The daily gazette., 1878-04-02
SECOND EDITION
Our Washington Letter.
of Some Conspicuous
Men I'm WashingtOn.

NACm III w ASn1nKlOns
NoToRIETY HAVE NOT DAUBED WITH
FAME-GREATNEss NOT ESSEN
TIAL TO C0NsPICUoUsNEss-
RIDE MONKEY ON A POLE
SPENCER, CONovER,
BURNSIDE, JONES
AND JAMES.
(From our regular Correspondent. y
WASHINGTON, April /, 1873.
Cooper said, and Carlyle ridiculed him
for saying so fiat thing, that there is a
natural tendency in the human race to
look at conspicuous individuals. A Mol
ly Mcguire on scaffold, or a Senator in
United States Senate Chamber, is a
conspicuous individual, and the actions,
words, the very looks, of either the Sena-
tor or the Molly Mcguire, are for the
moment, subject of comment, and may
be in the future of history. OF how much
history depends. Napoleon thought that
his share in the affairs of the world, at
the close of his first Italian campaign,
would entitle him to half page, but as
he grew older, he became less modest
Just at this moment the most conspicu-
GUS member of Congress, is grim visaged
old Senator Howe, of Wisconsin. For a
long time he has hardly been heard
from; eclipsed by his former more brilliant
colleague, Matt Carpenter, and lurched
in the rapid tide of political events. this
old compeer of Sumner, Ben Wade and
Henry Wilson, seemed almost as dead as
they but last week he stood up on his
feet, and spoke, and spoke, and spoke,
for three hours, and made himself con-
spicuous. What did he say? What
revelations came from his lips; what
formulated wisdom from his hoary ex-
periences? Nothing of the kind. He
simply attacked the Administration in
words less direct, and in specifications
less plain, than the press of his own and
the opposite party has done. But then
he is U: 5. Senator, and it seems there
Is some advantage of conspicuousness in
that fact alone, and since i have proved
that Senator is per Sc a conspicuous in
dividual, will abandon Senator Howe,
and introduce to the American people
some humble Senators, whom nature and
notoriety have not endowed with fame.
The Conkhngs, Thurmans, Blaines and
Lamars make themselves heard fire.
too @ain of hearing of themselves. 1
know only one to whom l think the
lines would apply:
"That man is great, and he alone,
VINO serves greatness not his own,
For neither praise nor pelf,
Content 70 know and be unknown;
Whole In himself"
But I may be prejudiced in his favor,
and you may be prejudiced against him,
so / will not mention his name. 1t will
be difficult to tell who takes precedence
among the non-conspicuous Senators, for
the men who were never heard of until
luck dumped them upon the
floor of the Senate, are numerous. Spen-
Ger, Conover, Jones of FLORIDA, and
Jones of Nevada, Dorsey, Mitchell,
Burnside, Anthony, Butler, Patterson,
and Davis of West Va, are all petty
men. That scientific system which at |
tributes to every human countenance
a resemblance to the face of an animal |
might find another example in that of |
Senator Geo. Il. Spencer, of Alabama, |
which may be safely compared to the |
head of hog. The profound sentiments |
which animate great men do not respire |
from his heavy face his narrow brow is |
not furrowed with wrinkles, nor con-
tracted like that of an old king full of |
cares. his small gray eyes do not sparkle |
with the chastity imposed by the tyran-
ry of ideas, or the interior heat of vast |
ntelligence,1 but, as (Artemus Ward |
would say, "for different" Senator |
Conover, of Fla, is not altogether un-
and as approached him, I |
ind my work half done, for newspaper
has recently put its hand in its pocket
IND made him present of a new hat,
md this bright episode of his political
,areer, has been noticed generally by
he press, and has brought his states-
to the notice of grateful ma
ion. While a clerk in drug store in
lis native State, New Jersey, one of his
customers asked him for a bottle of Uor
,opuh, he replied that he was just out
,ut would send for some by next mail.
T he had been askee for Uo1 Del, the
uture statesman would have b9en none
he less ready to supply the demand.
The two Senators Jones lone from Flori-
la and the other from Nevada, although
epresenting by their votes opposite po-
itical parties, may be described together
$ gross, fat, followers of beaten tracks,
Without appreciation or aspiration for
nything beyond an easy life, and a
Ugh wheeled carriage with four horses,
Which, since the departure of President
irant, Is the only one of the
lind in Washington. Senator Burnside
vas once undistingushed, then he
became distinguished, then he lapsed
nto non distinction, like warrior from
shode Island in an era of peace, then he (
lpsed again into the mixed distinction !
f Senator from Rhode Island. There ,
! no lack of conspicuousness of certain
lind in Senator General Burnside he is |
he nobbiest Senator in the chamber, and
he inventor of that style of whiskers
allied Burnsides, which he still recon-
nends. He is much admired by the la
lies on account of his heroic size, "fault-
ly faultless" clothes, grey skull cap, the
-estiges of West Point, that may be still
detected in his poses, and his Burnsides.
len. Burnside is inordinately vain, as
nay be seen in his ruses to attract atten-
ion. Nobody else in Washington has
uch two-wheeled one-horse shay as he
lrives on the Avenue. 1t is not a COM
ortable vehicle for an old man, but then
is so odd and French, and when the
pectator sees it, he is reminded that
here is a state of Burnside, and Sena-
or from Rhode Island.
1t may seem invidious to write about I
'ublic men in this way, but maybe 1 do {
from sense of patriotic duty. II there !
3 an American citizen who can see, with
ut indignation, the little impudent un- !,
ualified men who have intruded them !
elves into the councils of his country, 5
nd ha ,fI Iic 90 | .