The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1878-01-03
Times's Change in the Senate.

After an interregnum OF seventeen
years the Senate is now full. There
have been great changes since the SEN
ate met in December, 1860. The Gov
eminent runs on, while the grave
takes the governors. To the man ia
miliar with the Senate Of that day, the
changes death has made In the body
that itself never dies, have melan eholy
interest. OF those who were then Sena-
tors but two ;arc Senators to-day
Hannibal Hamlin of Maine, and Henry
B. Anthony of Rhode Island. Notwith-
standing the long term of the Senator,
who serves for six years, and the ten
dency to re-elect, of the seventy-six SEN
ators, to-day but two were Senators less
than three times six years ago. Pitt Fes-
sender was in the Senate then, keen,
commanding, but misanthropic, seeming
to have spite against mankind be-
cause OF the bitter love accident to his
birth that sprung from the nature of
mankind. Fessenden is dead. John p.
Hale was there, brave eloquent, witty,
able to state his case with unsurpassed
force and clearness. Hale is dead.
Henry Wilson was there, polite, tirelcss,
ambitious, making more of his native
talents than almost any man in our his
tory and Wilson is dead. Sumner was
there, the student OF the Senate, the
man who alone in the Senate, was able to
summon all history and all literature to
prove his point. Massive In his vanity,
isolated in bis tastes and life; and Sum-
ner is dead. William Henry Seward
was there, who had been for ten years
the idol of great following, and was
the statesman of his party in 1860. Sew
ard is dead. Stephen A. Douglas was
there, his Democracy pure and simple,
and running through the warp and wool
of his nature, his loyalty to the Union
SO deep. seated that not even disappoint-
ed ambition always destroyer Of the
best things in men, could shake it. al
am ready to act with any party, any indi-
vidual of any party, who will como to
this question with an eye single to the
preservation of the constitution and
the Union" said Douglas 10 theses try
ing hours. Douglas is dead. Andrew
Johnson was there, his voice of the
bravest, and Andrew Johnson is gone.
George K. Pugh was there, fresh from
the laurels of Charleston, that shrill
tenor tone ringing like silvery bell
through the senate. chamber, clinging to
the Union and to peace with tenacity,
but to his belief with defiance; and that
brilliant man sleeps. Jefferson Davis
was there, saying, "If [ could see any
means by which could avert the catas-
trophe of struggle between the sec
tons of the Union, my past life, l hope,
gives evidence Of the readiness with
which | would mako the effort. If, in
tho opinion of others, it be possible for
me to do anything for the public good,
the last moment while | stand here is at
the command ofthe senate. | will serve
on the committee if the senate choose"
There were thirty three states then.
There were other shining names in the
list of senators. There were names less
lnstrous that take place in our history.
r. NJ. T. Hunter, Mason, of Virginia,
Robert Toombs, John j. Crittenden,
Jesse ID. Bright, Ben. Wade, Lyman
Trumbull, Yulees of Florida, Wigfall of
Texas, Benjam and ISlidell, and others,
were then senator's. The graves have
opened, and events have shifted the
leaders. Five states have been added
to the Union since that time, ten sena-
tors have been added to the senate of
those ante-bellum day. The senate
never dies, but how changed it is Gin
cinnati Inquirer.