The Republican journal., 1877-02-01
Letter from Washington.
Correspondence Of the Journal.
\VAcuJNcTON Ian 05t


ent gave me pretty little incident occur
ring in the Senate during June. 1850. |
The famous compromise measures relat
inc to the issues concerning our territory
newly acquired from Mexico were in dis
cussion The men whose intellectual
power and culture have shed the bright
est luster upon American politics We're
all in their places. Webster, " grand,
gloomy and peculiar" seemed inditfer
ent; Cass was in his place; Douglass,
"the little Giant" bending forward lis
tened eagerly, his keen, black eyes study
ing the faces of his associates as if to faith
ON their withheld opinions; Benton. SIT
ting erect and thoughtful, was evidently
framing an argument which he would soon
deliver; SAM Houston, the hero ct san
.Jacinto, the idol Of his remote state, the
daring, resOlute partisan, nervously played
with the papers upon his desS, and listened
intently to his colleague. Martin j. Rusk,
who then had the floor Willard FILLMORE
was NieeP President then, making the CEN
trail ornament OF the tlingy room, with his
Handsome slvcry head and his courtly
Chamber, you know, but the apartment
now occupied by the Supreme Court,
where the day ght is never anything def
mite Truman Smith. Il quaint specimen
Of Connecticut politicians, worked off his
nervousness by pacing back and forth in
the arena before the clerks desk, and GER
titled his Yankee origin by deliberately
whiting stick rs he walked while
flowing from his trousers pocket, in con-
spicuous volume, a huge silk handkerchief
Haunted its red and yellow hide0usness
A greater contrast to Nh Smith could not
exist than appeared on the right Of The
Vice President, where sat Henry Clay,
the gallant 'llArry Of the Vest whose
memory we I'LL love to recall. lie wore
4 dress coat tightly buttoned about his
slender figure. and longing gracefully
back in his chair he held in one hand Il
wildly red rose Every few minutes he
breaths OF its delicious fix. france Very
near the beginning OF Senator Rusk's
speech he raised :; question concerning
the boundary lines between Mexico and
Texas This called Henry Clay to his
feet. and when he rose the buzz Of con
versation on the floor ceased the murnlur
in the galleries was Instantly hu4hed, and
in the midst Of i silence which was itself
the highest tribute to his eloqurmce, Mr..
Clay'4 glorious Voice rang Dat, Said my
iriend-"l shall never forget the scene :;
never cease to recall the full. sweet, mel
low richness OF those tones. striking the
all like music. and making Us VISA the
occasion had demanded Il longer speech"
As Mi tlaS sat down, MIR. Rusll resumed
the floor making hi4 first sentence the
plmeuts ever paid il any man, ion he
said with Il bow toward Mr.. Clay Sir.
President in the mia! ot the honorable
Senator froln hrnturl:y tile course 10 be
taken loujtIt37 perfectly clear and we
ali know, Mr. Pre- -idenl, Chat to the minds
OF the American people he tt.'p 1outt5 0i
tit h0Upflh}e StN0i1r are ,Ug:nleNf5 "
Wa it not i graceful tribute" comm" a.
it did from the lips OF a political anta9o-
81. u,
latit5 would have broken into 4 -torm of
applause, itut those We're the day when
l...e-r .antl u,..i a:ss,.;fr- 4annrtainaI ia tho
| hall oI leo sation. and such s1rrilFne was
unknown Now, Senators IIanlin and
| McCrcery are the only gentlemen who
REGARD the traditions oi the fathers in the
| matter 81 coats, aud the assumption OF
| senatorial dignity sits uncomfortable up
ON the shoulders Of too many who wear
| the title. \ certain amount Of stateliness
| is becOlun% in the hearing OF men invest
| CT with grave possibilities, and | often
think that when rlergNm men abandoned
their distinctive dress they lost much OF
| the power and authority Of their calling
As wrote the nume ut Senator Ham
lin | remembered how few people know
| wha1 = very charmln" wife he has. This
winter, leaving Capitol Till, they have
moved down town among folks, hi. ing
| rooms in the ncW Riggs House Mrs.
llamlin is much Younger than her nus
band. Her face is especially sweet and
bright III expression, and her brown hair
| waved simply back from a forehead whose
Wilderness and smoothness are not Dor
rowed Mrs, Allen Wood, the young wife
Of n Pennsylvania ~ c., receives with
Mrs. llamlin and there are few pleasanter
parlors open on the Senatorial Thursdays
When Gen. Burnside was elected he
fitted up u beautiful residence on II street
where he expected TO bring his Wife. but
as we look through the beautiful rooms it
is exceedingly touching to observe the
evident care and thOughttulness with
which Il lady's tastes had been consulted
tor Senator Burnside was a devoted nus
band This winter The house is open to
visitors, and many a rare entertainment
has been given there. Two neices OF the
Senator preside oyer the establishment
cordially welcoming It, guests Tie fame
Of the dinners in that house Is rapidly
spreading, Ior the Senator retains his old
army servants and his cool, j. A 'Chei y
worth having.
Senators Conkling, Cameron and Ran
dolph are at the Arlington was there
At dinner Sunday evening, and ! thought
had never seen Mr. Conkling looking so
well rs when he came into tie lighted
room, bowing in his roya way to his
friends, and taking his seat where the
chandelier sent Il most becoming radiance
To crown his handsome head, for Roscoe