Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-12-12

The central figure in the Senate cham
Der the past week, during the republican
struggle against fate, has been George +.
Edmunds of Vermont. His personal APP
pearance is rather striking. Not very
tall when upon his legs, he has that great
length of spine which is regarded in in
surance offices as promise, if not guar
antee, of longevity. For all l know to
the contrary, Edmunds may be one hun
bred years old already. The tough rud-
dinoss of his skin and the uncertain gray
ness of his hair and beard are of the kind
that defy conjecture as to age. With his
long furrowed forehead running up TO a
point above, his long gray beard running
down to n point below, his ghostly atti-
tudes and gestures, and his archiepiscopal
habits of attire, Edmunds looks like II
well preserved specimen OF the ancient
Christian Fathers.
A dozen years ago this long headed
lawyer came into the United States Sem
ate from region chiefly famed for its
verdure and its maple sugar sap. But
there was nothing verdant and nothing
sugary about the new Senator from Yer
mont-an accidental Senator, by the way,
for he merged from obscurity to fill a
chair vacated by death. He first made
himself respected on the floor by his
singularly accurate memory and his close
knowledge of technical law. He came to
be considered by the majority MS dry
but indispensable work of reference. He
was appealed to on points that men of
affairs are too busy to hunt up and men OF
genius do not care to burden their brains
with. Gradually he built up the little
pomp of n law library on and around his
desk This imposing adjunct and the
venerable appearance of his beard inspired
u certain awe in the galleries. The awe
was lost in yawns whenever Edmunds
arose to speak.
As the evolution of Edmunds advanced,
he began to manifest new abilities. Ills
memory gave him great advantage, his
power of application u greater. For ten
years he had been digging away at the
Rules of the Senate and the principles of
parliamentary law. The result of his in
dustry was apparent in the Electoral bill
debate of one year ago, when he stepped
to the front as the very best parliamenta'
ran in Congress, not excepting Blaine of
Maine. Edmunds's mastery of the quirks,
precedents, lodges, tricks, and surprises
of legislative strategy is wonderful. lie
never founders in any question of pro-
cedure; he is never off his feet.
Now, to these qualities in debater add
the still more valuable one of perfect self
control. Edmunds angry, Edmunds dis
composed, Edmunds discouraged, Ed
munds taxi aback, is spectacle reserv-
ed, fear, for the day Of judgment. If a
keg of nitro lycerine should explode
under the Senate Chamber and hurl into
space every honorable gentleman except
himself and the Chair, Ednunds would
wriggle up out of his scat and move a
call of the roll, to ascertain whether a
quorum was present, as calmly and dis
passonately us if he was moving the
previous question on n ten thousand dol
lar appropriation bill. No unexpected
motion, argument, or vote ever surprised
him or cut him off from his resources.
No accusation or insinuation ever exas-
perated him. Attacking him with sar-
casms or innuendos is like throwing India
crackers ut an iceberg. His perfect cool
ness in debate resembles Ben Butler only
Buffers is sheer triumph of will. The
General is naturally an irascible man, and
has nerves; Edmunds does not know how
to be wrathful, and makes poor botch OF
it when it serves his purposes to appear
so.
The Vermont Senator has improved
greatly both in the matter and in the man
ner of his oratory. Formerly he had the
reputation of being the dullest speaker IL
the Senate His speeches We're phrasec
like legal brief, and his rhetoric was
that of mortgage deed, His delivery
was like the music of rheumatic woodeI
pump. Practice and constant self-disci
pine have infused some life into his
parchment sentences, and he now say
what he has to say without clearing the
galleries
Cold, clear-headed logical and merci
less, shrewd and ready in retort, intellect
ually INSCRIPTIONS, caring nothing abou
consistency or Inconsistency, except as
weapon to use against others, partisan t.
} the end of every hair in his grizzlet
beard capable of lending his great pow
ers to ignobe purposes, Edmunds is I
dangerous man on the wrong side of
question of right and wrong. Nobody ii
the Senate can toss about moral principle
with more careless air of lofty patriot
ism. Nobody can wear the mask of sin
cerity more gracefully. 1t takes som
acquaintance with Mr.. Edmunds to Sc
; the grin that is always behind the mask
I but once detected it can never be los
q sight f. Washington Correspondence Ne'
York Sun.