Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1859-02-11
FROM WASHINGTON.


Dsbdte" in 1S30-HdJ0T' JACK OooHlny-
Bank War''-1As ConProHatse debates %
ls5o-Renry Clay and Henry Of NdCarTe-
Mr. Clemens, his eonditi0n-PennSytrdntG
Simon Causron-The Tariff and tie Pre:i-
deney in 60. ,o.o
IBelieve that it was one of the quaint re.
marks of Liebig, that the same man, after ne
has eaten a full meal of beef and bread, or one
of cheese, or salt fish, or potatoes, regards al
most all matters that come before his outward or
inward eye, from three entirely different points
of view. / thought of this about ten o'clock
last night, as sat down to write you letter,
intended to be descriptive of my Observationsin
and out of Congress during the day. felt
somewhat tird and sleepy after our rapid jog
ever the mountains. don't think was half
as we'll inclined as am at this present time,
and so upon second reading" (as they say up
in the Capitol,J quietly committed what had
scrubbed to the flames.
For several years back, just about this time
of wear, it has been the good or i'll fortune OF
your correspondent, TO find himself occupying
quiet seat in the galleries that overlook me
heavy deliberations of the peoples representa-
tivcs in Congress assembled. And short as has
always been my stay, and novel as everythngis
comparatively to me yet herenoouts, cannot
help, from year to year, noticing some changes
both in the people and the scenes and sights IN
aud around the Capitol. One among Tue most
prominent of these changes, since was here
last, is the removal of the Senate from their old
to their new chamber. As walked through
the deserted hall yesterday and TO day, could
not resist the temptation, like the stranger at
Modena, to stop and mediate awhile upon ooth
what had heard and seen in that old chamber.
reccllect to have read either IN Bentons
"Thirty Years" or somewhere else, that 1t was
in the year 1919 that the old chamber was
opened Among the distinguished members
whose voices first broke the maiden silence that
Ieigned within its walls, were Otis, Rufus King,
Macon and Richard NJ. johnson. The noted
Tompkins, Vice President under Mr.. Monroe,
presided over their deliberations. l could not
help thinking that it was not q little remarkable
that almost the first and last debates that took
place there were upon the Missouri Compro-
mise, and all the long train of intiammatory
matter growing out of its consideration. So It
was, however. 1t is recorded that it was on the
night of the ID Of March, 1s20-far in the night
while the wind and rain were blowing and
beating violently upon the sky-lights above, that
the bill providing for the admission OF Missouri
upon the compromise that thereafter no slave
states should be formed out of the remaining
territory north of thirty-six degrees and thirty
minutes passed the Senate. 1t is said that
the little, narrow semicircular gallery above,
was crowded to sufocGtion with the few
people who were able to visit Washington
in those days. The debate, just previous
to the vote being taken, of the widest
and most vehement characterize much so that
Macon arose and said that "the scene in the
chamber eXceS anything have ever witnessed
before in the Senate" In the National IntetL1-
gencer Office there is to be seen copy OF its is
sue the next morning after the debate, an
nouncine In large head lines-"THE QUESTION
SETTLED" That old and excellent counsellor,
however, missed wide of the mark, its guess
that time-for to this day it is, and no doubt
long hence will be, an uncettled question: Mr..
Benton notes that it was at this time that the
Senate began to be the body of Congress. Short
ly after this eventual struggle upon the admis-
SION of Missouri, one of those great men, whose
names are the Senate's fame, came into Its
chamber. Prior to that struggle, tClay, Webster
and Calhoun, then young, were in the House
and its deliberations under their lead, had alb
sorbed almost wholly the attention of the ma
ton.
In looking over the old Hall still further re-
called the scenes there happening, which bad
more or less impressed themselves upon me in
reading. OF course, chief among these would
necessarily be the great debate" as it was
called, occurring during the administration of
Cen jackson. Some of your readers, perhaps,
may not be aware that this famous debate of
| 1880 all grew out of a simple resolution, intro
duced by Mr.. Foot, concerning the public lands.
| From that resolution sprung the long, severe,
1 ana memorable discussion upon INC power VI
the Federal aud State governments, then, for
the first time, looming up cloud upon the
sunshine calm of the country. '0hl were you
ne'er school boy" and did you never read, COM
nit to memory and declaim gala exhibition
days, extracts from those memorable forensic
efforts of Webster and Hayne. 1t is said that
that passage in the close of Mr. Wcbster's reply
to Hayne, about 1.-THE gorgeous ensign of the
Republic and which many of your readers
heard quoted in full at the Court House in
Wheeling, on last Saturday night, is admitted to
be one of the lOftiest flights of parliamentary
eloquence that ever fell FROM mortal lips. While
the English language endures, it is probable that
/ it will fire the American school boys patriotic
l pride and make the glorious Union still more
1 dear to him. In this connection cannot help
remembering, that in my academic days, it was
nearly always the case, that / would hear, on
the return Of each Friday night, iavorite cx-
tract from Haynes speech detained by some
young Southern, while / was likewise almost rs
certain to hear it check mated by that extract
/ have mentioned, from the mouth of some chap
i from the Northern or Western States. So it is
probably in most colleges. AS it was with me,
then, do hope 1t will be always. that under the
pronunciation of the latter, will find my heart
/ kpeninp heat To tItlie TnuSic of the Union ~