The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-02-24
Our Washing ton Letter.

loo or bunker Hill, converted a common
soldier into hero 80 to have been pres
ent at some of the great trials or debates
most renowned among people of the high
est civilization, has been not only gratifi-
cation but almost fame who that saw the
splendid pageant in Westminster hall and
heard the dazzling eioquence poured forth
at the trial of Warren Hastings, even for
got them The debates on the adoption
of our constitution, the oratory at the trial
of Aaron Burr, the passage at arms be-
tween Webster and Hayne, are they not
great pictures in the panels of our history
The debates in congress concerning, and
those before, the presidential tribunal dur
ing the last few weeks, have seemed to
concentrate 80 much of the highest talent
of the nation, the resulting action seemed
so pivoted, so potent in influencing the fu-
ture Of free government that to attend
them, men have fastened by steam from
the remotest borders of the republic, fever
ish with anxiety, breathless with fear and
hope for the decision.
The supreme court room being small the
number of people who could possibly be
present was quite limited but of course it
was crowded to its utmost capacity, not q
few ladies gaining admission, to listen to
the picked debaters of the entire republican
and democratic parties If the scene there
last Thursday, the 15lh instant, is recalled,
it may possibly assist in comprehending the
feelings of those pretent. Locating your
self near the center of the bar, your own
obscurity will perhaps increase your facil-
ties for observation if you go into the
gallery, you will indeed more directly face
the speakers, but you will be farther from
them and besides the members of the tr-
bunal will be directly beneath you, so you
will gee but little of their faces. Sitting in
the center of the bar you will sit face TO
fece to the judges and near the counsel
On your right, facing the north, are the re-
publican sons of Massachusetts and Ohio,
Hoar and Garfield, their large heads and
vigorous looks indicating truly their strong
brains and hearts; opposite them, facing
the south, are the very capable democrats,
Thurman and Bayard-Thurman a native
of Virginia but removing to Ohio when six
years old Bayard a Pennsylvania by
birth but resident of Delaware; in the
center of the remaining eleven, sits the
president of the board, Judge SHayne, 72
years old, he too Virginian by birth
next north of him is the busy, jolly look
ing Judge Miller next Judge Strong, with
his clean face, by far the nobler looking of
the supreme court judges; next Edmunds
with his bald Socratic looking head next
Frelinghuysen of New Jersey, with his
half-haughty but equally gentlemanly pose
of the head first south of Swayne is Field
the scholarly, specialized, full-bearded,
bald-headed, but with ample brown hair on
the sides of his head next Bradley. dys-
peptic in appearance, but this is owing it is
said to his severe study, Bradley on whom
the walls of democratic wrath are poured
with such reckless fury; the remaining
three are the democratic NJ. C.'s-Payne,
Hunton and Abbott, Of whom Abbott has
rather distinguished ju1ge-likc look.
But the bar contains NTH whom parties
have delighted 70 honor. In front slts the
historian GeMge Bancroft, aevcnty-scven
years old, Win full, long white beard and
ample hair, his drceB 10 d plain business
suit with buttons CT horn, what a contrast
uuith tho mir t.,tiI ,.,btnh ha
deck himself in New York (and perhaps
does here for an evening party; since his
return from his embassy to Berlin, Wash
| ington has been his home During Evart's
three hours speech, bevy of democratic
lawyers sit on his left. Trumbull, who
| preceded on the democratic side of the Lou
| isiana question, whom it is said Tilden, if
| president, would make Judge Davis sue
cessor; Judge Campbell of New Orleans, q
native of Georgia, associate justice of the
Unite States supreme court 1253-1S61, q
white haired nice looking gentleman who
| will follow Evarts this afternoon on the
democratic law; the massive good natured
looking Jere Black, so much lauded as a
lurist by democrats; the tall, CHEEKY, white
haired David Dudley Field, so unlike in
looks his brother judge, when Evarts in
Il bDtukb OI DPlllNlsm as
above party, leansforward and SAYS "bah!"
On the right of Evarts sits Chief Justice
Waite; there, also, is Elk Attorney General
| Williams and, although as you look at him,
you wonder that Grant ever nominated
him for Chief justice, yet his make up in
dictates great power OF work.
| During the arguments on Wednesday,
the 14th inst, q Vermonter might natural
/ lY feel anxious for the success of Slough
ton he has been the butt of so many Jokes
and sarcasms, and notably of one by August
Belmont, in his one great speech in New
York last fall. Stoughton acquitted him
self so well he received much praise. He
makes such a snowy picture the photo
graphers place him at the head of their por-
traits Of men prominent in tho conference
trials.
But the speech of Shelabnrger, Wednes-
day, seems in about as good taste as any
heard here yet. When you hear Evarts,
you wish nature had given him little
more muscle, that his efforts were not ap-
parenty so self-exhaustive and so dryly
logical, that be was more playful, that his
Imagination had broader scope, and his
voice mellower ring. If you heard Conk-
ling in his eight hours speech in the senate
in favor of the conference, you admired
the fertility of his resources, his well
rounded periods, the gracefulness of bis
oratory, but you regretted that the image
of peacock would float up so often to
your fancy. But with Shelabarger, Wig
orous, severe good sense dominated his IL
Illustrations and style generally, and
when toward the close, he al
luded to the Caroline, when the nation
was all ablaze because 1t was thought Eng
land might have caused the death of one or
two men in the ship and was held back
from war only by the great mind and
| mower of Wehsler ard contradict that with