The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1867-02-14
: Ashley and Stevens.

es of four leading Radicals, from "nicn
we take the following:
AS you enter the gallery of the House
Of Representatives and take q seat WIN
your back to the south, you face the en-
tire body, with the exception OF the
Speaker and the Clerks. On your, lett
hand is the mass of Radica3ism, which
controls the legislative action of the coun-
.try :. but this mass is SO large that 1T
ovuerHows and reaches to the right hand
of the main aisle, and encfoaches on the
Democratic preserves, 1 venture to say
that the first object which strikes the eye
of visitor thus located is round bunch
of hair, fiizzled and ringletted, long ana
flowing, and snrlmounting face which
resembles the picture of full moon IN a
Dutch almanac. Below the face IS a
large, rotund body, encased in severely
resnectable Black Clothes, Including q
cloth vest, which is energetically buttoned
IN, leaving a triangular space OF white
shirt.front, speckled with gold studs, and
draperied with black neck tie. This
obi,esct. it;wSo.thirds Of the time, is to be
seen e leaning back in chair, with its legs
stretched at full length under the desk in
front Of it, betraying in an apparently
ostentatious manner an amplitude OF al
defmaHic proportions in the way OF
stomachical storehouse, which is fearful
to contemplate. The face is dotted with
two brown eyes, which'twinkle laughing
~, and exert: On influence over it which,
added to the dimple in the chin and the
FOIL of fat underneath, makes it pleasant
to look at, The tout ensemble of this oblect
is suggestive Of Mell-to-do laziness, and
YOU involuntarily wonder whether the
man-for it is no OTHER than Gen. james;
NJ. Ashley, of Ohio, the 'sgreat impeach-
er'-is of the cold-blooded, passionlcss,
never ever-give-a-cent-to-anybody kind, OF if
he is as generous as he is big. There are
no whisi7ers on his face. and his complex
ion appears clammy. You expect to feel
Uriahh Heepish perspration and clammi-
ness in the grasp OF his hand; but 1t is
dry and warm. There is an appearance
of lack of warmth in him, and yet his
general outlines indicate generosity. He
is a bundle of contradictions in his gene
raj makeup, and there is only one deduc.
tion which follows with assurance from'
the most searching glance. When he is
in repose this deduction does not suggest
itself bat when the hand waves, or the
body moves, even laziIy, or the head
shakes and the curl y locks trembie, there
is unmistakablc indications that the man
is sef-coufident. if not selfconceited and
unscrupuously ambitious. When speak
ing, his gestures are little too slow to
be graceful, and he sometimes hold his
hands still at tul length from his body,
and wide open, with the palms upward,
as though waiting for a penny, or as If
he were afraid his hearers had not fully
cotnprehended him: He seldom turns his
he ad without also turning his body, and
performs this as liz does all other move
ments in slow, deliberate manner, full
of studied dignity. When he walks he
swings, not to the right and left, but
backward and forward, seemingly setting
his body down couple of inches at each
step, like country militia officer drilling
raw troops, and trying to make them
"kecp step" by firmly planting his own
hoofs on the ground in good "time."
When he speaks he can be heard in every
part of the chamber; but his voice is not
loud or deep. 1t Is lot ioally harsh, nor
is it shrill but it is pleasing compro-
mise, which salutes the ear distinctly but
codly and unconvincingly. There is a
selfsatishHd defiance III his tones, indica-
ting his own confidence in his assertions,
which does not carry conviction with it.
There is no magnetic or impassioned ora
tory at it's command which carries hear
ers away with enthusiasm, but his state-
ments find more than temporary lodg-
ment in the minds of his hearers, and
after time his arguments come bac X to
the meiGorry With additional force: 1 do
not think he has many warm friends; per-
sonally, but undoubtedly possesses. the
political confidence Of q large circle.
Pre-emincntly, he is the beau of radical
social circles in the city, or at least at
tenipts to BE: He talks with the ladies
as he would with children, very patron
izingly, and as if he expected them to be-
lieve all of histulsotne prnise and hdttery.
He is as vain of his ability in winning
the good graces of ladies as he is of his
political success, and that is saying u
gfeat deal: ,.
A few seats III the fear of Mr.. Ashley
sits d tall; slim man, with high aid
projecting; though narrow forehead
His eyebrows are bushy and overhanging
pair OF deep-set OPTICS dark brown in
color, and very pieftiiig In glance: His
hair is soft brown auburn, and it is
plainly evident that it has belonged to
somebody else some time or another, al
though it is now becomingly arranged on
the head of Thad. Stevens, the great
conmoneri' from Pennsylvania. His
check bones are prominent and sharp,
like those Of Scotchtnan or q Navajoe
Indian, while the flesh of his cheeks is
sunken and narrows down to square;
| d,aSdod chin Thnra 10 q doom linz In