The New York herald., 1874-11-05
Mournings or tho Raehels.

The next Congress will present an unfamil-
iar spectacle to the frequenter Of the galleries
OF the House, and the lady ycorrespondents-as
become the modcrn Rachels-will be kept busy
noting the new faces which have just appeared
upon the scene and 5ewailing the absent
heroes whom ON untoward fate has LETT at
home. The digni6ed bearing and white mus
tache of Fernando Wood; the eccentric
comedy of Sunset Cox the modest, quiet
face of Michael Kerr; the weazen form of
Alexander H. Stephens, will employ as many
pens as before. General Banks will be hailed
upon his return to the floor as democrat
once more, and one or two other republican
leaders in times past will be noted for their
activity on the other side. Speaker Blaine,
hurled from his Olymplan throne to the COM
mon lot of common Congressman, will cause
many Sapphic tears to flow, and General Gar
field, long the hayseed god Of bonbazine
quilldrivers, will be described as picture of
utter loneliness and despair. But Dawes,
for so many years the heavy father Of
the House, owing to the tidal wave which
swept over Massachusetts,, will be found not
there; neither in the Senate, where demo-
crat will sit in the chair Of Charles Sumner.
Horace Maynard, dark and swarthy as an
Indian, favorite subject for the female pen,
has also disappeared. The rich. ambrosial
locks of General Negley. match for Logan's
raven hair and Farnsworths flowing beard in
the days of auld lang syne, will no longer float
through the corridors and in and out of the
bearing will be missed at the head
Of the army Of strikers. But, saddest
picture of saddening scene, General Butler
will range no more with leonine ferocity
through the national menagerie. In his loss
the dramatic element Of the House is lost in
deed. What should we think of play where
all the characters we're cut upon the model of
Goldsmith's village parson? What shall we
think of Congress where everything
is stupid that is not respectable and
everything respectable that is not stupid?
General Butler detested stupidity and stood
not with the order Of responsibility. If he
never did thoroughly good thing neither
was he ever guilty OF thoroughly stupid
thing. In him Cakes Ames found q friend,
though his hand had not touched Credit Mo-
bilier. He defended noieties, even though
the doing Of it shook the Young Mems Chris
tian Association to its very foundations He
was always profane when the House was dis
posed to say the litany, and he shocked the
moral sense of people not so much in that he
was not saint MS in refusing to be a hypo-
crite Such man cannot fail to be missed,
especially at time of political revolution
when many new men sit in the seats of old
foes and old tavorites and new hand
holds the wand which moulds legislation.
The next Congress will be not unlike viii
lage after plague-the Sunday school pa
triots and the tavern topers having disap-
peared together and youth and freshness TAX
ing their places. We may not bewail the loss
Of these except MS q bit Of sentiment to en-
ploy tho pens OF women but we fear these
modern Rachcls will mourn in vain, for the
decade which sent volunteer generals into the
House is ended. The Buffers and Negleys
and Syphers are already lost, and most of
those who remain, by whatever party afilia-
tions they appeal to their constituencies, may
also and as well be spared 1t will not hurt
the country if the MORNINGS of the Rachels
are revived occasionally, should their wailings
only signify that thereby the back pay and like
heroes are being dropped from the roll
Mock RETRENcHMENTs will not do The
/ ,a,tv in rowor al tho late Io,, pago;,r f4ba