Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-03-19
QDblo sStatesu1arr.
Congressional speech.NTnIxers.

Mr.. Carlyle once gave comprehensive
classification of the American people, as
distinguished from the inhabitants of other
countries, by terming us nineteen millions
of bOres." This petuant ebulltiOn of the
greatest aud ablest of living scolds was
probably elected by the intrusiveness ofa
few exceptional Americans, who had re-
Gently been annoying him with questions
of too personal character. Had he
thoughtit 1t worth while to visit this country
and study us as we are at home, he would
have found that the American people at
tend as closely to their own business
and as little to that of thelfv6eighbors as
any other on the face OF the earth, having
anything like the same energy. He would
have found, especially that the common
talk of our people is as direct, sensible, and
devoid of ambiguity or diffuseness as that
of any other peOple-to say the least.
Had he, however, spent few weeks at
the Capital during the session of Congress,
he would have found abundant examples,
and eminent ones, of the truth of his gem
eral observation. II the "bOres" of all
countries and ages could be described and
classified, we believe that the Congression-
al variety would take precedence, for wind
iness, tediOusness and utter inutility. The
Hon. Jabesh Windbag, who was once rare
specimen in our Congressional halls, has
now become the type Of class. The use
OF language by members OF Congress for
the legitimate purposes of debate, and to
accomplish the objects of debate, has al
most ceased, and there Is instead dreary
succession of speeches from day to day,
which are neither listened to by those to
whom they are ncminally addressed, nor
influential upon them.
If members of Congress were as a class
profound thinkers, learned statesmen, Or
eloquent orators, there would still be an
obvious improperly in the constant sham
of pretended appeals to their fellow menl-
bers, and real addresses-over their heads
to the country or their immediate con-
stituencies.
In former days, when there wac in Con-
gress quite liberal portion of these classes,
such a thing as an elaborate, written essay
of the recent style, would have been ridi-
culed. Our older readers will recollect
how much criticism Isaac Hill, of New
Hampshire, was subjected to, because he
wrote out and read what he had to say
We do not mean to say that there were not
studied and prepared efforts, but these were
rare, and were evoked and justified by great
crises in our national affairs. Even In
sucbI cases it was seldom that anything
more of written preparation was resorted
to than few simple notes for reference.
These were all that Webster had before
him when he made, in 1882, his famous vim
dicatiOn of nationality, and forever eXtin-
guished-sO far as argument could do this
the heresy of publication.
What would, in that day, have been the
reception OF long, written harangue read
| in the Senate of the United States, and not
addressed to it or to any specific business
before 1t, but to the country at large, and
upon every question agitated in its politics2
| We think that it would have been found
| by the Senator who should have thus ven
tured on the patience of his fellow mem
bers, that the experiment could not be safe
| ly repeated. The majority of our public
men of that day were of the same opinion
as to the objects of Congressional debate as
| Senator Fessenden, who, the other day,
| gave q short and admirable definition OF
what he thought debate should be. He
thought that 1.-THE proper. mode was to sift
and answer what was said"
How long this inappropriate style shall
continue to take the place of real debate
depends on public opinion, and we begin to
see symptoms of growing impatience oft
and disposition to honor those members
| of Congress who, like Mr.. Fessenden, speak
directly to the point, and really assist in the
transaction of the public business. Neither
in England nor in France would the read
ing OF speech be permitted in the nation
al assemblies. May the day speedily arrive
when our people will demand of their rep
resentatives, first, that they attend to the
working part OF their business, and second,
that when they do speak, they shall really
speak, and not read, and that in as concise
aud straightforward manner as possible
IN. Y. Evening Post. ...