The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1868-12-09
+urn to ,he defence of their country"

The Confederate Congress re-;isse1hoieu
at Richmond in August, 1862, TO enter
upcn prolonged term OF existence, which,
FIR some time, was scarcely more than
drearv servitndc to Mr. Davis.
The appearance of the Congress was
singularly plain and uniniposing. 1T was
mostly composed of men who were rs or
dina,y in appearance as they were dull in
mind It's surroundings were excessively
democratic, dingy and dirty, and the
poverty of the Contederacy scarcel Y at.
fo, ded those conveniences and accesso-
ries. if not Injuries, which one is accus-
toned TO sec in the halls of ourlegislation.
The Congress sat in tic estate House,
and such was the want Of convenient
room, that the Senate was forced to oc-
cupy room in the third story, separated
by simple railing from the audience;
the only apparent distinction between 1t
and the rough crowd Qor there was no
accommodation for ladies) being that the
Senators sat, while the listeners and
loatcrs. having not even benches. were
satisfied to find standing room on the
same floor. with the slight separation we
have described The House had Il better
chamber; but the bare walls, where there
were no paintings, the uEcush!oned chalrs,
the dingy desks, slashed with pocket
knives, and the attitudes OF members, with
their heels in the air, or their bodies
sprawled over two or three chairs, gave
one but little idea OF Legislative dignity or
decOrum.
There were not moro than half dozen
men in both Houses who were before
known 10 the country, or had enjoyed
reputation hundred miles from lone
There were Congressmcn from districts
ovcrrun by the enemy, who bad been
elected by few dozen OF soldiers votes
cast in camp 1t was absurd to find Sen
alors and Representatives, from Missouri,
Arkansas, Louisiana, etc: holding their
seats by virtue OF Il handful OF votes cast
bv soldiers from these respective States,
in the camps of the Army OF Northern
Virginia Among these unworthy mcm-
bers of Congress were some rldicuous
figures, and not few rustic curlositics,
who suggested the backwoods and the
sedcc-ticds The men who relieved some
thing OF the rude and udicrous aspect OF
the body had generally served before IN
the cid Congress ut Washington; but il
was often remarked that even they APP
pearcd TO have lost their former force and
dignity, and to have been bcitlled by the
company in which they were misplaced.
There were OF remarkable members III the
II,u>c MI Fuolc. Nlio spoke classical
English. and dealt historical illustrations
to tic unapprccaling homespuu, mem
bcrs IL voIuLle dcLa,er, Tut afflicted with
extravaganza and Il colicky delivery;
William rolcher Miles, oi so"ti' Carolina.
smooth, 4entleinanly, scrupulousl y dress
Cd, master Of department, dcprecatins
anything like violence in speech or man-
ner Barks'lae, of Mississippi, tie especial
friend and champion OF Mr.. Davis, the
leader OF the Administration party in the
House, small, durk-leatured man, who
spoke so vehemenlIy as sometimes to
overrun the rules OF grammar, but really
forciblc, dealing rude blows with facts aud
solid arguments In the Senate were
Yanccy, of Alabama, the slver-tongued
orator of the South, speaking q subdued
but uxurant language, quite unlike that
of the American hustings; Wigtall, OF
Texas, fierce, inpatient, incandesccnt, IL
lustraling another school Of eloquence;
Orr, of South Carolina III excellent man
in the committee-room, but as heavy and
laundering asa school boy in his speeches;
and Hill. OF Georgia, the very picture OF
!, smooth and plausible mediocrity, having
much of address and Of gentlemanly
equivocatons, incining to the admins
tration of the President, but at an angle
nice and variable in degrees.
In body chiefly composed of uncuti
vatcd mcn--to which have been mem
toned as exceptions the names above
there might naturally be expected some
breaches Of decorum and some scenes OF
personal violence. Indeed, several most
extraordinary scenes of this sort occurred
in the Confederate Congress, which were
either suppressed in the newspapers, or
were but mcagrely and tendery mention
cd in their columns.
The newspapers were generally taught
an obligation to put all Confederate af-
fairs in the color ot' The rose, and TO dress
them up in the stitfest garments of dig
nifty. To relate anything prcjudicial TO
the Confederacy, to mention even de-
rogatory social incident, was TO incur in
the minds of cvrtan vain and paltry, but
numerous persons in The South, the
charge of publishing ''contraband" mat
ter, or of at least lacking in proofs OF
Southern patriotism. 1t WAS thus, to an
extent, that the reader Of this day eau
scarcc!y y believe that public opinion in the
Southern Contederacy was dsarmed, and
wretched Congress passed almost un-
challenged and unnoticcd through a his
tory of vile cxcesses and tlagitious scenes.
But there is yet something TO be said
of this Congress, of serious historical I'M
porlancc. In another part OF this article
VIC have referred TO some exceptional
animation in il toward the end OF the war.