The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1866-03-08
Fhe eAl1eghan1an.
THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 1866.
EDITORIAL correspondence.
WASHINGTON, FEB. 28, 1866.

or several distinguished members OF the
XXXIXth Congress; and shall in our
present continue these notices. Among
the men of note who occupy a prominent
position in the present House, We may
name Hon. n 2. Banks. He is a dis
tineuished man, and has won that distinc
tion for himself; by his own unaiGed
exertions, he has placed himself among the
foremost statesmen Of the country. He
commenced life as factory boy in Mass
achusetts, and it is among our early rec
ollection of him tina! be was called "the
Bobbin Boy of Waltham." Mr.. Banks
entered public lite when quite young
man, and took at once quite an Influential
position. In politics he was q Democrat,
but to be a Democrat then meant some
thing more than following the wicked
behests of slavery; and when the Demo
cratic party left sits time-honored princi-
pies, he left it,. Dir. Banks has held many
high positions in civil life, in all of which
he served with eminent Distinction
He was twice eectedSpeaker of the House
of Representatives of his native State.-
He also was chosen President of the Con-
stitutional Convention of Massachusetts
In 1853, which was composed of such men
as Charles Sumner, Henry Wilson, Rob't.
C. Winthrop, Judge Allen, Charles Fran
els Adams, and many other men of like
eminenee. He has been several times
elected to Congress, and was, as all know,
after very protracted contest, once elec-
ted Speaker of that body. Twice, he was
chosen Governor of the old Bay State,
which position he filled to the entire sat
isfaction of his party and to the general
acceptance of the people. On the break
ing out of the rebellion, he offered his
services to his country, and during the
darkest period of that great conflict, he
was in the field battling for the right.
His military career has been censured,
but Mr.. Lincoln was wont to say of him,
'.Najor General Banks gives me less
trouble than almost any ether officer in
the army" If he was not always success
full, he was not alone in that. Mcclellan,
Burnside, Butler, Meade, and even fight
ing Joe Hooker, sometimes failed, and
some of their failures we're worse than any
that overlook General Banks. He has
now returned to civil life, and, as we have
said, is a member of the present House.
He sits near the Speakers desx, but
Immediately on his left. Heis medium
sized man, some fifty years of age, and
stands erect He retains the locks of his
youth, although plentifully besprinkled
with gray. He has clear, musical voice,
rarely speaks unless he has something to
say, and then generally carries his point
He is known to be one of the best parlia-
mentarians in Congress, and exerts COM
handing influence over his brother mem
bers. We predict useful and prosperous
future for him.
Massachusetts has another SELF made
man of hers on the floor of the present
Congress, in the person of Hon. George
S. Boutwell,, the representative from the
7th District of that State. Mr.. Boutwell,,
like Mr. Banks, received no more aid In
his early training than is offered by the
Common Schools Of that Commonwealth.
He commenced business IL early life as a
clerk, in a country store in the town of
Greton, where he afterward for number
of years carried on business for himself,
aul where he still resides. He was regu-
larly returned to the Legislature from that
town for a number of consecutive years,
and served his constituents well, manifest
testing always much candor, and good
deal of ability, tact and industry. He, also,
was then Democrat, and abandoned the
party when it went over to the cohorts of
slavery. IL 1850 and in 1851, Mr.. Bout
we'll was elected Governor by the Coali
tinn party, as it was called that is, by
union between the Democrats and Free
soilers in the Legislature, there being no
choice for Governor by the people. The
result of this union placed NJ. Boutwell,
in the Gubernatorial chair, Charles Sum-
ner in the United States Senate, Mr.. Banks
in the Speakers chair of the House, and
Mr.. Henry Wilson in the Presidential
chair of the State Senate. Mr.. Boutwell,
was twice elected Governor. AT the close
of his Gubernatorial term, he retired,
from nnhlic life but he was