Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1869-12-23
hibited the amplitude Of his powers
and the intensity Of his nature.


and the intensity Of his nature.
Skepticism and infitlelity were for
cign to his mental constitution.
Thoughtful and sincere. with charac-
terist'c independence Of crceds and
traditions, his was nature to feel the
religious sentiment strongest as it
dwclIs apart in the silence Of the soul
In his recent touching eulogy here Of
his cherished friend. with whom he
had long been associated. are to be
found utterances of his profound faith
in God and Of the Christians hope Of
endless and more exalted life.
Among the distinguished characters
who shall illustrate the annals of our
tssnssuAistory wiIl .aseign him 4 con-
spicuous place, Through al his pub
lie life and services, there shines the
lustre of a gifted and noble manhood,
of a tried patriotism, and Of disinter-
ested devotion 70 worthy ends aud
aims. A steady leader, safe counsell-
or. pure and Onsiderate patriot, an
eminent statesman. q true man and
friend, has gone to his reward.
Mn. SCMSER of Massachusetts fol-
lowed Mr.. i.orrill. lie said =
A seat in the Chamber is vacant
But this is avery inadequate expression
for the present occasion. Much more
than seat Is vacant. There is a old
difficult to measure, as it will be dlili-
cult to fill Always eminent from the
beginning, Mr.. Fessen,len during these
latter years became So large apart Of
the Senate that without him it seems
To be different body. His guiding
his ready power, his presence
50 conspicuous in DEBATE, are gone,
taking away from this Chamber that
identity which it received 50 largely
from him.
- soe-Abe-present Senate one only
besides myself witnessed his entry into
this Chamber. cannot forget it. He
came in the midst of that terrible de-
bate on the Kansas and Nebraska bill
by which the country was convulse1 10
its centre. and his arrival had the effect
of 4 rc-cutorcc nent on a field Of battle.
Those who stool for freedom then were
lew In numbcr-nut more than ii
while }! senator, in solid ,lumn voted
to break the faith originally plighted
10 freedom aud to oyerturn time
honotcd landmark, opening that vast
Mcsopotamlan region to the curse of
slavery. Those anxious DAYS are with
difficulty comprehendcd by Senate
where freedom rules. One more in
our small number was sens ible iddi-
tion. We were no longer "a, but Is.
Iii, reputation at the ba,. and his fame
in the other House gave assurance
which va, PIvaIptiy SUSTAINED. liz
did not wait, but at once entered into
the debate with all those resources
which afterwards became so famous
The scene that ensued exhibited his
readiness and courage. While saving
that the people Of the North were
fatl.ueI with the threat of disuuion-
that they considered il a. ..mere noise
and nothing elsc," be was interrupted
bv Mr.. Butler OF South Carolina, al
ways ready TO speak for slavery, TX
claiming. IF such sentiments a,
Yours prevail want dissolution right
ava, a characteristic intrusion dub.
III out of oritr-tp which the ne ~
conner rejoincl do not delay il on
my account 4; do not ielay 1t on account
OF ANYBODY At the Norih." The effect
was electric; but thsz incident was n /
alone. Douglas, Cass. and Butler
Interrupted only to be worsted by one
who had jtist ridden into the lists. rne
feelings Of the other side were express
ell BY the senator from South Carolina,
who sftef one Of the flashes Of debate
which he had provoked exclaimed -
Very well, go on; have no hope vi
YOU" All tns will be found in the
Globe, precisely as give it, but the
Globe could not picture the exci,in.
scene-the scnatoI from II aine erect,
firm. imGaovable as jutting pro:non-
tory "a gainst which the waves OF ocean
tossed and broke IN dis s,oiving spray.
There he stool. Not u senator, loving
freedom. who did not feel on that day
that champion had come.
This scene, SO brilliant in character,
illustrates Mr. Fessenden's long career
III the Senate. All present were moved,
while those at distance were less
affected. His speech, which was ar
gumentattNe. direct and pungent, ex-
ertcd more influence on those who
heard IT than Oh those who only read it,
indicating his place as debater rather
than orator. This place he held to the
end without superior-without peer.
Nobody could match him in immediate
and incisive reply. His words were
swift and sharp as a ciIneter, or. bor-
rowing an illustration from an opposite
quarter. he ''shot flying" and with un-
erring aim. But while this great talent
secured for him always the tirst honors
of debate, it was less i'm, ortant with
the country, which, except in rare in
stances, is more impressed BY ideas
ana by those forms in which truth is
manifest.
The Senate has changed much from
its original character, when, shortly
after the formation Of the national gov
ernment, Nova Scotia paper, while
that the habits Of the people
here are very favorable to oratory,
could say: There is but one assem-
bly, in tile whole range Of the Federal
Union in which oratory is deemed un-
and, l believe, even absurd
and obtrusive; 70 wit, the Senate. or
Upper House Of Congress. They are
merely a deiberative meeting, in which
every man delivers his concise opinion,
one leg over the other, as they did in
the First Congress, when an harangue
was q great rarity" United States
Gazette, Philadelphia, D.c. 81 1889. !