, and Vice Pres
ldent Of the United States, Mr.. 8reck;n-
ridge. lie has u fine, open countenance,
with strongly marked features. A man
with such face can never descend to Il
,tortuous course of policy, but will firmly
maintain The cause he has inlelLigentlv
espousel. His manner is very quiet and
gentlemanly, and he is quite at nome in
the elevated seat he occupies-never at -
loss, when ap appeal is made TO his judg.
ment-never thrown off his guard He
transacts business with great rapidtv,
without ever !oSirg !sght Of the forms and
rules of the Senatorial body.
The Senate, with some exception, is
composed of men of high order of tai
.ent and great experience. Among the
most efficient and elegant Senators. are
Messrs. Toombs and Iverson, of Georgia,
Mr.. Davis, of Mississippi, Mr.. Benjamin,
OF Louisiana. Mr.. Mason, of Virginia, Mr..
Green, Of Missouri, Mr.. Douglas, of Ill.
nols, and MIR. Seward, Of New York;
Mr.. Pugh, Of Ohio, would be Influential,
but he appears often on the arena, and is
dogmatc. lie, for young man, is al.
ways too certain that he is right, and has
reaoieG the acme Of Senatorial wisdom
iie is,dou dtess, a rdra driS, but is more
fond OF sporting his plumage than is alto.
gether becoming in SO juvenile Cato
AS Tar as the graces of oratory are con
.cerned, there are few better speakers than
Senator Houston, of Texas. lie is the
.!66Gsh v we Hs' DO not lot believe Tia, bo %" .,uo.
attain 10 the Presidency d the Union,
we have no doubt that nature intended
Iat he should be a great man. and that
when he passes off the stage. his loss will
be deeply felt. MIR. Bayard, Of Delaware
is an able and distinguished member Of
the Henate, but lie speaks too often and
is rather Prosy. For downright honesty
OF purpose and n frank and independen,
expression OF opinion, there is no Senator
VINO attracts more admiration than Mr.,
drown of Mississippi Mr.. Hale, Of New
Hampshire, Is hearty speaker, and has
&" h'Sh idea of his own wit. He has the
power OF amusing an audience, but, we
th'hk, little ability to enIight en- il. Mr.
ijoolttie, OF Wisconsin, has a fine voice
ana impressive utterance, but confines his
attention too much TO n sin sle point, and
has never learned the irst Iessos in states.
h'ahHbIp, as IN navigation, which is 10
box the compass. His ewes are slyavs
directed towards the North Pole.
Mr.. Doug'as having lost ground hv .he
course he has pursued on the Kansas
Question, Mr.. Green, of Missouri, and Mr..
ioom6', OF Georgia, have become the
leaders OF the Senate, and either of them
th's Time. has better chance for the
presidency than "the little giant" NJ
Evans, OF South Carolina merely address
.es the Senate, bat, when he does. speaks
10 the point. He is regarded bv all the
Senators with great respect General
Hammond has not vet made a speecb
bH' d9pbtIeSs holds himself in ssve for
some great question His debut in the
Senate IS looked TO with much expecta.
ton.
we pass now to the new and gorge
ous hail o. The House Of Representatives..
winch is lighted entirely from the roof Of
the building. Great pains and skill have
been expended upon the structure of this
hs'' ihe purpose of the architect was
10 produce perfect ROOM. and the laws
OF acoustics, Is well as harmony of pro.
portions, were diligently studied. There
is much in it to admire, and something
perhaps TO dsapprove. If quiet were
maintained in the hail. we believe that
the voice of most speakers would be dis
tlncny heard in every part Of il; but so
exuoerant and rampant is the spiyit OF
liberty, That it is not possible to maintain
perfect stiffness in the House on the
ordinary working days OF the session. Il
d'herept on the Sabbath, when the
voice OF the preacher can lie distinctly
heard at the remotest part Of the gallery;
nut the whispering that is perpetualy
going on among members, the JustIiny of
newspapers, the noise 0ccasioned by the
movement over the paper of hundred
pens, the passing Of members and mes
sengers to and fro-these, and various
ot"er causes, prevent the ioudest and
e'earest voices from being heard by at
least two-thirds If the visitors. II is sci.
oom that the members listen to each
otners speeches, unless lhev intend TO re.
Ply 10 them. IL is well understood tha;
most OF the speecbe. Of members are de.
hyered in the hail merely for the purpose
OF beng taken down bv the reporters. in
order that thev nav be publish hoa in the |
newspapers ana distributed among ,heir
constituents for peraonal or party purpo |
ses They are generally what ia called
'Buncombe speeches. An orator mnst
,ase something very unusual about him
style and manner, to gain the ear Of