The mountain Democrat., 1864-06-04
The UnItsd staten aennt.

The United States Senate is a BODY
popilarly supposed to reflect the wisdom,
the dignity, the craftsmanship, the pa.
triotism Of the States Of this Union. The
Senate was instituted by the founders of
our government as check upon the en-
crOachments Of the other branch of the
National Legislature, and.upon the'Exe-
cutiSe--as a chamber where stability of
purpose and calmncSs of deliberation
might reside, holding the government
within its proper sphere under the Con.
stitution, and preserving the sovereignty
Of the States. The term OF members was
fixed at longer period than that of other
elective officers, that they might be less
influenced in the performance OF their du.
ties by transitory political excitements,
and the Senators, for like reason, were
made responsible to collective representa-.
tive bodies-.Stote Legislatures-rather
than to masses Of the people, as the lat.
ter might be more swayed by passing
passions or by sudden revolutions Of
opinion and feeling. Foreigners, at least,
believe our Senators to be the first men
in the nation, in point of learning, ability,
and political experience. Judges and
GOvernorS--men who have occupied con.
spicuous positions in their own States
men who have served repeated terms in
the lower branch Of Congress of
mental solidity and matured judgments
are those whom most persons usually turn
to as capacitatcd for membership Of the
United States Senate. Ii is in that as
sembly where the giant minds of the
country have exercised their greatest
influence and achieved their historic fame
We look to the Senate for conservatism,
. and for years it was that body through its
stcadincSS and intelligent wisdom, that
preserved the Republic from dangerous
evils by which it was menaced. In vain
were such a reliance now. The Senate
has degcncratcd. 1t has no Clays, no
WebStcrS, no Crittcndens, no Bentons, no
Douglascs. Its former good name and
character are almost gone. 1t is rocked
! by every transient bill0w that StirS the
outside crowd. More demagoguerv than
craftsmanship is there. Fanatical as is
the lower House, the latter as a body is
amoSt entitled to change places with the
Senate, and the House become the con.
serving check in the legislative system.
I ExempliticatlonS Of the retrogresSion OF
the Senate its ungovernable fuss and
cXci'ability, its fiery fanatici>m--are not
rare in these days. On Saturday the tel.
| cgtaph gave us the novel case Of the
House of Representatives administering a
deserved rcbuke to the other end Of the
Capitol. 1t was on the bill for organizing
Montana Territory. The Senate, in pur.
>uancc of the wild, Radical programme
upon which it has acted throughout this
session, made provision in the bill for
granting to negroes the elective franchise.
\ House committee reported, recommcn.
ding agreement to this Senate clause, but
tie House itself, by \ majority, diSa.
< ed to the report. The House then in.
structc its new Committee Of Conference
+ to agree to- no report or bill authorizing
any bat white persons to vote. But the
Senate, ,stung by this direct condemnation
Of the doctiine Of negro equality, refused
to appoint, on its part, new Committee
"f Conference, and the result is, by parli.
mentary usage, that the whole matter
must be commenced dc novo In this as
in other instances, the Senate has shown
itself to be an aSSrn,blaee Of mere parti-
san politicians instead Of body of prac,i-
ca! a'cSn,n.-tSt. Louis Republican.