Vicksburg weekly herald., 1878-04-19
A Glance az Ghe U. .. Senate.

- -@~N - ~ ~ - sS&@e0s
CHANGEs OF A BRIEF DECADE-sKETCHEs
OF PROMINENT MRMBERs OF THE BODY
THE eoUID.HUNTINGToN LOBBY
THE POLITICAL SITUATION.
Editorial Correspondence Phila. TimeS.l
WASHINGTON, April Q,
What q change decade has wrought
10 the United States Senate. Since The
close Of the memorable reconstruction
battle with President johnson, l have
rarely been visitor to the National
Capital, and l painfully realized the
havoc time had made among the states.
men OF the Republic, as | spent an hour
yesterday In the gallery, surveying the
body whose records in its better days
are among the brightest OF the annals
of free government. Quite half the
faces were strange 10 me, and those
which we're yet familiar, have all been
more or less shadOwed by the flight OF
years. Of the great leaders in the
struggle tor the preservation of the
Union, Hamlin and Anthony only re.
main. True, Conkling and Blaine have
seen continuous service In the councils
of the nation since the war began, but
neither was In the Senate until the
struggle had ended. In vain does The
visitor OF ten years ago look for Sumner,
Fessenden, Wilson, Wade, Trumbull
and their compeers who were the gu.
thors Of the measures which made free.
dom the jewel of q free people, aud
equality before the law for every con-
ditlon and race the irrepealable man.
date Of the Republic. Hamlin left the
floor Of the Senate 10 enter the Vice
Presldents chair Of tho opening OF the
war, and he and Anthony now cit 10
the body solitary aud alone, Of the men
who witnessed the departure and re.
tHrn Of the Senators from the REBEL.
lvus States. Although bowed 10 form
and rudely furrowed in iace,the venera-
BILE Senator from Maine is vigorous and
active In the discharge OF his public du.
ties, and is one of the most intolerant
partisans Of the body. Anthony is fal
and feeble; the FIRE Of his eye 10 dim
med aud his step is slow and measured.
He entered the body in 1859, and is the
Oldest member In uninterrupted ser.
vice, although HAmlin scores more
years of Senatorial experience. Howe
entered the Senate with the Inauguration
of Lincoln, but he has been 4 follower
not leader, and he will retire with.
out leAvin. his impress upon the policy
or statutes Of the country. He is we'll
preserved and bis tall, slender form
with silver crown, looks 40 IL time and
the cares Of state had united 10 gentle,
ness toward him.
PEN.PICTUREs OF SENATORS.
The notable feature OF the Senate, L
one who has been familiar with th
body ten years ago, 10 the many nev
faces 10 the extreme right OF the chair
There are Gordon and Ransom AnC
Maxey aud Morgan and Hill and Lama
and Butler and Withers, all ex.COn
federate chiefs, now legislatlng for tht
Government they rebelled against, anC
they rival their opponents on the 0ppo
site side Of the chamber in conservative
national views. The magnetic men o.
the body evidently are Blaine on thC
Republican side and Gordon on thC
Democratic side. Both are Of the nerv
ous temperament, genial IN intercourse
keen At repartee and always ready fol
the fray. Blaine, Gordon and Lamar
are sitting 10 q group, the great Repub'
lican leader leaning over the desk o.
thel Georgian warrior on one side and
Lamar bending 10 both from the otheI
side, Chatting in 9 manner 90 friendly
and jovial that the devoiee Of thC
bloody shirt would chill In HE hero
worship Of Blaine, could he see how
fraternal the blue and the gray can be
In the amenities Of the Senate. Conk
ling enters from the rear Of the chail
and his finely Chiseled features, grace
ful bearing and unconcealed sense OIL
superiority could not fail to arrest the
attention OF the visitor. His COLDER
hair has lost its lustre as the FROST
have been busy at their work, and hC
lacks the ruddy freshness he brOugh
, into the Senate, but he is unimpaireC
IN Vigor and imperiOus as only Conk
ling can be since the days Of Clay. II,
beckons the youthful looking Allison
=. of Iowa, to a private talk, and the tw,
I take 9 good old.fahlOned country leaI
against the door,jam while Conklinl
, tells his story and pairs the nails Of hi
exquisitely.modeled fingers. Dicl
7 Oglesby, the rollickihg campaigner o
. Illinois and one Of the bravest 0
! warriors from the prairie land, Sit
quietly in his seat. His head ha
q whitened like the unsunned snow, bu
his face is yet fresh and unplowed b
> > age or care. Ferry steps in from th
y. eastern door like a dancing-masteI
a strokes his long, glossy beard as b
! struts along the aisle, pauses to Civ
ample time for the play OF the sdmiri
n tion OF the galleries, and then takes hi
a chair with self.satisiaction written OIL
: over his by no means strong face. Pa
= terson comes in with huri d, deilau
! step, bis head thrown back over th
4 perpendicular line, and drops into hI
! seat uunoticed. His wealth of gOlde
! hair is deeply silvered now and hi
. features are sharp and pale as II the
= knew little of health or content. o
to his right is the round, dusky face {
n Bruce, of Mississippi, the youngeI
Senator, believe, and the only repre-
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