Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1870-06-14
NOW AND THEN.
The United States Senate Ten Years Ago
The Present senate.

| York Standard
Sitting in the Senate this blessed
spring day, looking down from my
perch in the gallery upon the varied
faces and actions Of the men below,
toward whom so many hopes and ex-
pectations are turning at this moment,
train Of reflection comes up, and |
remember what changes ten years
have wrought, and wonder what the
next decade will bring forth, and
what it will weave about the names
Of the present occupants of the Sem
ate Chamber.
TEN YEARS AGO.
sat here ten years ago when the
Senate met, the second session of the
XXXVI. Congress, on the Sd of De-
cembcr 1860, if | rightly recollect.--
| remember the anxious faces of the
Senators they were all grave, and
the greetings were not as happy and
cordial as they are observed to be
lately when the Senate re-assembles
after q ak months recess was
quite familiar with the faces, although
my acquaintance here was limited
Whom | did not know were named
to me by my ancient friend, who has
been, at this time, more than thirty
years in continuous service in the
Treasury Department. John p.
Hale was there, round and Jolly, Sol
ONION Foote was there, and Seward,
sharp and crafty, and Preston King,
so tat that his very look was pain
full. Then noticed Bragg and Ma
son, then Hunter and Clingman, and
Hamlin and Fessenden, then Just
rising to prominence. l bad waited
half an hour, and watched and asked
for Davis. Every voice was tuned
in his name. He was watched for
and sought, as if he were both de-
stroyer and protector. Presently he
came in, and quietly took his seat,
which was to the right of the main
aisle, near the center of the chamber
the one, think, now occupied by
Douglas was present, the focus Of all
eyes, and Wade and Wigfall, and
Cameron and Jesse Bright, and Sum-
ner. The conspicuous absentees
were Slidell and Toombs, and Ben
iamin and Andrew Johnson. OF
all names present or absent on that
day, only nine remain, namely: Ham
lin, Wilson, Sumner, Anthony, Cam
eron, Salisbury, Trumbull, Chandler
and Harlan. | remember Breckin-
ridge, tall and straight, and manly
in his look and bearing, when he as
cended the desk and called the Senate
to order and l remember the scowls
that followed the prayer Of the Chap
lain, who prayed for the new Presi-
dent, believe or made some outland-
ish request Of the Almighty in aid
Of law and order. The galleries
were crowded, for all were anxious
to know the course OF Buchanan, in
that most important epoch. Lincoln
had inst been elected, and the South
was boiling in it's wrath, and clamor-
GUS for an opportunity to fight. So
the Message was looked for with not
surprising interest. 1t came the
next day, the galleries fuller, if pos
ible, than before, and it was read in
breathless silence. 1t was not salts
factory, as tho world remembers, to
either New England or the South
Almost the first of the Message in
censed tho whole North, but partic-
ularly New England. The sentence
/ allude to is as follows:
1.-THE long-continued and intemper-
alto interference of the Northern
people with the question Of Slavery
in the Southern States, has at length
produced its natural effects"
COMMENTS on A MESSAGE,
There was enough in the Message
for the South TO be dissatisfied With
/ in the temper of that people vi that
time, they would have made il con-
venient To be iDsensed ST anything
for the Lord knows the Message was
friendly enough to the South. Hard
~ had the clerk finished reading the
Message, which closed with recon-
mendations for the District of Column
bin, and saying that unlike the peo-
pie Of the States, The people of the
District could appeal to no Govern.
ment but that of the Union"-hardly
had the signature of james Buchan.
an" been read, before the hot headed
Chngman Of North Carolina spraug
: TO his feet, and fastened TO pronounce
his disapprobation of the message
and TO denounee Lincoln as q dan
gerous man. He then made an ar.
gument in favor of secession, and al
usual abused the Abolitionists. Crit
tenden followed, deploring the con
dition of affairs, and saying be re
GREETED Clingman's speech. Their,
was not an hours debate at best, and
after tho usual number of copies oi
the Presidents Message had beer
ordered to be printed, the Senate ad
. journsd. This was the beginning OF
the first session Of Congress after Mr.
Lincoln had been elected President
and before he had taken his seat.
TODAY.
To-day, while 1 write, the Senate
is debating the proposition of passing
a law TO relieve Clingman and Brock.
inridge, Davis and Clay, and Ben.
jamin; and the others, from the
crime Of rebellion-to pass a law Civ.
ing to the South and her people .
full and free amnesty. May not in
demnity follow2 See what changes