New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-01-30

inc ON one foot like winged Mercury with
ham sandwich Mt station where they allow
only ten minutes for refreshments; and one
man from Georgia said he stood "almost
az irectlyn-Che ought to have moved little,
10 be sure, so as to have saved the "aImosr"
but he was doubtless in too great hurry
"under the coat-0f-arms of his State EN-
"blozoned on the roof of the Capitol" and no
said some uncOmmOnly touching things-stand-
mo there he couldn't help it-about the
"arcb of the Constitution" and the great
" nrinciple of constitutional liberty" 1t stands
10 reason that man who takes posi-
tion like that under Coat-of-arms anu
makes that sort of casual, unprecedented
reference to it must have had something
dramatic and possibly historic in the cut OF
his trousers or the size of his shoes, his cold
orav eve. eagle beal, or some such thing. But
of all this. observe there IS no record. Where
were the scribes who photographed the Senate
in the Great Debate 7 Where, indeed lhey
had simply burst their vOcabularics, exhausted
the resources of the language, and abandoned
the scene. And here the House had attl-
tudinized and posed; had distributed Itself
around under various cOats-Ot arms; had apos-
trophized the roof, and done all the Iabor0us
things which have to be described in
GRAND way with heavy brush and no
end of paint to save them from being
ridiculous; and it all went for nothing.
OF that Great Debate we have not yet so
much as the description of single trousers
leg Well might the members who lad laid
Themselves out for the occasion feel, as they
opened their newspapers next day and found
nothing but the raw and unadorncd debate,
that they had not been fairly dealt with /; that
the press had not done them justice. We
agree with them that the newspapers which
make q specially of dramatizing great debates
and handing statesmen over in fashion plates
to posterity and history have treated them
unfairly. They ought to be debarred III future
from the use of The House stationery.
But all is not lost One dramatic situation,
one impressive tabeau, is preserved. One
heroic figure from the House of Representatives,
will adorn the canvas Of history. WIN rare
presence of mind and uncqualed seli-posaeS-
sion, the Hon. DAVID Dudley Field, recognizing
the occasion and the opportunity, and mindful
of the TACT that his term in Congress Is quite
limited, IN a brief but stirring address threw
himself upon the canvas. Other features OF
the Great Debate may fade. Mr. ConklinS
and sIr. Edmunds and Mr. Morton and
all the rest may be forgotten; fashions
IN trousers may change, and well de-
veloped legs may shliycl; bus while time
cndures and patriotism that sleeps not is hon
ored, the world will remember David Dudley
Field as sitting up all night watching the tag
over the Senate Chamber "tili the sun rose
cover the SNOW" "Thc flag was fGrlcd,' and
he "Enew that the day was won" Mr. Yield
described it himself, and the cclors cannot
fade. There was 10 need Of any description
of his apparel. The world jumps to the con-
clusion that he sat UP in his night-shirt. or
the folds of that niSht-Shirt, whether they
flowed or cluug, whether the shirt was
rallied or plan, or whether he wore
a breastpin on il, the world makes
little or no account. 1t is enough that he goes
into history in his ni2Lt-shirt, like Roman
Senator in his toga. SO posterty will conten-
plate him. And by and by, when this gen
Grafton has passed away, what nobler theme
can engage the brush of the artist, or what
more instructive scene arrest the attention OF
the patriot from a panel in the Capitol, than
David Dudley Field Watching the FlaG7'
And when it was furicd' he said he knew
"the day was won.r 1t Was unnecessary 10
say by whom.