The Cecil Whig., 1878-03-30
SENATORIAL Pen PICTURES.


\ special correspondent sent very lively
letter to the Times, from which we quote,
as follows
There is no leader in the Senate any more
than there is in the House. There has
been no leader, in fact, since Henry Clay's
time. During Lincoln's Administration,
Fessenden, by virtue of his being at the
head Of the finance committee, and there
fore having charge of what was the most
important legislation of the time, came
nearest to being a leader but he was not
strong enough to be what Thad Stevens
was in the House. real leader. Conkling
affects to lead, just as he affected to lead in
the House. He is thoroughly self con-
scious, never forgets that the galleries may
be looking at him, and he tries to run the
Senate by stage "asides," intended to
guide, admonish, reprove and counsel Sem
ators, reach the ear of the admiring gal
lery, and escape the Record. People laugh
at Representative w. d. Kelley's affected
and tragic manner of speech, but Conkling
says "terrick " for d" trick" just as Kelley
does; and he frequently informs the gal
leries that he is "per-roud of something
or another, and that this is "ger-reat
county, If linger over Conkling, it is
because his is the most conspicuous figure
in the Senate. But Blaine is more intiu-
ential, and David Davis is as big as both
of them rolled into one. 1t is impossible
to caricature Davis. From behind he re-
minds one of a turtle walking on his hind
legs; and when he sits down the likeness
is not lost, but you cannot help thinking
that he ought to have on his ample waist
coat a label" green turtle soup served to-
morrow and next day McCreery, of
Kentucky, is another noticeable man about
whom the gallery always asks, " Who is
that huge-thighed man with the top of his
head shaved ?'' He reminds me of the
salisbury of the old Senate, except that
he has great bald place in the midst of
his shock of straight black hair. Dawes,
who has been in Congress ever since the
foundation of the government, really shows
marks of age. He does not talk much,
and seems out of his element. He is, per-
haps, like a weather beaten hulk towed
into slack water and left to tranquil decay.
Sargent, of California, another of the
old-liners, is grown portly, calm, and white
headed. He is "woman's Iightser," a
species Of reformer unknown when he used
to punch up the CopperheadS in the House
with a frightfully sharp stick. Voorhees,
looks uncomfortable and out of place, re-
volving about the outer periphery of the
Senate. When he was "the Tall Syca-
more of the Wabash" and used to unloose
his thunders in the House, he was much
more of man. Next TO Henry Winter
Davis, he was the most fascinating speaker
in the House of the Thirty eighth Con.
gress. But what a brigade of Senators
have gone since then. Hale, FesSenden,
Wilson, Sumner, Foot, Collamer Wade,
Wilmot Grimes, and host of others, are
here no more. | miss garrulous Garret
Davis, the wizened little old man who used
to sit on the top of his desk and shrek
nvectives by the half day--a grasshoppor
that was real burden. Then there Was
Willard salisbury, huge, black and shaggy
of name, who used to pace up and down
the space behind the Senators chairs, look
ing like Gagged lion, and who used to get
awfully drunk at times, as no Gagged lion
ever does, that l am aware of. Dooittle,
too, was once prominent figure here. He
went out of the Senate and into the Gree
ley movement. His gun was early spiked
by reference to his cotton speculations,
and when he put up his head once more
during the Tlden campaign, it was hit SO
hard that he popped down again, and has
not been heard of since. | MISS too, Henry
S. Lane, Of Indiana, who had an enormous
mouth, and who chewed tobacco as openly
in the face of the Senate as Zachariah
Chandler used to defend the "machine
in politics. How many actors on this stage
below the reporters gallery have come and
gone since Lincoln first term, How many
lights are quenched in the darkness. and
how many fair stars have set in clouds since
we heard the rebels guns boom over the
Potomac.