New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-01-01
CHANGES IN CONGRRss.
A Sketch BY Grace Greenwood

CHANGES In CONGR83S.
| A Sketch by Grace Greenwood.
The House presented to me. On my return
and carpets have Frightened it up some
what, but the strange forms and faces be
wilder me. l missed the old landma rks-
Banks, with his twO-story head and sol
dierly figure; Farnsworth, with his frothy
beard tossed in air, and Cakes Ames. with
his heavy face and his slow, elephant eyes
On the Democratic side there is not 80
much change. We miss the upifted face of
Brooks, Pailid and troubled and disdainful.
but the New York Democracy has evoked
Samuel to fill his place, and Don Fernando
| still sits buttOned up to the chin in elegant
prophecies, still bears aloft his snow wreath
of a mustache, while the belligerent Beck
keeps his old stand in the aisle, and pitches
forward into every de bate. Ohio stili leaves
US her urbahe Garfield, and has sent us
back her Lawrence, who will "never give
! up the ship" of State any more than Mrs
| Mica " Der would desert MIR Micawber.
| At one of the front desks of the middle
| aisle sat on Wednesday morning peculiar
| figure, the sight of which strangely moved
my heart. 1t brought back scenes of long
ago, of another regime--almost, it would
| seem, OF another world. Most wildly it
recalled days and nights of memOra Bile
long session in Congress. during which the
discussion of the old compromise measures
shook the country and nearly shattered the
old Capitol. 1t was the figure of Alexander
d. stephens, the nervous, impass!oned little
orator, toward whom, during the troublous
time, often looked from the little loft of a
gallery, and to whom listened with pro-
found interest, though he seldom uttered
matter to my mind Oh the question of aues-
tiOns. slavery. He is less changed than I
thought to find him, for in the old time he
had an air OF premature age and feebleness
and seemed to be wasted by the intense
flame of his own restless and fiery spirit He
used to wear as wide collar as Mr.. Clay
only it was turn-dOwn, and long, black
neck-tie, simply knotted and falling. Now
the collar is narrower and the neck-tie
shorter, and on his round, compact hesd,
which was always too small for his hats, he
wears black velvet scull cap, revealing q
light fringe of hair, white with 'the winter
of his discomfort" His keen ewes are
masked behind glasses; he walks on crutch-
es. moving very slowly, but tie princel;
will. and the high quick spirit seem quite
unsubdued, as is shown by his repeating the
other day, substantially the speech he made
on the question of salaries before he went
out Of the Misunderstanding one of the
man who had his skull broken in an explo-
sion, and lay insensble for many days, but
who, as soon as the trepanning process was
commenced. proceeded to finish the SEN
teDce he had begun at the moment of the
accident.
With what amazement and admiration
must MIR. Stephens have watched the late
free and easy debates-how his mind must
have gone back to the dark days of bond
age. to the arrogant old days of Democracy
and the duello, when a man was held re-
sponsble for hot, hard words IN the House
OF Representatives.. as elsewhere; when he |
was not allowed to free his mind in debate
unless that mind was in a Gecently sane
and moral condition; when honorable gen
tlemen could not indulge themselves in tho |
use of such little epithets as thief and |
lass" and ''liar," and dirty dog" without |
danger of being not only turned out, but |
"called out" In view of the glorious lib |
erty in which cur legislators now revel and |
riot he must see that our blood and treas
ure were not expended for naught in the |
great war, and haply feel consoled for the |
desOlatiOn of the South.
The Senate is less changed from last SEES
sion than the House. We miss the ruddy |
benignity Of Mr.. Wilson's face. and Mr.. |
Carpenter seems to have grown a little |
gray under his new dignity and respon-
sibility. Time also has shaken his dredging
box over the heads of Senators Sumner and
Fenton, and chiseled little at Senator Lot
Morril's fine face. and aken the other Nor
Wy tuC eHOuluCio anu Doht Hill sIl2utiy-
for he never can harm his face-and dimmed
a keen ray or two in Senator Camorons
pleasant ambushed eyes: but he has not
meddled with Senator Brownlow in the
least. He sits just as he always sat. in his
silent unrest, lying back in his arm chair
with half shut eyes, one foot Oh his desk, |
md shaking neither more nor less. 1t is
evident time has forgotten the fierce
I'D man, or has left the parson and
he palsy to fight it out. New uphol
tery, painting and gliding have also made
his chamber and the ante-chambers look |
bright and comfortable: but there is one
hange which l must disapprove Of as I'M
and invidious. Choice seats
rave been set apart for the wives and
daughters of Senators and members, from
which seats we, the common people, are as
ternly excluded as from the diplomatic |
,allery. This is unjust to the strangers Wis
ting the Capitol, who are often uncomfort-
bly, crowded in the other galleries while |
hose aristocratic reservations are almost |
npty. It is my impression that of all the
aides in Washington, those for whom these
alleries are set aside, dedicated. tabooed,
re the least given to watching the debates. |
Perhaps they have politics enough at home.
he wife of Congressman seldom goes to |
he Capitol unless her husband is the hero
t the hour; she goes to see him arraisned |
Or high crimes and misdemeanors, or to |
ear him arraign some other woman's hus-
and.