The weekly pioneer and Democrat., 1859-12-09

d.
seventh, eighth, and ninth Joseph V. Var
mum, of Massachusetts, in the tenth and
eleventh and then Henry Clay.
Mr.. Clay was model Speaker of the
House. He began in that capacity when
just thirty four years of age, and served in
all about ten years. He occupied the chair
Except during part Of the Thirteenth Con-
gress-when Langdon Cheves was chosen
to fill the vacancy occasioned by Mr.. Clay's
resignation on his appointment to act as
one OF the commission to arrange the treaty
at Ghent, and during his absence in the
second session of the Sixteenth and the Sew
enteenth Congress,) until March Sd, 1925.
After Mr.. Clay, came John w. Taylor, of
New York, in the Nineteenth Congress,
and Andrew Stevenson, of Virginia, in the
Twentieth, Twenty.first, and part of the
Twenty third; John Bell, of Tennessee, in the
Twenty-fourth, and james K. Polk, of the
same State, in the Twenty-ffth and Twenty
sixth. His promptitude and integrity, his
impartiality and his courage, endeared
him to men of all parties during the most
excited period in which he acted, and, no
doubt, made him prominent for the Presi-
dency, which position he attained.in few
years after his retirement from Congress.
He was succeeded in the Twenty-seventh
Congress, by Robert NJ. T. Hunter, of Vir-
ginia, who was elected after severe strug-
gle, as Wbig.
Following Mr.. Hunter. came John
White of Kentucky, in the Twenty eighth
Congress, and in the extra session which
ensued, John w. Jones, of Virginia, John
W. Davis, of Indiana, presided over the
Twenty ninth Congress; Robert G. Win
throp, of Massachusetts,, over the Thirtieth !;
Howell Cobb, of Georgia, over the Thirty
first; Lynn Boyd, of Kentucky, over the
Thirty-second Nathaniel P. Banks, Of
MASSACHUSETTS,, over the Thirty third and
James L. Orr, of South Carolina, over the
Thirty-fourth. Mr.. Cobb was a very
efficient and ready Speaker, and the chair
has rarely been filled with more ability and
impartiality than by Nantaniel p. Banks.
When Colonel Orr was chosen be was jnstly
regarded as one of the fairest and most
independent men in the country, but he
committed great blunder in his refusal to
follow the direction of the House in the
appointment of the celebrated investigation
committee on the Kansas question, which
occasioned the greatest surprise on the part
of his opponents, and filled his sincere
friends with pain. Allow ng the Admins.
tration to control him, he gave the majority
of the committee to the minority of the
House, and thus assisted to suppress such a
full statement of the facts of the Kansas
dispute as would have been satisfactory to
the country and honorable to the Democratic
party. Let all those who aspire to the same
high place bear in mind the incident in the
career of Colonel Orr. have reason to be-
lieve that he now regrets the step he took,
and l sincerely hope that it may be for
gotten and forgiven in consideration of
bis many other manly and patriotic quali-
ties.
The prominent candidates for Speaker of
the next (Thirty-sixth) Congress, are John
Sherman and Thomas Corwin, of Ohio !;
Galusha A. Grow, of Pennsylvania, Repub.
licans; John Smith Phelps, of Missouri,
Administration Democrat Emerson Ethe,
ridge of Tennessee E. Joy Morris, of
Pennsylvania, Americans; and no doubt
others will be introduced into the struggle,
should the House not be able to make a
choice out of this list. Mr.. Sherman was
member the Thirty fourth and Thirty-fifth
Congress, and has been re elected to the
Thirty-sixth. He is in his thirty seventh
year, and is gentleman of marked ability.
Mr.. Grow, his most active competitor, is
nearly the same age. He was born in Con
necticut, having settled in Pennsylvania
number of years ago was elected to Con-
gress in 1850, and has ever since represented
his district in the National Legislature.
While Mr. Banks was Speaker of the House
he was Chairman of the Committee on
Territories. He is man of great force of
character, a fine debater, and entirely ac-
quainted with public affairs. Mr.. Corwin,
who has lately indicated his willingness to
accept the position of Speaker, is in his
sixty.seventh year.
Everybody has heard of Tom Corwin-
genial, eloquent, and facetious Tom Corwin.
He was member of the lower House of
Congress from 1881 to 1910, and was cho.
sen Governor of Ohio in October of the
latter year. In 1845 he was elected to the
United States Senate, which position be
held until his appointment in the Cabinet,
as Secretary of the Treasury, under Presi-
dent Fillmore, in 1850. He was chosen,
last October, a Representative from his
district, and may be said to represent the
"Opposition," rather than the Republican
party. John s. Phelps, who will probably
be the Administration candidate, was born
in Connecticut, in 1914, emigrated to Mis-.
souri, in 1887, was elected a Representative
to Congress from the Green county district
in 1874, and has served to the present time.
He was an extreme Administration man in
all the struggles of the late Congress, and
although at one time a devoted friend of
Colonel Benton, even when the Colonel was
doubtful on certain issues, he may now be
regarded as the representative of the Ad-
ministration idea. He is an upright man,
and when he ceases to be partisan can act
fairly towards his political antagonist. Mr..
Phelps was Chairman of the Committee of
Ways and Means in the last Congress.
Mr.. Etheridge, of Tennesse, has, l believe,
represented his district in Congress from
1853 to 1857, and his speech, while the
House was trying to elect Speaker in
1886, will always be recalled, distin-
guished as it was for courage and eloquence.
Mr.. Morris, of Pennsylvania, is about forty
two years of age, and for so young man
has had quite an honorable career. He
u EN.~~~