The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1869-04-28

/ SENATOR SPRAGUE.-The late scathing speech o
Senator sprague, of Rhode Island, delivered in tht
United States Senate, against the Radical party, ha
given him such prominence that anything in relation
to him and his speeches is eagerly sought Tor Dor
Piatt, the Radical correspondent of the Cincinnati
Commercial gets off the following in regard to him:
| This gentleman, who has occupied, with becoming
punctuality his chair in the Senate for years, saying
little nothing has suddenly broken out III an orator
ical way more astonishing than pleasant.
After closing my letter yesterday, passed over to
the Senate Chamber and found the Senator in OF
his spasms of talk. He is not distinguished by his per
sonal get up, not attractive from his graces OF oraory
Small of stature, and very slender, he throws his little
round skull forward from bis shoulders like the figure
head of vessel, and jerks his words out in crack
whip sort of way that is made yet more striking by
| the jerky gestculaon with which he accompanies
them. He reminds one of that feeble minded Tite
Barnacle by continual contest with his gold-rimmed
eye glasses that will not remain on his nose.
He was attacking the Providence Journal, that had
said that the Senator's close application to his business
had made him unhappy. The reference was well I'M
derstoOd and the paper said IN the midest way pre-
csely what bis brother Senators thought and the pub
lie openly asserted, and that is, that the honorable lit
tie Senator is not in his RICH mind These are the
sort of stories in circulation about Washington. 1t is
said that the Senator is mad.
Hearing these, must say somewhat aston
shed while listening to the little Senator from the lit
tie State. He was not talking like lunatc by any
manner of means. His address not the most pol
ished or in the best TASTE but it full Of meaning
statistical facts and what consider sound sense. Do
you know after reading the results of David A Wells
igation, and being well aware myself of the I'M
happy condition of the country, the shrill, clear
nest voice of the Senator, coming up from such
strange place. sounded to like the inspired Cassan
dra foreteng ruin and disaster.
Sprapue and his brother are said be worth
over thirty millions. lie is the head-the business
manager and guide in the vast operations that involve
and countless huge factories and thousands of
aborers and yet here he is crying out ruin, and
warning that our financial polity means bankruptcy
He may be insane, but for all that he uters deal of
good sense He said yesterday " | am not troubled
about my private affairs. They are we'll enough l
have what have through process that has crushed
Others engaged in the same pursuits as myself"
OF course he needs not trouble himself We have
legsated that money takes care of itself ard makes
money The small capitalists and mechanics and
laborers alone suffer. The rich grow richer and the
poor poorer.
The Radical correspondent of the Chicago Times,
thus handles him:
To see Gen. sprague, Senator spraguc, and the mil
onaire Sprague, he sits in Congress, would proba
bly, be dsappontmentto you. We build out of our
notion Of warrior, rich man, and politician the figure
of large, broadshouldered, full stomached man, with
gold SEALS look OF command, and commercial man.
Of expediting business. Mr. Sprague is altogether
different You little, narrow shoudered smooth
faced boy not five feet five inches high with an
eye glass; bashfu manner, quite alone and reserved
sitting in responding way low in his chair tearing up
bits of paper having the appearance Of young dvn-
ty student No enthusiasm, corresponding to his boy
shness is revealed in his face. He and Senator Ross
Who sits beside him, the least frequent speakers in
he House. We have got over the notion of expect
ng much from him, and say g Little Rhody' and
Little Spragce,' like correative terms It was.
therefore,, with surprise that, last Friday we saw this
Iuct little man come out in the aisle and tackle the
treat legal question of the tenure of office, with an
original and vehement aggressiveness which was as
TRANCE in manner as it was inexplicable in motive
There he had been sitting silent during seven years
Vow he rose and delivered attack upon the age the
aw, the Constitution, the war, the Senate and human
ociety. There has been nothing like it exemplifed
history or in fiction, except perhaps the celebrated
evolt OF Oliver Twist against Noah Claypole and
}eadle Bundle So homogeneous, so queer aud vet so
uggestive speech have never heard delivered in
he Senate. It was so odd that Nye's review of it
Which followed seemed very dry humor, the subject
Re aimed to ridcule being humorous beyond satire.
he of Senator Sprague, in making this speech
'as aggressive and spirited like long FESTIVE un
er the chatting of invisible woes He walked into the
isle, looked squarely into the faces of those whom he
opposed his various periods fitted and made such as
he progressed that blank faces greeted
is peroration, which not Nye could stir with a
ugh.