Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-12-28
THE SOUTH IN THE SENATE.
Tha Old South snd the New South
The Great Lights Superseded BY
@Neoden seu.,, 8

haps. well that the old South made hel
mark in the Senate Chamber, for. the new
South does not. Her great lights seem to
have PASSED away or been snuffed out, O,
been put under bushel, for the roar o.
their oratory has ceased to be heard in The
Senate, and their places are filed by wood
en- men. o. esef - tsss-ssTE sr
L. South Carolina formerly took front rank
| in the Senate Chamber, her representatives
being equal in point of ability to those sent
| from the other States. The list of her for
mer Senators is a long array of eminent
names. But from place among those at
| the head, she has dropped to the tail end,
and is now represented by Massachusetts,
school teacher and native peanut planter.
| Neither Robertson nor Sawyer were heard
of beyond their respective school districts
| before the war, never held Office of profit
or trust, even to being members of the
| Legislature, which is next to nothing, and
but for the war would have been padding
| down tn stream of life, one raising pea
nuts among his native sand hills, and the
other teaching young ideas bow to shoot,
at fifty dollars month and board. The
| only evidence we have of their solidity is
the fact that they do not often attempt to
| say anything. They have sense enough to
| understand that they have no ideas that will
eIlighten anybody, and for this they deserve
| credit. Once in while Robertson spreads
| his wings for an oratorical fight, but his
| ideas are crude, his wind short; and he soon
| fops into bis seat, wherein he should have
remained in the first place. Before the
war, if patriot had proposed running
either of these men for the Legislature,
word would have been sent TO the nearest
lunatic asylum, inquiring if they hadn't lost
an inmate.
As for Virginia, the mother of Presidents,
| it is to be regretted that she can not call
back the ghosts of some of her departed
great to represent her nov. Messrs. john
son and Lewis are clever gentlemen, but in
healthy and well regulated times the Old
Mother would hardly select them to repre-
sent her at the council board of the nation.
If her present Senators are fair specimens
of her statesmen, her tobacco land is not
the only thing that is on the decline.
Alabama used to loom up in the Senate,
but she hangs her rebellious head in shame
now, and well she may, while she is repre-
sented By such men as George Spencer. He
is without ability, and if fifth of the
charges against him are true, without char
acter either. His operations in Alabama as
cotton agent and his transactions with Judge
Busted, the bribe taker, do not reflect the
more honor upon him the more they are in
yestigated.
Goldthwaite is fair man, but will not
make his mark now. If the stuff had been
in him to make it, there would hays been
surface indications of it some time ago. He
has held the office of Circuit Judge, and is
an average lawyer. Spencer's experience as
a statesman" before the war, began and
ended as assistant clerk or door-keeper of
the Iowa Legislature.
Arkansas is new State, without the
glorious Senatorial record to look back upon,
as solace for present feebleness, that some
of the States have. Even this dubious priv
ilege is denied poor Arkansas. Without
much reputation before the war as Sena-
tor sender, she is not in fair way to make
any now, and, until she gets Rice and Clay
ton out, her feebleness will be pitiable.
How much it cost Clayton to get in cannot
be stated with precision, but as he had
to buy off the Lieutenant Governor, John
son, at price of not less than ten thousand
dollars, and three impeachment committee
men, at not less than FIVE thousand dollars
each, it will be seen that his seat in the
Senate was an expensive affair. Some of
ex-Lieutenant Governor JohnsOn's friends
insisted that the old fellow sold out to Clay
ton for fifteen Thousand cash, they wanting
to make if appear that he drove sharp bar
gain, but think the actual sum was some
thing less than that. He looks to me like a
man who would sell out his satchel of prin-
ciples any time for ten thousand dollars, On
LoIf III av,I 10 H.
lance in six and twelve months, with in
terest.
As for B. T. Rice, he is weak Senate
rial reed, eten for the weak and helpless
State of Arkansas. His total legislative ex-
perience up to the time he entered the SEN
ate, consisted of having served one term in
the Kentucky Legislature. Think of it, ye
gods! A term in the Kentucky Legislature
as qualification for the United States Sem
ateI 1t is an estimated distance Of only
one step (three feet, if the legs are not too
iong,) from the sublime to the ridiculous,
but in this instance Rice has certainly re-
versed the proposition and gone from the
ridiculous to the sublime at leap. From
the Kentucky Legislature TO the United
States Senate at step. Is there another
instance on record? l hope not.
Georgia is the Empire State of the South,
and ought to be well represented in the
Senate, and after seven long years Of con-
test with the carpet-baggers, jobbers and
robbers, she has now upon the floor, yester-
day for the first time since the war, two
Senators, honorable and qualified for the
duties of their position. By an extra streak
of good luck, seldom run upon by a South
ern State since the war, she has escaped
Blodgett, the notorious jobber; Farrow, the
rebel saltpeter dirt digger, and Whitley, the
apostate Confederate Colonel, all of whom
were elected to the Senate by the stupid
and ignorant Legislature.
Norwood was sworn in yesterday, and,
for the first time in ten years, Georgia is
fully represented in Congress. Both Nor
wood and Hill are men of good character.
Hill was a member of Congress before the
war, and was the only one of the delegation
who refused to withdraw and go into the re-
bellion.
As for Florida, neither of her Senators
ever had any experience in public life until
the commotion following the war threw
them to the surface, and fortunate eddy |
foated them into the Senate. Osborn is
from New Jersey, and during the war was
a captain of artillery. Gilbert is from New
York, and went to Florida af er the war
'.for the benefit of his health" A good
many others, since the war, have done the
same thing-gone South for health; can't
stand the Northern climote, you know; but
/ notice that number of them get back as
far north as this city, and manage to wiggle
through few severe Wa shington winters.
Kentucky is well represented is,
she has men of ability and character as her
servants. Both Stevenson and Davis were
much in public life before their election to
the Senate. In addition to other official
trusts, they have each served two or three
terms in Congress.
W. Pitt Kellogg and ]. Rodman West
represent Louisiana. The way they sign
their names. as here given, is of itself an
indication of genius. Now, if each would
part his hair in the middle, and pronounce
paper pa-pau, there would no longer be any
doubt of their claim to consideration. As
it is, however, their chief merit consists in
the taste they display in displaying their
names. But it is having its effect. a Amem
Der of Congress from the same State has
profited by the Senatorial example, and now
sports j. Hale Sypher. 1t is well.
Western Virginia, fractional mother of
Presidents, is represented By Messrs. Bore
man and Davis. The most remarkable
event connected with their history is the
fact thaC they were both born the same
year, one in Maryland, and the other in
Pennsylvania. Boremans ante-war legisla-
tive experience consisted in having been a
unemhar of tho iOWar branch Of the Vir-