The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-01-15
Congress in the Past and Present.

Congress in the Past and Present.
Grace Greenwood, in the New York Times,
gives sketch of the changes in Congress, con-
trasting the present day with her recollections
OF former times:
The House presented to me on my return an
unfamiliar aspect. The new furniture afd
carpets have frightened it up somewhat, but
the strange forms and faces bewider me- /
missed the old land-marks-Banks, with his
two story head and solderly figure; Farms
Oakes Ames, with his heavy face, and his slow,
elephant eyes: On the Democratic side there
is not so much change We miss the uplifted
face of Brooks pailid and troubled and dis
dainful, but the New York Democracy hes
evoked Samuel to fill his place, and Don Fer
nando still sits buttoned up TO the chin in ele-
CANT proprietics, still bears aloft his snow
wreath of moustache, while the belligerent
Beck keeps up his old stand in the aisle, and
pitches forward into every debate. Ohio still
leaves us her urbane Garfield, and has sent US
back her Lawrence, who, will "never give up
the ship" of State any more than Mrs. Micaw
ber would desert Mr. Micawber.
At one of the front desks of the middle aisle
sat- on Wednesday morning, a 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 a memorable long session in Congress,
during which the discussion of the old compro-
mise measures shook the country and nearly
shattered the old Capitol. 1t was the figure Of
Alexander IT. Stephens, the nervous; lmras-
stoned little orator. toward whom, during that
troublous tine, l often looked from the little
loft of gallery, and to whom ! listened with
profound interest though he seldom Uttered
matter to my mind on the question of questions
slavery. He is less changed than thought to
find him, for in the old time he had an air of
premature age and feebeness, and seemed to
be wasted by the intense fame of his own rest
less and fiery spirit. He used to wear as wide
collar as Mr.. Clay, only it was a turn dowp,
and long, black neck tie, simply knotted and
neck tie shorter, and on his round, compact
head, which was always too small for his hats,
he wears black velvet skull-cap, revealing q
light fringe of hair, white with "the winter of
his discomfort" His keen eyes are masked
behind glasses; he walks on crutches, moving
very slowly but the princey will and the
high, quick spirit seem quite unsubdued, as is
shown by his repeating, the other day, substan-
TALLY the speech he made on the question OF
salaries before he went out of the Union--zre-
mi,.iing one of the man who had his skull
broken in an explosion, and lay insensible for
many days, but who, as soon as the 'trepanning
process was commenced, proceeded to finish
the sentence he had begun at the moment of
the accident With what amazement and ad-
miration must Mr.. Stephens have watched the
late free-and-easy debates-how his mind must
have gone back to the dark days of'boDdage,
to the arrogant old days of Democracy and the
duello, when man was held responsible for
hot, hard words, in the House of Representa-
tives, as elsewhere; when he was not allowed
to free his mind in debate, unless that mind
was in decently sane and moral condition;
when honorable gentlemen could not indulge
themselves in the use of such little epithets as
''thiefn and "ass" and "iar" and "dirty dog"
without danger of being not only turned out,
but "called out" In view of the glorious
liberty in which our legislators now revel and
riot be- must see that our blood and treasure
were not expended for naught in the great war,
and haply feel consoled for the desolation of
the South .. i,,a,. .... ......s ...,,,t
The Senate is less changed from last session
than the House. We miss the ruddy benignity
of Mr. Wilson's face, and Mr.. Carpenter seems
to have grown little grey under his new dig
nifty and responsibility. Time also has shaken
his dfedging-box over the head Of Senators
Sumner and Fenton, and chiseled q little at
Senator Lot Morrill's fine face, and taken the
other Morrill, by the shoulders and bent him
slightly, for he never can harm his face, and
dimmed keen ray or two in Senator Came
ron's pleasant ambushed eyes, but he has mot
meddled with Senator Brownlow in the least
He sits just as he always sat in his, silent un-
rest, lying back in his armchair, with half shut
eyes, one foot on his desk, and shaking neither
more nor less. It is evident time has forgotten
the fierce old man, or. has left the person and
the palsy to fight it out, Now, upholstery,
painting and gliding have also made this
chamber and the ante-cbambers look bright
and comfortable but there is one change
which must disapprove Of, as undemocratic
and inyidious Choice seats have been set
apart for the wives and daughters of Senators
and members, from which seats we, the COM
mon people, arc as sternly. excluded as from
the diplomatic gallery. This is unjust to the
visiting the Capitol, who are often
crowded in the other galleries,
while those aristocratic reservations are almost
empty 1t is my impression that OF al! the
ladies in Washington, those for whom these
galleries are set aside, dedicated, tabooed, are
the least given to watching the debates. Per
haps they have politics enough at home. The
wife of Congressman seldom goes to the Capi-
tol unless her husband is the hero of the hour;
she goes to see him arraigned for high crimes
and misdemeanors, or to hear him arraign
some other woman's husband.
IMMIGRATION SOCIETIES NREDED.-It is
stated that 10000 persons in families will leave: