Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-01-10
Letter from Washington.

Correspondence of the -i'erand,ia G"="'te.
WASHINGTON Jan. S.-Any one who visits
the Senate Of the United States. cannot fail 10
be struck with the gcntlcmanly courtesy
which prevails, at all times, between the
members. and their consideration for the
convenience of each other. and this entirely
without regard to party ties or attlnltles.-
The writer Of this. years ago visited for the
first time, the old Senate chamber just vaca-
ted. and well remembers the impression mad"
ON his youthful mind by the "Conscriptl pa
tres" which appeared To reaiiz" what was
said of the old Roman Senate, that they re-
srmbled an assembly of kings lie was re-
minded of this Yesterday, when the French
spoliation Bill was up. The friends of the
measure had :. majority of or 5, and N"
doubt could have forced it through. Senator
Davis Of Mississippi, desired 10 speak against
it. but was said to be rather unwcll, when
Mr.. Foote said he would offer u resolution,
unless the Senator from Mississippi desired
to postpone his remarks 10 another day.
Some conversation then took place between
Mcssrs. Foote and Davis. when Mr.. Crittcn-
den rose and said t. Mr.. Davis. what do You
desirc?" Mr.. Davis replied that another
dav would suit him better than this. Mr..
Foote at once said, Then | will not offer the
resolution and the friends of the measure
dropped the subject There is, perhaps,
reason for this commendablc course Of CON
duet. and it no doubt has grown out ofthe ma
ture of the body, which is like no other i'll the
world. In our Senate, all the S"vcrcgns are
coual-Dclawarc. Rhode Island Iowa and
others. are equal to New York, Pennsylvania,
Ohio. and each of the others ri! absolutely
equals. and if it had not been 81 arranged 10y
the wise and good statesmen wh" formed tn"
CONSTITUTIONS 10 Union could have been form
ed 1T all.
Very different was il III that other meeting
of soycreigns-thc Germanic Diet, where the
votes of Austria and Prussia, and their con-
scaucnt influence far mtwcighcd that of Ba-
varia, Wurtcmburg. Hesec CasscI, and the
rest. and virtually gave them the rule of the
Empire. | observe that the correspondent
Of the Santa Fe Gazette. aIludcS to one Of the
Alabama Senators aS that noble Roman
the Hon. Benjamin Fitzpatrick, having bee"
elected President pro. TEN. OF the body,
which his talents and virtues adorn." Any
one who is acquainted with Governor fit2-
patrick, will acknowledge The Justice of this
compliment. The country i. at present. IN
want of honest, firm and conservative states
men in her high places of honor and trust;
there are few such now to be found, and Go
vernon Fitzpatrick is one of the few.
The course which Judge Douglas viii pur-
sue is looked forward to. with much interest
Many members of Congress are still absent
from their dutics-this conduct is reprehen-
sillc. after such an unusually long recess, but.
perhaps, Congress will make up for lost time
vet 1t is to be hoped that Kansas will not
stir up any more strife, for Of all the aboml-
naLle questions which ever came before Con-
grcSs, this is, 50 far, the worst: the folly OF
those who opposed the admission OF han,a|,
is now fully apparent; troops are called FOR to
prevent civil war from breaking ont, an evil
which might have been avoided II Kansas
had been admitted a a State. W.