The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-11-30

| ration - do not remember having ever
] tainted away or having even been moved 20
tears Of joyful PRIDE az sight of anv lesisla.
| tive body. have borne the House of Commons
| IKE man, aud have yielded to 10 weakness
out slumber in the House of Lords. Ihave seen
| elccnons for borough and county, and have
| never been impelled (no matter which party
| WON to damage my bat by thro wing it up into
tne ar In triumph, or to crack my voice by
shouting forth any reference TO our glorious
Constitution, to the noble purity of our inde-
| pendent voters, or the unimpeachable integrity
OF our Independent members. Having wthstood
such strong attacks upon my fortltude, il is
| possible that may be of a cold and insensible
temperament amounting TO Ciness, i'm such
matters; and therefore my impressions of the
| live pillars of the Capitol at Washington must
be received with such grains alo vance as this
| free confession may seem to demand.
Did see in this public body an assemblage
| OF men bound together in the sacred names of
| Liberty and Freedom, aud so asserting
the cbaste dignity OF these twin goddesses, in
ell their discussions as to eXalt at once the
| eternal principles to which their names are
| given, and their own character, and the charac-
| ter of their countrymeD, in the admiring eyes of
the whole world
1t was but week since au aged, grey-haired
man, lasting honor to the land that gave him
birth, who has done good service to his country,
as his torefathers did, and who will be remem.
bered scores upon scores of years after the
worms bred in its corruption are but so many
Grains of dust-it was but week since this old
man had stood for days upon his trial before
this very body, charged with having dared to
assert the iniamy of that traffic which has for
its accursed merchandise men and women and
their unborn children, Yes. Aud publicly
exhibited in the same city all the while gilded
framed, and glazed hung up for general admit
ration, shown to strangers 0ot with shame, but
PRIDE its face not turned towards the wall
itself not taken down and burned, is the Unant
nous Declaration of the Thirteen United States
OF America, which solemnly declares that All
Men are created Equal and are endowed by
their Creator with the Inalienable Rights OF
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness
II was not month since this same BODY
had sat calmly by, and heard a man, one of
themselves, with oaths which beggars in
their drink reject, threaten to cut another's
throat from ear to ear. There he sat among
them; not crushed by the general feeling
of the assembly, but as good man az auy.
There was but week to come, and another
OF that body, for doing his duty to those who
sent him there; for claiming in republic the
liberty and freedom of expressing their senti-
ments, and making known their prayer; would
be tried, found guilty, and have strange Censure
passed upon him by the rest. His was grave
otiense indeed; tor years before, he had risen up
and said, "a gang of male aud female slaves for
sale, warranted TO breed like cattle, linked to
each other by iron tetters, are passing now along
the open street beneath the windows OF your
Temple of Equality Look ~ But there are
many kinds OF hunters engaged in the pursuit of
happiness and they go variously armed. 1t is
the inalenable right of come among them to
take the field after their happiness, equipped
with cat and cartwhip, stocks and iron collar
and to shout their view halloa always in pra Sc
OF hberty) to the mnsic of clanklng chains and
bloody stripes.
Where sat the many Legislators of coarse
threats, of words and blows such as coal-heayers
deal upon each other when they forget their
breeding? On every side. Every session had
its anecdotes of that kind, and the actors were
all there.
Did l recognize in this assembly body of
men who, applying themselves in new world
to correct some of the falsehoods and vices of
the DID, purified the avenues to public life, paved
the dirty ways to place and power, debated and
made laws tor the common good, ana had no
party but their country?
saw IN them the wheels that move the mean
est perVersion of vlrtuous political machinery
that the worst tools ever wrought. Dcspicable
with public officers; cowardly attacks
upon opponents, with scurrllous newspapers
for Shields and hired pens for daggers; shame
full trucklings to mercenary knaves whose claim
to be considered is, that every day and week
they sow new crops of ruin with their venal
types which are the dragons teeth OF yore IN
everythn but sharpness; aidings and abettngs
of every bad inclination in the popular mind,
and artlul suppressions OF all Its good influences;
such things as these, and, in word, Dishonest
Faction in its most depraved and mCst unblush-
ing form, stared out from every corner of the
crowded hall,
Did see among them the intelligence and
refinement the true, honest patriotic heart of
America Here and there were drops of its
blood and life, but they scarcely cOlored the
stream of desperate adventures which sets
that way for profit and for pay. 1t Is the game
oil these men, and of their prohigate organs,
to make the strife OF politics so fierce and
brutal, and SO destructive of all seltrespect in
worthy men, that sensitive and delicatemnded
persons shall be kept aloof, and they, and such
as they, be left to battle out their selfish views
unchecked. And thus this lowest of all scram-
bling fights goes on, and they who in other
countries would, from their intelligence and
station most aspire to make the laws, do here
recoil the furthest from that degradation.
That there are among the representatives of
the people IN both Houses, and among all
parties, some men OF high character and
great abilities, need not say. The foremost
among those politicians who are known in
Europe have been already described, and
see ne reason to depart from the rule have
laid down for my guidance, of abstaining
sufficient to add, that to the most favorable ac-
counts that have been written of them more
than fully ard most heartily subscribe; aud that
personal intercourse and tree communication
have bred within me, not the result predicted in
the very doubtful proVerb, but increased admi-
ration and respect. They are striking men to
look at, hard to deceive, prompt to act, lions in
energy, CrightOns in varied accomplishments,
Indians in fire of eye and gesture Americans in
strong and generous impulse; aud they as well
represent the honor and wisdom of their coun-
uy at home as the distinguished gentleman who
is now It's minister at the British Court sustains
its highest character abroad.
| visited both Houses nearly every day
during my stay in Washington. On my
| initiatory visit to the House of Representa-
| tlyes, they divided against decision of the
| chair; but the chair won. The second time
| Wenk the member who was speaking, being
| interrupted by laugh, mimicked it., as one
| child would in quarrelling with another, and
| added, 'that he would make honorable gentle
| men opposite sing out little more on the other
| side of their mouths presently" But Interrupt
| tions are rare; the speaker being usually heard
| in silence. There are more quarrels than with