The Portland daily press., 1870-07-25
Closing scenes in Congress.

lfrom the Washington Correspondent of the n. Y.
Tribune.l
One thing l did not like. 1t was the little
burst of applause in the House, following the
announcement of the declaration of war be-
tween Prussia and France. After our expe-
rience of what war is, with the clear knowl-
edge that war between two such gigantic
powers must bring infinite losses, sorrows and
agones in its train, this involuntary express
sion of pleasure struck me as strangely
throughtless, if not absolutely cruel. thank
ed God at that moment, that was woman,
and not politician, not a capitalist, not a
soldier, even. But if ,cere man, and the
war must be, Il know pretty well whom 1
should hurrah for; il were a soldier, know
whom would prefer to fight for, "which his
name" isn't Louis Napoleon.
Up to the last, the four leaders, Butler,
Dawes, Schenck and Bingham, were very
prominent and busy: but the great sursing,
roaring, unwieldy mob refused to be led, even
by them. Of these, Mr.. Schenck has seemed
to me to be most steadily gaining ground as a
leader. He is not so sharp and belliserent as
Butler, not so fiery and persistent as Bing-
ham, not so omnipresent, il as ambitious, as
Dawes, but he has clear, practical sense.
readiness, decision and drive, in argument.
and when controlling naturally irascble
temper, always commands a most respectful
attention.
Though our beloved Representatives broke
up their long pow.wow at last, with shouts
and clapping of hands, like set of liberated
school-boys, the moment of their pouring out
of the doors in SO many laughing, rollicking
streams, was to me solemn with the thought
that grim Death, all unseen, made one of that
merry company; that he would see to it, as
he saw to it last year, as he sees to it every
year, that some voice would be silent on the
next rOll-call, some seat would be vacant on
the next assembling day. We shall miss them
all, some of them doubly as personal friends
and public entertainers. We liked to over
look them at their daily work. They never
seemed to be doing heavy business, but,
doubtless, it fatIgued them almost as much as
it amused us. We shall miss, especially, the
soldierly Banks and the beaming Garfield, the
earnest Julian and our own faithful Kelley
and O'Nell, and genial Hamilton Ward, and
the courteous Judd, in whose pleasant face
the white and ruddy contend, like perpetual
war of the Roses
In the Senate it has for some time been sad
to mark the vacant chair of Mr. Brownlow,
who has gone to Tennessee, sick; and that
of the gallant and handsome young Missis-
sippi Senator, who has gone to Massachu-
setts, sick-of single life. There were for a
while that we were to lose Senator McCreery,
that Kentucky wanted her favorite son for
home-consumption contemplated making a
Governor of him. But we were soon tran
quilted by the assurance that he had de.
clined the profered honor, as sternly as so
good -natured man can decline ANYTHING. l
doubt whether he would walk across Pennsyl-
vania avenue on hot day to be made Chief.
Justice, or don fashionable coat, a clean
dickey and neat neck-tic, to be sent to the
court Of st. James. What it is to be popu.
lar, to be sure! And this reminds me of lit
tie scene in Yankee country lie. A nice,
comfortable old lady, filling well her rocking
chair, sits on the porch of farm house, on a
summer evening, talking somewhat confden-
TALLY to her son, young husbandman. "Well,
John," she says, "It rally does beat all! whoI
thought of such thing! When yer fat.er
come in from the medder, to-day, E jest
looked like fury. He was smiling a1-i dusty,
his beard was most week ole, pdd ms mar
was full of hay-seed. He said de wanted
bite to eat, for he was goin, down 10 town
meetin;' and says to him, Now, father, you
rally must click yourself .p. says l, for you
look like fury No, msther, says he, 4 can't
stop for any such fOo'in', for Pm in hurry,
and don't kpcr any Rowland he went, jest
as he was looking like fury; and then, to
think -fa~ all that, they put him in pound
keeper! But yer father always was dread
full popular man." G.G.