Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-02-12
Nailg aliraiaiau.
Personal Sketches and Glimpses of Public
Men ut tho Capital Buchanan, Breckin-
ridge, Fl Houston, jeff Davis. Brown, Black,
FloYd, TouceY. &c &c.


Men ut tho Capital Buchanan ,Breckin-
ridge, Houston, jeff Davis. Brown Black,
Floyd, Touccy, &c, &c.
A correspondent Of the Now York Times, writ
ing from Washington city. gives tho su6joned
interesting sketches of several public characters:
His Excellcncy. jaws BUCHANAN is nm old
gentleman OF some seventy years of age, standing
six feet ono or two inches in his undarned bache-
lor stockings. of horid and rather hectic complex
ion. and with hair white and glistcning ns the
glass threads in the glass tails Of the glassbirds
Of paradise made in Barnums Museum by an in
genius operator, aud sold for twenty five cents
apiece To gaping children. His anxiety about tho
disputed line Of Oregon has inclined his head to
the left ut an anglo of fifty four-forty rght and
his left cyo seems detailed from general service,
and ON permanent secret duty super, ising the de-
vclopmcnts in Cuba lie lurchcs heavily to tho
loft IN walking. and shippers gossip with ladios
through the left side Of his not regular mouth. In
dress he is somewhat of the diplomatic dandy;
and tho vast white linen korehicf worn round his
neck is intended. | presume, ms II statosmanlike
encouragement to the nnx-arowr aud linen
bleachcrs in the mighty praircs of the West. His
manners are extremely courteous and ntfnble,
more especially to women. with whom he delights
to converse on the small scandals and bohcn gos-
sip Of tho capitol. There is something stately
and mournIul in his isolation. for believe he has
not one warm, familiar friend, Except perhaps
u
humLlo reaners, on tho surincc Of the iootstool.
Even his neirc is addressed by him as Miss llAR.
RiErr" +" md priding himself on conscientious cold
ness he gets along rs best lac can without either
sympnihy or consolation. Never has there been
in tho White House II moro laborious occupant:
he rcposes no confidence even III his Cabinet oni-
GERS, hu, insists reading every paper which
they put before him Tor signature lilo seldom
leaves the house for exercise pr air. but spends
twelve Or sixteen hours n day in discharging
drudgerics in detail. which mig ght much better bo
left TO- tho Of subornntes in tho departments.
Again aud nguin, every possible occasion, he
disayows with contempt and riliculc his supposed
aspirations ior n second term of Office 1.-TWO old
men, he says. myself and LEWIS CAss, If we
live 81 oug,wi quit this city the 9th of March
1861. with much lighter aud loss bnrdoned hearts
than We bore with us ON coming here There is
n painted sincerity in the tono Of these ayowals-
bitterness US Of thwartcd good intentions, and
misapprehendcd motives. which l cannot find it
in my heart either to doubt or not sympathiSe
with In spite ol all mental and bodily peculiar
tiles there is grandeur of dosolation in this old
mans life; we cannot properly call him "splen.
did rum Tor he in moro suggestive in all aspects
Of nm original chaos, III which the elements of
strcngtl, and weakness good and OWL, have never
been adjusted under domestic discipline and that
confidence which is the most precious fruit of our
family relations.
of him in tho personal curiosity which he cxcites,
is General SAM llousros. Of Texas, who is much
such II man AZ Leather Stocking" might havo
become. had he lived to be near seventy years Of
age and afflicted during tho last half OF his life
with tho Presidential itching. Tall, soldier-liko
and stately. haltng slightly on ono foot, clad in q
leopard skin vest, fur snp, and with an Indian
blanket foldedproudly round his martial shoulders
tho hero Of San Jacinto enters the dining room of
Wizards every day after the guests are sentsd,
eats II hurried dinner at the table lurthcst from
the door, md then stalks up the room again, paus-
ing to converse Mt every table where he Can see a
friendly face. In this way the good, but not over
clever General, attracts n hemp Of notice. and if
any lady sufficiently good-looking phys him tho
compliment due TO courage and personal honor,
he will promise her Que of those queer little wooden
figures which he whites out during the debates
in the Senate. Released from the duties of State"
he says, Il will return TO my paster lnnds in
Tcxus there feed my sheep and fold tho white
lnmbe TO my bosom" Even in tho personal vanity
Of such man there is touch Of the sublime and
am only sorry that General ScorT is not in town
Mt present. 10 have his somewhat similar portrait
placed side ly side with this rough pencilng of the
eccentric aud gallant frontier-man, who ID perhaps
the last representative of ast-disappoaring race.
Mr. JErrrisoN DAVIS, let me say, IN his name
has CHANGED to be incidentally mentioned, is by
all odds the most brilliant conversational 1t has
ever been the writers fortune to encounter. Thin,
why, sharI-,isaged, seli-posscssed and dyspepiic
with n voice very gentle and modulated, an ad-
dress very plablc and courlcous-this great cap
tain Of the lirc.eaiers can spit fro with as much
ease and quickncss rs DouGLAs shows IN splitting
tobacco Juice, and every epigrnm from his thin
lips is fatal to tho reputation Of lifetime. Never
was the raper of polished wit more dazzling or
more mortal in its exercise. Name alter nams
may bo brought up in discussion, aud every candi-
date for notorety will stagger back with silver
mimic ball lodged in somo tcndcrpart OF his intes-
tines | think JEFFERSON DAVIS ldspeak well
of his valet and would have kind word in pri-
yate for every colored servant in his house.
Speaker Ona has been lately with you in New
York but somo of your country readers may not
have seen that solid chunk Of jollity, good humor
and good living standing fourteen inches higher
than DouGLAs, Falstatfan in coniiguratlon, rub-
cund in feature, merrly philosophical in the twin
kle of his two black beaded cyes--a man to speak
we'll of every one, and never to scold q human cx-
cent his cook, when n favorte joint is not done to
his palate-courteous and Just in all personal re-
lations with political enemies but too easily yield
ing to tho dictates of party power in his official
acts--there are few men in this city more amable
as boon companions, more faithful us sympathz-
ing friends, more sensitive in points OF personal
honor or more untitled las much by virtues as by
fauls) for tho stormy arena of political discussion
and embodiment. As u presiding officer-except
when the w hite House screws are worked by O
full Cabinet crank--he is thoroughly impartial in
his decisions, and courteous in their statement
Should the pressure before alluded to, make him
unjust to any gentleman to-day, he will be uoi
only willing but eager to meet the injured party
at Bladensburg next morning.
Vice President BREcKENRIDGE stands deservedly
high in public estimation, and has tho character OF
man slow to form resolves, but unceasing and in.
exorable in their fuflment About 40 years OF
age and in the neighborhood of six feet high well
L.,