The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-01-03


General Taylor. Thomas Corwin, the
Buckeye wagon boy" the wittiest man Of
that day, was secretary of the treasury; n.
K. Hall vas postmaster general; Alexander
II. H. Stuart secretary of the interior, Z. NJ.
Conrad secretary of war, w. A. Graham
secretary of the navy, and John J. Critten-
den attorney general. OF these eminent
men, the only one now living is Mr.. stusrt'
and he has gone almost entirely out OF
public notice.
The senate of the United States then con-
tanned more eminent men than it has ever
before or since. With the exception of Mr..
Calhoun, who had died a short time previ-
ously. and of Mr.. Webster who left the SEN
ate in the summer of 1850 10 become Mr.. Fill
more's secretary Of state, no public men since
the time of Jefferson and Hamilton would
compare in character influence and ability
with the leading senators of that dav. Viii
liam X. King, who afterwards became vice
president was there; so was John C. Ere
mont and Stephen A. Douglas; Henry Clay
and Lewis Cass; William II. Seward and
Thomas Ewing; Salmon p. Chase and John
Bell; Sam Houston, Thomas II. Benton
and several others almost as eminent as these
we have named. Indiana was represented
by Jesse d. Bright and James Whtcomb
They are both dead. California was repre-
scented by John C. Fremont and William NJ.
Gwinn; Mississippi by Jefferson Davis and
Henry S. Foote, and Iowa by George W.
~ a 4 l.
states whose then senators are now living
The only senator Of that day who
now sits in the senate is Hannibal
Hamlin, of Maine. He was elected vice pres
ident in 1860, on the ticket with Mr.. Lincoln,
and at the expiration of his term was re-
turned TO the senate. In addition to those
named General James Shields, then sena-
tor from Illinois, and Robert Nj. T. Hunter,
then one of the senators from Virginia, are
still living. General Shields has a reInarka-
BILE history An Irishman by birth, he is an
American by choice, and as patriotic an one
as ever lived. Shot through the lung at
Cerro Gordo, he was reported to the war de-
partment by General Scott as having been
fatally wounded; but he still lives, while the
man who sent the report has been in bis
grave for many years. A senator from llli-
nois and a senator from Minnesota, he came
near being elected senator from California.
A gallant soldier in the war Of the rebellion,
he came out of il with new laurels added to
those he won in Mexico. When the war
was over he was elected to congress
gror, N;eoour; NV on iron,apca ,,,aiOrifv
but was refused his seat for being
a democrat. He is another illustration of
the madness Of that hour in Missouri which
ascribed all the loyalty to one political party
and all the disloyalty to another, although
the latter contained such men as Shields and
Blair General Shields was in Indiana dur
ing the late campaign, and did valiant work
for Tilden, Hendricks and reform. Ii is re-
ported that Governor Phelps, of Missouri,
will give him position in the government
of that state. 1t is hoped that this is true,
for if there is r man in the country who de-
serves recognition for his gallant services,
that man is General Shields. Ex-senator
Hunter, of Virginia, occupies a position in
the government of that state which yields
him barely a support. He still comes before
the public occasionally, but his influence is
gone, and his place in the control of the at
fairs of that state has been taken by others.
The representatives in congress from Indi-
ana twenty-five years ago were Nathaniel
Albertson, Cyrus L. Durham, John L. Rob-
inson, George w. Julian, William J. Brown,
Willis A. German, Edward W. McGaughey,
Joseph T. Mcdonald, Graham n. Fitch and
Andrew ]. Harlan OF these MessrS. Dun
ham, Julian, Mcdonald and Fitch still live.
Mr.. Fitch afterward became senator from
Indiana and Mr. Mcdonald now occupies
that position. Judge Durham is practicing
law in New Albany and Mr. Julian lives at
rrvington, near this city. The only man
now in congress who was member twenty
five years ago is Alexander H. Stephens, of
Georgia, the ex-vice president of the con-
federate states. He is in feeble health and
rarely appears in his seat, but when he does
great consideration is shown him by his fell
low members.
Many are the changes which have taken
place in the last twenty-five years, and in no
place are they more perceptible than in the
OF the general government
and in the character of our public men
Carpet-bag yers-men without either talents
or character fill the places then occupied
by Clements and King, by Downes and
Soule, and. until recently, those filed by
Mangum and Bidgerand by Rusk and Hous-
ton. But the day is coming, and will soon
be here, when all the states of the Union
will send to Washington hit representatives.
of the intelligence of their people.
The war talk has suddenly ceased In the
papers Probably the proper wire