The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1868-12-25
The United States Senate---What
IL Contrast

.st, u Contrast
"Mack," the former correspondent of
the Cincinnati Commercial, but now
managing editor of the Enquirer of
that city, is at present in Washington
engaged in writing letters to the latter
paper. The following sketch Of the
United States Senate, as he finds it to-
day, will be read with interest:
CARPET-BAGGERs.
Entering the gallery of the Senate
Chamber on Thursday afternoon, after
an absence of six months from its sa-
cred precincts, the first fact that forced
itself upon my notice was that the pro-
phetic utterance of Mr.. Seward as to
the "vacant chairs" had been almost
fulfilled. WeRll remembcr with what
touching pathos the venerable and va
riable Secretary alluded to these "va-
cant chairs" at an early stage of the late
sectional coolness," and how he hoped
the erring brethren would come back
and fill them. Well, the erring breth-
rem haven't come back to any percep-
tible extent, but the vacant chairs are
filled. nevertheless. And what +" fill"
is there, my countrymen!
There is no need of any searching in
vestigation into personal histories to re-
veal the style of men these carpct-bag-
gers are. 1t requires no very astute stu
dent of human nature to pick them out,
one by one, as they sit il seats to which
they have no more right than George
Francis Train to the British throne,
Gaddis to the kingdom of Heaven, or
Ben Butler to the spoons he stirs his
coffee with. You can tell them by a
look Of out-of-placeishness of which
they cannot dispOssess themselves, let
them try ever so hard. They are scat
tered on the outer edges Of the cham
ber-here and there wherever seat
could be found, or room made to put
one in. The position was to them gift
ton against looking such an animal in
the mouth. So Warner, Of Alabama,
squats cOntentedly and Obscurely on the
extreme right, and feebly bellows about
"the people of my State" Directly OPP
posite, and so near the door that he is
apt to be mistaken for a messenger, one
of the "honorabc members from Ar
kansas" unfolds himself to public gaze,
and every now and then rises to present
a petition from constituency lie never
saw, and in behalf of n State lie never
lived in. And so OH to the end Of the
chapter. But the carpet-baggcrs of the
. Senate will soon deserve pity instead
Of contempt.
When the first flush of rccOnstruc.
tionary enthusiasm is over, they will
cease to have the respect even Of the
radicals, whose political offspring they
are. "" How do you like the carpet.
baggers!" said to radical Senator
yesterday. "Oh, they have behaved a!
well rs could be expected" said he, put
ting into his tone good Geal more thai
, was in his words, and which l'corstrueC
in the form of an appendix thus: "The,
must keep their peace, and not put OF
any airs, or we'll teach them manners.
1t is said that Sumner makes them keel
very respectful distance from him
and denies them that freedom of inter
course which they were led to cXpcc
from the great apostle of equal rights
and the incxtinguishablc yclper for uni
versal suffrage. The fact is. Sumner il
disappointed and chagrined that the,
are all white-and it must be agreed
that slight mixture of black would b,
, a great Improvement on the class o
men that have been chosen thus far
Garrett Davis said II year ago that moth
ing would reconcile him TO negro sut
frage as soon as the election of frs
class and intelligent negro to succeed
Mr.. Sumner, and on the same principl,
think the substitution of black Sena
tors for white carpet-baggers would b.
step in the right direction.
So much for the carpet-baggers, bu
: what of the Senate as a body! You will
search history in vain, through its peace
. full as we'll as its revolutionary pages
to find parallel for the degcneracv o
that body, in all the attributes that fit i
TO make laws for great nation, or tina
should command for it the respect an,
, veneratiOn of a great people. Compar
the Senate of ten years ago with Tn
Senate of to-day, and the difference j
very great indeed; date the comparison
ten years further back and there cease
to be any resemblance, except in tn
name. A fit inscription for the entranc
door of the Chamber of 1868 was writ
ten long ago to express the decay of viI
tue and greatness in the representativ
{ of one of Rome's great men: .St0t mag
az nOminis unabra"-It stands the sha
, dow of mighty name. There is eX
tant an engraving entitled the Unite
States Senate in 1850, which tells tn
whole story when viewed in the light @
! to-day. 1t represents Henry Clay in til
i delivery of one of those powerful
speeches which always commanded til
, attention of the floor and the wrapt ad
) miration of the galleries. His associate
t are closely gathered about him as if
catch every word that falls from his lips
! 1t is easy to recognize Calhoun, Wei
| ster Benton and Douglass in the groul
They are all gone now, and who hav
taken their places? For Calhoun W
have carpet-bagger, around who's
name there is said to be halo unenvia
!, BILE to honest men, and not unconnecte
4 with sheriffs, penitentiaries and the lik'
: For the dignity and grandeur of Wei
f ster we have the classic idiocy of Sun
+ ner, or the inelegant inanity of Wilson
!, For the culture and craftsmanship {
I Benton we have the boreous and sonC
Y rous emptiness of Drake and for Dol
glass, the bold champion of popuo
Ia.