The Portland daily press., 1864-07-29
Friday Morning, July 90, 1854.
TWO DAYS IN THE HOUSE.
Pen Pictures of Notable Members of Con-
gress.

gress.
The following Is an extract from one of b.
+. Taylors Washington letters to the Chicago
Journal, describing some well-known char
acters in the House:
THAD. STEVENS.
That straight, spare man in black, with Ro-
man features, thinnish lace and a dome OF
brow, keen, watchful eyes and brown wig,
who L. just rising with apparent indifference,
is the Chairman OF the Committee OF Ways
and Means, the ''old Anchises" of the House,
Ihaddeus Stevens. But, unlike "lhe outside
barbarian" whose name / have given him, for
no better reason than because Nestor has
fairly served his time out ia such christenings,
Mr.. Stevens needs nobody's shoulders to give
him lift out OF any burning Troy. He looks
like man OF fifty, but he begins to speak, and
you begin to doubt. His voice is firm and
strong, indeed, but with that metallic hard
ness that indicates vigorous seventy; and it
tells the truth, for he is pushing brayely on.
en- route fer the four score. He has been here
no end OF sessions, is clear r-headed, strong
willed, speaks briefly, as a man drives a naiI:
sometimes, to be sure, fetching his own thumb
u random blow, as well as his neghbor's, but
nobody minds it less than he. He was born
10 be leader, and it must be conceded that
OF humor in his straightforward talk that
sparkles out ia unexpected places; but do not
think am after the old figure of flashing wa
ter. for the humor of "the gentleman from
Pennsylvania is as dry as gunpowder.
BALDWIN.
Over yonder are two hundred pounds Hand
better of an editor; Baldwin, of Massachu-
setis and the Worcester Spy. great head.
covered with lion-like mass of long, gray
hair, and broad, honest, thoughtful face, that
maSes YOU think OF something solid in geom
etry. lie is a type of those old New Eng
landeIs who sat in the square, high-backed
pews, when they sang "Old Hundred" till it
seemed like the voice of the wind in leafy
wood, and their wives sat lovingly beside
them, with sprigs of carraway and dill
HENRY WINTER DAVIS.
Happily, just at the instant you are think
ing OF Baldwin, his antarctic" man Is pass
ing TO his seat; as unlike him as two beings
can be and belong to the same species. a.
small, well-moulded, compact head, brown
hair with touch of silver in it, slight brown
moustache, fine eye, and pleasant smile; not
an ounce OF waste flesh about him. and vet
not angular-all whipcords aud harpstrings-
with step as light as a leopard's and firm as
an athletes, you have rather the supple blade
of Toledo than the war club Of Massasoit.-
His voice, as you might know without hear
ing II, Is shrill, yet clear and pleasant Look
well at him, for, right or wrong, one of the
most Intellectual men in the Hall is that
chairman of the Committee on Foreign Al
fairs, Henry Winter Davis, OF Maryland
Ex-Goy. THOMAS.
The man Just rising will challenge your at
tention. His venerable form, his white hair
combed forward over the crown after the an
cient fashion, his courteous address, all be-
token fine specimen of that race almostex
tinct, the old-school gentleman Il is Ex-
Governor Thomas, of Maryland. lis clear
enunciation, every word finished like a coin.
does not surprise you. He seldom speaks.
and that briefly, and yet some member breaks
in upon him. The fash of the ''old Maryland
bayonet' is in the old mans eyes at the rude
ness: why, Mr.. Speaker" he is saying, Il
have been these many years in legislative
halls, and never Interrupted gentleman ia
the whole course of my life.' The remark Is
full of character, and helps to finish ont the
picture.
Ex-Gov. BOUTWELL,.
That member in cool, white linen. with dark
hair, dark eyes, dark complexion, and man-
ly face; his muscular form, with no alderman
ic trait OF green turtle, betraying at once en-
durance, you set down for direct, working.
out-spoken member, whose declaration upon
honor you would never think ofexacting and
you run no risk, for il Is ex Goyerner Boat-
well oi Massachusetts, one of the very ablest
members from the rock of the Pilgrim.
HENRY L, DAWES.
The member just beneath YOU with his ewes
looking at thought, placid face, and little
about him to disclose either his ability or his
calling, is the head ofthe Committee on Elec-
tions, Henry l.. Dawes; sterling. solid. New
England man and, though to see him sitting
there with the light out, you would not think
so, an earnest effective speaker. He ploughed
Kentucky this very night with burning
ploughshare. The voices oftenest heard 10
this hall are the least needed. though men
are slow TO find it out. We listen to catch
the sound ofthe tolling bell just on the stroke
oi lone but when it hamineeed through all
the Twelve" We cease 10 be intent Thus, 10
take Mr.. Norton from your own State always
In bis place, always doing duty. always watch
ful for the interests of the district he renre
sents, and tor the whole country, he sneaks
but little, but that little is every way 10 The
purpose and commands the attention and re-
speet OF the House. One such man Is worth
all the windmills in Spain.
JAMES BROOKS.
Bot hark, an editor has the floor 1t Is
James Brooks, OF New York, and of the Er-
press, and his doctrines are express" but not
duuiu lis IdCCf Win sparse
fringe of whisker, "sets" like a photograph:
the tether OF his eyeglasses, which he does
not remove, quTers down his face like black
wave, the very glasses fairly glitter with ex-
eitement; his long hair is thrown back as il he
faced breeze; his thin lips grow thinner as
ne shuts them, upon theescaping words, like
steel trap. lie has an abstract African under
ms coat an aostfAet African as an institution;
the institution OF slavery That tells the
whole story as he strikes aut right and left
manfully aud patrioticaly, agsasst the Admin.
istration aud the country. "The ventleman
from New York" speaks wondrous wen car a
man that speaks so badly james BrooAe'
talk and Fanny Eilsler's dancing are alike
,'the better II is the worse it ISIS
5. S. cox
Small, frail, dark eyed as Williams Susap
but less than half as true; long, satin hair. as
black as the regions that sit in darkness. quick
as a cat, and. as Powhattan might have de.
scribed him, "face all over" aud you have
rude sketch of the author of "The Buckeye
Abroad S. S. Cox of Ohio. His literary
fame troubles him, for mischievous members
often introduce the volume, and choice ex-
tract is read from il, wherein he describes his
attendance at st. Peters, st. Paul's, or some
where abroad, upon the ministrations OF a
negro clergyman, and was edited. lie would
lain make il out a miracle now, and put the
African and the Beast of Balaam on the same
circuit. He is "as smart as whip" as the
Jockeys say, but his matter loses something
from his manner; he is too devils-darning-
ILL., 4 l. xt.lA In IL