The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-12-15
Letter from washington.


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Alexander Stephens on The colorado sc-skctches
and Charactcristcs-The STATE most ably Repre-
sonied In the Z, $. Senate Mathews and Thurman
The state that has most weight In the scnaie-
The senntQr most Eminent for Responsibility and
RhCt0rIc-f The Silent Sagacity D0dgo--A Pages ef.
timatc Of shStodal Ahillty-Justieo Harlan in the
Black SILK town.
WASHINGTON, d, c. Dec -, 1877.
On Monday, the discussion OF the silver bill
ia the Senate and the admission Of Eustis, Of
Louisiana, were the chief subjects Of interest
Senator Mathews, of Ohio, made strong ar.
gument in favor Of silver currency; he was
seconded by Senator Thurman, and opposed
BY Senator's Conkling and Edmunds This
question will occupy much Of the time Of the
Senate until the day of adjournment, and the
bill, it is conceded, will be passed in spite of
presidential opposition. To-day Alexander
Stephens, Of Georgia, will address the House
in favor Of seating the Democratic claimant
from Colorado, and crowded gallery may be
expected. Mr.. Stephens is by no means the
largest member physically, and, perhaps, not
intellectually, but, as q lion he divides atten.
tion with Gen. Butler, and his words are sup.
posed by many to be the strained drippings
Of wisdom. He sits in three wheeled chair,
in 'front.' Of the Speakers desk, wearing n soft
fel black hat and gloves, as a protection
against drafts; but he is a happy, contented
locking invalid, neryously rotating his little
chriot back andiorth in a space often inches.
Since the admission of Mr. Eustis, for the
first time in many years, every State has q full
senatorial representation, and it may not be
unnteresting to say something about the in
telectual inequality of the States as they ap.
par on the Senate floor. The State repre-
serted by the ableSt men, think, is Ohio.
Many will say that Edmuuds, of Vermont, or
Ctnkling, Of New York, is ADLER than either
Thurman or Mathews. This is a matter of
oInion or prejudice, and, of course, cannot
be decided since we have no unit Of measure
fu the accurate estimation OF craftsmanship,
BIZ neither New York, Vermont, nor any
osher State, can boast Of two Senators, both
50 profound and versatile as the Senators
from Ohio. Your correspondent, you know,
is notan 0hioan, but, as Artemus Ward would
say, "ar DIFFERENT Mr.. Mathews has not
had the opportunities that Senator Thurman
has had 10 give the world assurance Of a man,
bot he is not unknown, and in every thing he
saws aud does there is the stamp Of sterling
ability, and fresh masculnity that places
him high above the plane Of senatorial medi-
ocrity. As for Senator Thurman he is con
fessedly, and by odds, the broadcast and most
statesmanlike leader his party has ever had
in the Senate. For nine years he has borne
almost alone the brunt of Republican attack,
and, whether in light repartee, or heavy ar
gument, with Conkling, Ednunds, or Morton,
he never came of second best. Mr.. Thur
man is not man OF magnetism, as the saying
is, and cares not at all for average cheap
popularity, but the blunt simplicity Of his
outward manners hangs so grandly on his
gigantic strength that he is esteemed even by
-, ,.,lsft.,1
diplomatic sense, personal enemies, | pre-
sumo, he has none, for, although no man has
struck harder or more effectively, no one has
accused him of striking in the dark, or Of
dealing an unfair blow. He is not an orator
in the old Ceronian sense, he is certainly not
n graceful speaker; his voice is harsh and
monotonous, and presume he has never once
thought Of the advantages which the old mas.
tiers say are derived from graceful gesture and
perfect elocution. But If he has not studied
the trick Of suitiug "the action to the word,
the world to the action, no man is more
profoundly skilled in the more erudite accom-.
plishment of suiting the word TO the idea
believe il will be pretty generally oonced
ed that Ohio has the strongest senatorial
duality, but with regard TO the state holding
the second place there will be wide difference
of opinion. The only way we have of judging
a Senator is by what he says, his admiring
constituents may insist that, though silent, he
is sagacious, and hint that he IS mighty in
counsel and wonderful in working, but this
cheap, mysterious fame imposes on no one
any more. So manymediocres come from de-
served obscurity, and retire thither. afierstting
in chair in the U. s. Senate for six years or
longer, that the silent, sagacious, dodge is
about played out fla man has any lumi.
NJ aknnf him sAaaa =. L.. L.n.I
any FIRE in his belly emicdt, il will shine forth
The second place some will say should be
given to Georgia, others will claim It for Del.
aware; Massachusetts, has two comparatively
able men in the Senate and il would be easy
to mention other States that send one man
who is distinguished in our highest legislative
body. But few States send two men both of
marked ability. Take Kentucky. for instance,
her Senators are Beck aud McCreery. Mr.
Beck was for sometime the leader Of the mi
nority in the House where he was distinguish.
ed for prodigous capacity for work, rather
than for ideas or eloquence. Mr.. MeCreery
Is remarkable for nothing but eminent respec.
liability. He dresses in black, even to dyeing
his remnant Of hair, and his coat is an antique
swallow tail. MOTHER Senator is distinguish.
ed in this way, except Senator Merrimon, Of
N. c. and he only when making a set speech
The pages have a superstition that McCreery
is the most eloquent Of modern Senator's.
The reason Of this is that 'his mouth he never
opes, but out there hy some tropes;" but they
are simply .ropes and nothing more-pretty
things about orange groves and helmeted
knights. Arguments, statistics, facts, any
thing that would betray a little knowledge Of
the world and day in which we live, you must
not expect to hear from Senator MeCreery.
He is no doubt pretty well read in the classic
poetry and fiction of the last half century and
he makes little speech once in two years,
twenty minutesin length, perfectly memorized,
and so highly finished that Bulwer himself
could add nothing but little thought, and n
few more pretty sentences. IfSeuators could
be measured by their ayordupoise, then there
would be no doubt Of the prominence Of Hi
nois. Senator Davis is by far the heaviest
man in that august body, and Senator Oglesby
is no light weight either. Justice Harlan who
occupied the first time on Monday the seat
vacated by Senator Davis is himself no small
man, and, think, the most judicial looking
parsonage that wears the black gown. He
looks not unlike Chief Justice Chase when he
was younger and in better health, but he has
a much more massive physique than the late
Chief Justice had. | observed him on the
Bench and when he came into the Senate af.
ter adjournment of the court. He had q long
conversation with Senator Voorhees, and |
was surprised to see that he was little taller
than the tall sycamore Of the Wabash, and
the better proportional man Of the two.