Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-03-25
MI. FEssEyDEY, OF MAINE.

M. FEssESDEY, OF MAINE.
II the canine species were entitled to
sue and be sued in the courts OF the
United States, as will probably be the
case under some future civil rights bill,
Mr. Wendell Phillips would be in great
danger Of an action Of damages for
styling Mr.. Fessenden "bull terrier"
1t is such slander on that noble animal
that gfbwls so little and bites so much as
can only be accounted for or excused on
the ground of the total ignorance OF the
canicular nature on the part of him who
utters il. If Mr.. Fessenden must be
likened unto dog, let it be one Of that
kind whose teeth are often shown but
never felt; who snarls and barks when
approached at a distance, but crouches
and wags his tail when one gets close to
him-which, being translated into poll
tics, means, who fercely opposes ex-
treme measures when first proposed, as
Mr.. Fessenden did with negro suffrage
and the territorial" " heresy, but rather
likes them and always votes for them
when the yeas aud nays are called. A
"bull terrier" wouldn't have done that.
He would have throttled Sumner right
at the Capitol gate, instead of snarllng
at him at long range and finally jump
ing into his lap. Then, as TO impeach'
ment-Fessende barked at that too
when it first showed itself, out, having
seen it often, and become familiar with
its face, he first endured, then licked, and
now embraces it. Call yon that bull
terrier?. Methinks ! hear all the bull
terriers in christendom yelp the slander
back into the very teeth of the distin-
guished orator who gave it breath.
But it so happens that man may be
very much of q statesman and yet not
much of bull-terrier-which is Mr.. Fes-
senden's condition exactly. Party dis
cipline is so strong in these days that he
who played the bull.terrier too much
would soon fud himself without any
bones to pick. Mr.. Fessenden does what
he can to make his party act for the best
interests of the country; but failing in
this, as he generally does, he initiates
the example of Vallandigham and Stan
ton--"yields to superior force wheels
into line and votes with his colleagues.
He may be called conservative Repub-
licap, which is a man who swears the
thing is wrong yet does it, and justifies
himself in the belief that as q choice of
evils between that and Democracy he is
choosing the least. Fessenden's strong
est point, and the one from which he has
acquired all the reputation he has, is his
power of extemporaneous debate. lie
will come into the Senate in the morning,
without moments preparation, listen
to manuscript speech, and reply to it
with as much force and pith and at as
great length as another who had studied
over the question for the week. While
others are making big preparations for a
great debate on reconstruction, he is
playing whist-a way in which he is said
to spend most of his evenings, though
YOU wouldn't think so to hear him on the
floor next day. But, like most other
men who devote little or no time to study,
and rely too much upon the inspiration
of the moment, he is better at tearing
down another's edifce than in building
up one of his own. He must have some
thing to speak at, or somebody to reply
to, or he won't speak at all. He can vi
tuperate against the scholarly idiocy of
Sumner, or the roaring rant of Wade, or
the unpublished ribaldry of Chandler, and
never appears to such good advantage as
when he is splitting nitric acid at one or
the other of these gentlemen. He has a
wonderful faculty, too, of being able to
insult an opponent grossly, and yet keep
within the limits of parliamentary deco
rum. By little periphrasis, which is
always at his tongues end, he can call
any Senator fool or a scoundrel, and If
the Senator gets mad and calls him to
order, he will add insult to injury by
saying that he is not responsible either
for the gentleman conscience or the
duIness Of comprehension which applies
what he is saying to any Senator on this
floor. His disclaimer, instead of bring
ing the plaster, rubs the sore, and makes
gangrene of what was only scratch.
In personal appearance Mr.. Fessenden
is not prepossessing. He is about the
medium hight, with a fine head covered
with gray hair, high forehead, proml-
nent nose, and mouth and chin which
tell of firmness and determination, &C
cording to the physiognomists He is
very careless of his dress, which is often
slovenly and has the look of having been
slept in. He has not been in good health
for some years. He is said to be con
frmed dyspeptic, which will perhaps
account for his crossness and Grabbed
ness of disposition-qualities for which
he is remarkable in his intercourse with
Senators on the floor and elsewhere. He
inherits his brains from his father, who
was noted man in New England poll
tics many years ago, and who during the
war of 1872 made speech in the Massa-
cbusetts Legislature, in which he pro-
posed to "go to Washington with the
sword in one hand and the Constitution
in the other, and demand that this un-
righteous war shall cease" Rank Cop
perheadism that-but the old snti-war
Federalists look like great patriots
through the mist of half century.
Fessenden is sixty-one years OF age-a
native of New Hampshire. DE has been
in Congress since 1910, when be entered
the lower House as Wing. DE IS now
serving his third six.year term In the
Senate, and will probably represent his
State in that body as long as he lives and
chooses to remain in public life. De is
warmly pressed as candidate for Vice
President with Gen. Grant, but ! suppose
Ben. Wade will distance all competitors
for that position.
ooxKLISG, OF NEW YORK.
Here is unquestionsbly the finest look
ing man in the Senate-more than six
feet in hight, well proportioned, hand
some face, reddish hair, which Is always
curled into an exquisite top-knot in front,
and parted aud conbed with mathemat-
cal precision. It's no wonder the ladies
always inquire who be is when they see
him for the first time. be IS always
tastefully dressed, and there is about him
an air OF studied neatness, which smacks