Smyrna times., 1867-02-27
The Leader of the Honse.

The following gossip, from the Washington
correspondence Of the Rochester Uen0crut
pleasantly discOurses concerning the prominent
Republican members Of the lower House of
Congress =
The want Of clear healthy, robust, whole,
some and leading intellect in Congress- was
never more visible than now. The men are
nearly all of the transition era Thaddcus
Stevens, by his faith and large vision, belongs
to the near lmplnging future. But he is man
OF moods, which through the failing strength
of increasing age, obtain control and make him
wayward, sometimes bitter, generally desp0nd-
ent Banks is not believed in to a very great
extent. He has not the simple sincerity of
true greatness. Intellectually there is too
much lOOseneSS. He seeks occasion for dra-
matte surprises, as on Friday last when we
materially aided to defeat the previous dues-
ton by an oracular announcement of possible
! arInOny, only to give us an hour and hall Of
sounding sentences next morning. wound up
with a presentation Of his old idea of separate
State reconstruction, beginning with Louisi-
ana, which, if it had been offered last session,
might have been accepted, but Is now like COW
lug human nakedness with hg leaves. Ray
mOnd is but a graceful intellectual acrobat, who
halts between two opinions, not daring to take
nor believing in either. His face is type Of
u.
The eyes are snaky. The nose is a weak, un-
decided feature, sort of enlarged pug, while
the mouth and jaws are sensual and uncer-
tain. He looks the trimmer he is, and cannot
lead any one, even himself. Schenck is de-
clded man, but too cOmbative not a man of
creative faculty, but OF details and adminlstra-
ton. Garheld IS intellectually loose -iOintcd. -
1 mere are good many crevices in his BRAIN
but on the whole he is an eloquent and earnest
man. AS for John A. Bingham, who far
more than other men desires 10 lead he is a
sOured, disappointed dyspectic. if not a man
grown lnslneere by jealous egotism With n
great deal OF legal lore and elonmenco so,pe
passion and fervor and distinct IDEAS. he ia af,
ter all only special pleader whose want of
physical health renders him morbidlv netnIant
and impatient OF all opinions but his own
Gov. Boutwell,, OF Massachusetts, is perhans
the man OF all others In the House most deser.
wing Of the title of Statesman. Yet he is hnt
an Indifferent Parliamentary leader. and de-
mands great occasion to rouse him tn tba
full measures of his capacities. He can affect
a result when the contest is well under wav
but as rule will weary over details. He i,
good rs a reserve to charge finally. judge
Wilson, of Iowa, his colleague on the Judicia
ry, is an excellent leader on subjects belong
ing to his committee. He has compact wei
stored brain, an exec lent debater, thinks wei
and rapidly on his legs, and has a terse, clio
auent diction. Iowa has another man on tn,
floor, Kasson, who is decidedly the best practi
cal debater and legislator among the younge
men. Of all the men now in the House, ant
think the majority are above the average in
tellect, Samuel Shellabarger, of Ohio, seems t,
pcs less the best balanced mind and the larges
amount Of coumon sense. He hasshown him