Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-11-28
From our Regulor Correspondent.
Washington Letter.

L PAIIEhoON IN COURl -IlOhhA - -
7 RESERVES; WOULD THAT THEY o.
, RIGHT WOULD GOMEZ
WASHINGTON, Nov. 20.
You have been made acquainted ere thi
with the historical fact that the democrat
have gained, for a moment, at least, con
troll of the Senate, through the detection o
f two southern republicans. This in Euro
pean governments would be called crisi
and any episodes of the transfer or seizur
of the legislative sceptre cannot bnt be in
|, teresting.
To careless lockers on from the gallerie
there was nothing of unusual interest oc
curing on last Wednesday in the American
House of Lords. True,t famous senator
Ben. Hill, was making q speech on the
Kellogg VS.. Spoiford and Corbin vs.. Butler
cases, and he was listened to very aLten
lively by the democratic senators who tillet
their seats in the closest order. The repub
lican senators paid little attention to the
remarks of the peer from Georgia; Senator
Conkling especially seemed studiously
inattentive, but it is characteristic of thi'
senator to treat as trihes light as air >
the remarks of both friend and foe. Mr.
Hill talked on and on, and the galleries
listened anxiously for the rash bursts Of
eloquence for which he is famous; but
there was not n spark of fire in anything
he said. He had evidently no intention Of
repeating the blunder of his amnesty rhet-
orie, 1t was his first speech in the Senate,
or, at least, in the United States Senate,
but be spoke extemporaneously, without
notes, and with as little embarrassment as
if he were at home again in the Confeder-
ate Senate, or before Georgia court. In
all that he says, Mr. Hill has the perfect
reliant though unobtrusive, poise of II man
conscious but not vain of peership with
the ablest. Twice Senator Mitchell from
Oregon, of the committee on elections,
interrupted him with questions, but
quickly sat down, nonplused with ready
replies and hurried and excited by his
own heroic daring. There is no place
where the contrast between weak and able
men is more pronounced than in the arena
of the United States Senate. If Senator
Mitchell had at that moment been COM
PEELED to appeal to the galleries, as
in the glNdiatorial contests of old, re-
versed thumbs would have condemned
him to legislative death; such is our ex-
ecration Of the crime of mediocrty in
national councils. Mr.. Hill did not
speak longer than twenty-five minutes and
after few passes, with parliamentary
foils between Senators Ioar, Thurman and
Conkling, Senator Bayard of Delaware
gained the floor. Mr.. Bi8ard can say less
in more good English than any senator in
The chamber His presence is noble, his
manner is dignilied, his rhetoric is chaste,
and his speeches are interminablo. He is
the democratic resource for the consump-
ton of time. On any question, and with
out Il moments preparation, he can talk
as regards grammar, logic
or rhetoric, for two hours watch in hand.
The Old habitues of the gallery, and es
pecially the veteran journalists who begun
to crowd the reporters division, realize
that beneath all this dignifed flow of
irrelevant talk and IL superficial placiaity
OF grave senators, there is in progress /.
struggle, IL struggle that will
mark an epoch in nations history, IA civ
llized bloodess readjustment of policies
such as have been decided in past ages
only by an increase of the census of
widows and orphans.
The democratic ranks are very compact,
every senator is in his seat or in SIGHT of
It, The republicans are not prepared for
II battle that must depend entirely on nu-
merieal superiority. Two of their senators
are absent, The Bonanza Senator Sharon
Of Nevada has not been in his seat this
session, and Senator Patterson of South |
Caroline is in the court room, where the
of Lincoln were convicted to
answer the charges Of bribery and corrup
Ion But the democrats seem even more
anxious than the republicans for his pres
'nce IN the senate chamber; he has been |
of late, and there is significance
N the fact, that, Notwithstanding his pro-
~ CO., ''o1OoiIo "' Vllal' ne HAS neglected
w P Al ~" e u'iliooI"'' oellator falter-
'on u1'r n.y. Nv puV III al appearance put IN
,Pito y, nlS "osenOe' tne democrats mad a
i ,foa VI omo, 'nu ior tle llrsE time In
gus llo oo'lllol u Inc senate on
10y WY, poilIlchl question was In the
l" wv . W. GUY fpn uuiiioc' aus
w. tiio ioilo"lhs ''y tnere was an adj
oel ai.ileNS W '''o s'i ~ anu hurry up the
, oSoi t q :. n ol NeVaoa-lhe Butcher
y i no ~ 10 nop?u' N'li snip across the CON
, 'on. i 'n'1 th "i.lvo IN !e 10 save me day;
'"' WIN 'no VOTES oi ConoVer ana Patter-
u one lheir plan IS hrst to seat Butler
'Ilu EiSClS anu win inns reinforcement to
y hcllo9S ana seat SpalEord Maine and
: reSoh are palrea IN senators Blaine and
!Io'er WHO are al nome IN their reSpec-
I'VE S'''eS' Diane Is expected TO arrive
, MONDAY ana II IS SAID his pair with
!ro'cr win DC broken Altogether the
Tuition is very eNciIihg' anu there is
Prospect loI 'hG ueVeiopment OF much bad
eG!in%' Much Will depend upon the
lungs OF the wee president on the ques-
IONS OF precedence In the motions now
eIore lnG senate.
yesterday thcre was caucus OF repub-
cah senators winch was attended by Mr.