Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1860-01-13
CONGRESSIONAL DAaUERREOTYpEs.

seized the floor, and delivered an extra
ordinary hard-shell Baptist sermon. of
that original and amusing kind for which |
he long ago ATTAINED patent. The Rev. !
Mr. Cobb has been for thirteen years a |
member Of the House, and pillar of the |
crustacious Baptist faith. He is a model |
man of the type half-horse, half-alligator,
standing six feet four inches in his broad
toed boots, and so thin as to recall the
story Of that Western debtor who when
pursued by the sheriff, crept into his rife
and looked out at his pursuers through
the touchhole. In dress he is all over
the Baptist parson-black dress coat,
black satin waist coat and heavy gold
seal, a yard and half of thin black
trousers, and a stiff black satin cravat,
surmounted by sharp-pointed white shirt
collars. His face resembles that Of
DEATH head motli--the forehead narrow
and prominent, the dark eyes sunk away
out Of sight, the cheek bones hardly COW
cred by the tight-drawn and sallow skin,
the checks hollow, the nose short, and the
head thickly matched with ii shortish but
strong growth of iron-gray hair, divided
in the middle of the forehead Swaying
backward and forward on his legs, like
the long pendulum in the tower of Notre
Dame, suspended there to prove the ro-
tation Of the earth,-this gaunt and grisly
orator swings his arms through the air
with sweep as wide and desolating in
gesture as il welding the scythe of time.
His voice has the wild sinking and falling,
shouting and whispering, shrieking and
muttering of the western Baptist pulpit.
His grammar is little more uncouth
than his appearance, and his pronuncia-
ton keeps unison with all the fantastic
surroundings Of his nature. Now and
then he darts forward, thrusting out a long
skinny arm and extended forefnger at
the Republicans, while he asks ques-
zion; then crouching back on his haunch-
es, while he feigns to be shocked with
the answer which he has put into their
mouths: Have you no other man." he
screams to the Republican," Have
you no other man but Sherman TO fix III
that cheer? If you her, and doant 90 tc
> do it, then you're the meanest kind o.
white men that crawls this airth; for e
you du put him tl'ahr, in that cheer, oul
people'll lick US out Of our boots wher
they get US hoamm As another reason
for organizing, he very frankly confessed
that he wanted little money himsel
and thahr was no sight for a-gettin' i
until the cheer was filed" Never did {
provincial tragedian. obtaining his frs
chance for fame in a Metropolitan theatre
so tear a passion to rags and out HeruC
Herod in the way Of stormy gesticulatior
and wild attitudes as did this orator O
the day. His legs were bendable as
length Of hosepipe; his arms extensiv,
and Prehensible as if a couple of rattle
snakes had been jointed on at his should
ers; and the hard bones Of his finger
ratified together as he snapped them il
the faces of the carryin.
out the idea which tie curving an,
writhing of his talon-ended arms sug
gested.
lie was interrupted by Emerson Ethe
ridge, of Tennessee, who rose on behalf 0
the South Americans to protest that the
could never affiliate with the Democrats
who had traduced and aspcrsed them sine
the House had commenced balloting 70
Speaker. Mr.. Etheridge is man q
about 80 years Of age, with a singularI
fine and well developed, broad forehead
straight, brown hair; brown whisker
and chinbeard large hazel eyes, set a
an honest distance from each other an
a prominent straight nose of not an
decided type. He has a fine mello,
voice, talks fuently, and his words appea
to carry weight both with his own me
and the Republicans. He speaks like
lawyer, with a good deal of emphasi.
and his general appearance is very pre-
possessing. The point of discussion be
tween this gentleman and Cobb wa
whether, as matter of propriety, th
South Americans should 90 over to tn
Democrats, or the Democrats to the Sout
Americans. Etheridge wound up b
declaring that it would be the last re
sort with him the cup Of bitterness
filed to OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES he Roul