Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-10-26
Alffau0rla 6axette
FRIDAY EVENING, OCTOBER IL
'Ehe SpeRllerSllIp.

By JOHN W. FORNEY.
The Speaker of the first House Of Repre-
senlaliVes Of the United States was Frederick
Augustus Muhlenberg, Pennsy lvaniaD, born
at the Trappe. Montgomery county, June %,
1850. aud ordained to the ministry OF the IIu
thcrsn Church in Germany, where he was cdu
Gated. lie otficia'ed As Lutheran clor2ymau
in this State Tor several years; hut atterwara
became politician and sat in the First; : -
ond, Third and Fourth Congresses, serving a.
Speaker 10 the First and Third Houses. llla
nephew, Henry Augustus Muhlcnbcrg, was also
first Lutheran Clergyman and then poli
ciat; and lis brother, John Peter Gabriel
Muhlenbcrg. was ordained deacon 10 the
Church Of Eogland April %, l772. but, like
tho others, subsequently became politician,
| Revolution. takiug for his text the celebrated
motto: There is time for all things, a
time to preach and time to fight" and NOW
was tho time to fight" lie was brave sol
der, and sat with his brother in the First and
| Third Houses of Representatives Of the United
States, was United States Senator from 1901
| to 1902, and Collector of the Port Of Philadel
phia when he died, in 1909. The South has
| held the Speakership in twenty seven llousca
| out of 1orty.fve since the organization OF the
Government. Nathaniel Macon, OF North Caro-
lima, was Speaker six years. Henry Clay, OF
Kentucky. eleven years; Andrew Stevenson, o!
Virginia, seven years; John Bell of Tennessee.
| Two years; James X. Polk, OF the same State,
four years; Howell Cobb, Of Georgia, two years;
Linn Boyd, Of Kentucky, four years; and JAS.
H. Orr, Of South Carolina, two years. llenrg
Clay, who enjoyed the longest CONTIGUOUS ser
vice, was undoubtedly the most conspicuous OF
all the Speakers. Brave, eloquent, social am
bilious and unselGsh, he commanded his par'l-
sans alike by his courtesy and his courage.
Many a Joke is told OF tho way III which &c
ruled the stormy body over which he presided.
knew intimately Howell Cobb, Linn Boyd and
James l.. Orr, the Speakers Of the Thirty-tlrst,
Thirty. second, Thirty. third and Thirty fifth
Congresses, as / knew all their Northern sl!t'
ccssors, and can, therefore, understand tn
difficulties Of Mr. Randall, the last PennsyIva
nian lust elected to the same high pnsition
The most delicate task ct the Speaker II the
appointmcnt Of his standing committees. Some
lines the struggle for the chaIrmanShIps very
exciting; charges Of bad faith, and even per
sona collisions arc not lnrrCQuent. These Stanu'
ing committees arc the conc!aves IN which the
measures Of Congress are prepared, aDd every
wear adds TO their importance. The choice
places arc tte Ways and Means. Foreign At
fairs, Appropriation Commerce and CLAIMS.
by courtesy, the chairman OF the CnmmIttcrn ni
WAYS and Means is the lcadGrot the lioust' h,'!
this praclica has lalcrly fallen into dlsua1. Ia
MIR. Clay's time the Speaker was frequently
on the floor, and it vas his electrical clfYnenr'
that reused the country to resist Great bFitalH
in our second and last war with that power.
Ills specchcs fired the nation from border to
border. More than once he interrupted mem
Der whom he supposed was rtilactlng upon HIM,
self personally. Ready to fight at the drop c!
tho hat, he permitted mono to take liberties
with him. Fixing his eagle eyes upon the angry
dcbater, he would cry cut, in his loud. clarion
voice, after the fall of his hammer had rung
| like shot through the hall, "Daos the honor,
able mcu,bcr rcIer to the Speak k,r cfthe llou5e!
which sounded SO lik, 4 challc"go that the aa
tonished representative generally sought safety
in apology or silence. MIR. Clay Was first elect
ed Sneaker of the House when he was thirty
four. Mr. Randall, when last chosen-h'S
| first election for full term-was IN his NJ
tieth year. The body OF which he IS the
chairman il far different irom that oil which
lIenry Clay was the master. d1 not think
! there is q duclist on the ,or. Manners arn
| not what they were iu 1911. when Henry
! Clay mounted the Speakers platform. Two
| years previous he had fought duel WITH Hum
| phrey Marshall, aud sixteen years alter he had
hostile meeting with John ltandolph. Now
better breeding has como with our growing
country. Clay's courje was almost contihu'
ous conflict with somebody. Ills differences
with General jackson, though occasionally rt'
conciled, lasted down 10 the hour OF the death
Of the old chicttan It will be rccolccted that,
| iu 1910 Jackson attacked Clay 10 terms OF "a
examDcd bitterness, 10 which Clay replied with
equal acrimony. The cx President was al the
| IIermtagc, and In reply to 4 speech IN Nash:
vile of Mr.. Cl.y, in which the latter had
charged him with appointing known deiaultcr"
| to Office. Jackson used these strong words -
| "(Jndcr such circumstances how contemptIblc
does this lcmagoguc appear when he dcsccnda
from his high place in the Senate and roama
over the country retailing ISLANDERS against the
living and the dead" to which Clay lnstanIy re-
piled that "rhe inslnuatons and gross cplthcts
in General Jackson's note arc alike lmpotcnt,
malcvoent and dcrogatory Of the dignity OF a
man who has filled the highest Office IN the UNI,
verse;" aud that 'Rcspcct for the public ana
for myself allows me only TO say that, ike oth-
or similar missiles, they have fallen harmless
at nv tect, exciting no other sense than thlt Oh
scorn and contempt" Clay at that time was
l;o his siytv.fo fourth year, and Jackson in his
seventy fourth. hlr. Randall, | believe, wilt
encounter no such enemies az those aroused by
the-impctuous and autocratic temper OF the
great Kcutuckiap. The country Is at pcact,
and clad to be at peace. Political reconc'lIa
lion ia the fashion Of tho day. quiet, gentle
man is in the Presidential chair, and tho dem
ocratic party itself ought to be in the most com
p!acent mood. The difficulty Of tho nc"
Sneaker will consist 10 appointing his atandlns
| Committees, with horde of huugry politicians
looking for patronage and promotion Already
there arc threats from exactlng expectants. In
r one respect Mr.. Raolall will be equal to tht
situation. Ilo has temper Of his Own, wh'cl
sometimes asserts itself with immense effect
> But he has had it under such admirable contro
for some years past that have no doubt no vii
be amiable-as hope he will be successtal--'r
| ali his Trials and asniraLions.