Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-01-22
PEN and Ink Sketches I'm the Ohio
House of Representatives.

"a u sf1I ~
A clever correspondent Of the Cincinnati
Enquirer has furnished that paper with the
following pen and ink sketches:
The majority, of course, are vulgar par
tisans of the ruling dynasty, men who
would give up to party what was meant for
mankind, If they had any thing which man
kind stands in any sort Of need of, but as ltl
has no need of them, let. them pass. There
are few names, and forms and faces which
stand out prominently from the dead Ylat
level around them--Inen, known more or
less widely, who are respected for talents,
requirements, or charaeter, and who lead
where others simp y TO low.
Foremost among such stands Peter Odlin,
the snarled, crristy old member from Mont
gomery. He has long been connected with
the bar of his county, and reckoned one OF
| its main stays. An elder in Church ana
superintendent in Sunday-school, his gray
| hairs are as venerable in the Church, the
"crown and glory" of pious old man, as
they are respectable, in the Court-room--
the mark Of long experience and much
practice.
Yet is this old man past his prime, and,
though still in harnass, it gals him, and the
querulousness of age is fast taking the place
of that dignified decorum wich becomes
well as physically, and knows it, and seems
to be in no good humor about 1t. Hence his
bitterness. This may be, and doubtless is
increased to great degree by the conscious
ness of being among much inferior men,
and of being used by them in his old age
| for the advancement ofmost unworthy pur-
poses. Mr. Odlin is honest, but old, and
falling, and soured, and lifelong Federal
ist in his political views. This latter bias
leads him to lengths in his present condi-
ton of mind, which 1t doubtless never could
have done when his intellect was more vig-
orous. The Democracy can expect no
favor-scarcely decent courtesy-from him.
| Next in turn to Mr.. Odlin, though an
entirely different kind, comes two gentle
men, whom l mention together because
they ought to hunt together, being couple
of Jolly old coves, of the very jolliest char
acter. The one is named Green, and the
other Osborn. The one Is from Lake, the
other from Hamilton county. The one
looks at all times as wise as an owl,
and is last about as wise-the other is as
gay and festive" an "old ,cuss" as ever
tucked q pretty chambermaid under the
chin, or ogled a widow. or shuffled card,
or was carried away from an assignation in
basket of soiled linen, and tossed in a
horse-pond by the merliest. OF the
two jolly old coves continually
play shuttle-cock and battledore from
| their respective seats, at the eX-
treme ends of the Chamber. They are
the antipodes and the compliments of one
another. They are two blades of a pair of
shears, cutting in opposite directions, but
both together accomplishing the end, viz:
that of keeping the House continually
amused. The gentleman from Lake, who
has a seat in the ''Amen Corner" among the
Democrats, and calls himself missionary,
in consequence, like the man in the play,
seems continually thinking ''what grave
creatures we all are!' Bald-headed clean
shaved, and dressed in immaculate broad
CLOTH what a veritable Pecksnif he is to be
sure! On the other hand, therather Green (po-
litically speaking) member from Hamilton.
looks as though, like Mark Tapley, he tho't
the most trying circumstances only made it
the more creditable to be jolly, since his face
wears bald grin. No matter how serious
the matter under discussion. They both
agree on this, that they are fat, sleek, bald
headed, oily and talkative. Also in this,
that they never have anything to say when
they do talk, that could by possibility be of
any use; and when they say what they do,
it is always largely compounded of adjec-
tives, and expletiyes applied to the Democ-
racy, and intended to overwhelm its few
representatives here assembled. Poor fell
lows, it is amusing to see them watch for
the effect of their blank cartridges. Rob
them of the power to say ''Copperhead,"
.'disloyal," "Nothern sympathizers," and
"Othello's occupation's gone" Dear, chat
tering, gibbering, garrulous, jolly old Sia-
mese Twins-long may they wave. ar,