The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1859-03-02
A Jolly Scene in the United otatst
80natA.

a Jolly Scene in the United otatSf
Senate.
The Washington correspondent Of thd
n. Y. T1Juns says, that during the de:
livery of Senator Thompson's speech OF
the Cuba question,
"The entire audience were often con:
rulsed with laughter, and the Vice:
President at last grew too weak to rap
any but the most gentle admonitions
Indeed, it was about the only occasion
ever witnessed in the Senate in which
the attempt to preserve order was absn,
doned. The fun got be 30 universal
and uproarious that it was idle to at;
tempt to stop It.
Although Senator Thompson's nainc
is not one of the popular celebrities OF
Congress, he is no new man, but has
been in one branch or the other, "off
and on" rs he himself expressed it to.
day, for twenty years. He is not q
rising man nor a growing man, for he
described himself in debate the other
day as a political corpse ;" immedi;
a,ely adding by way Of relief to his sym:
pathizing friends, that he saw several
gentlemen around him "in equally bad
health" Mr.. Thompson is an old
Wing, and jus, now belongs to no exis-
ting political organization. One of his
most enthusiastic moments to-day was.
where he alluded to Henry Clay AS Ceur
de Lion, and himself as one of his Field:
Marshals.
What Mr.. Thompson said. shall not
undertake to recall or to repeat, even in
brief. 70 measure its effect, the matter
of the speech is not alone sufficient.
even If presented in the full verbatim Of
the Globe. To give a true idea Of 1t.
needs the time, the audience, the cir
cumstances, the appearance Of the speak
er. with his apparently shattered con.
s'itution, his feeble frame, his entire
concentration on his subject, his imper.
turbable gravity, his evident sincerity;
his nervous susceptibility. his eccentric
ways, his intense anxiety of expression.
his restrained but effective gesticulation;
and finally his sitting posture. in which;
from weakness, he delivered all but the
first fifteen minutes of his speech.
Around the Speaker sat Senators Of
every name and degree. There was
Pugh. who laughed till the tears ran
down his cheeks. There was Gwin.
brawny and broad, who shook himself
entirely out of all remembrance of all
railroad projects. Close by. and direct
ly in front, sat Douglas, who, with his
head bent upon his breast, seemed in
danger of choking. as he convulsively
bobbed it up and down upon his chest.
There was Mason, the impersonation of
the Virginia idea Of Senatorial propri-
ETY., sitting first in front, and then NOV
ing over side, and then standing in the
rear. but wherever he went. intent on
listening, and actively participating in
the general glee. There was Father
Simmons of Rhode Island, sitting close
by, from beginning to end, perfect
convert to free trade-in laughter
There was Mr.. Seward, not having the
due restraints Of a grave Senator upon
him, sometimes to be seen in a convuls.
ed, sometimes in an exploded state Of
hilarity. There, too, was his colleague.
Preston King. whose fat sides never
stopped shaking. There loomed Hale;
with his face constantly lighted up with
sort Of gori6ed merriment. There
was that soberest and gravest of ancient
Senators and venerable men, Mr.. Allen,
Of Rhode Island man who never
speaks and never smiles. eagerly listen
ing and constantly laughing. looking
first this way and then that, to sec if L
could be possible that he was justified
in such an unwon.ed exhibition of exu.
berant nature.
There was the speakers colleague;
the veteran Crittenden, gradually sink
ing under the inexorable humor of his
friend and admirer, until, in apparent
despair of being able to hold out him.
self, he suggested that his colleague
should give way for an adjournment-
suggestion gracefully recognized. but
not acceded to, on the ground, appar-
emily. that the audience ought to be-
able to hold out as long as the speaker;
in his present infrm condition. Cling:
man refused to go away, and laughed to
the end, generously helping the speaker
with an apt correction of a ''free love"
allusion, as good bachelor should
Gov. Hammond took seat in the im-
mediate vicinity of Mr.. Thompson at
the start. and resolutely clung to it to
the end, not missing a single good thing
nor failing to enjoy it. Gen. Houston
stuck by equally close, swallowing the
entire dose. Cirectly by the speaker
sat Reverdy johnson, wholly unable to
restrain himself, and laughing as though
he would split. The detail might be
pursued.
Suffice it to add, that in addition to
the distinguished gentlemen referred to.
there sat nearly all the rest of the Sena:
tors in similar condition of broad
cachination. Bringing up the rear in
close order was Lord Napier, who began
to listen with his coat on and hat in
hand. Directly he sat. Then he re-
moved his overcoat, and next he put
down his hat. For the rest, he went in
with the crowd, and became an uncon-
di,ional partner in the general merriment.
taking most philosophically the awful
delineations Of John Bull, the "bloody
old bruiser." and the palpable hits at
the dinner-giving tactics Of her diplo;
matist in Washington. Another live
Lord on one of the sofas did not take the,
sketch SO graciously."
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