The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1879-12-06
Our Washington Letter.

| AAAS S9VVAa AOVVOA
The Assembling Of Congress Scene
and Incidents on the Floor-The Presi
dents Message Subjects for Legisla
tion-Tarif, Currency, eto.
| WASHINGTON. D. C., Dec. l, 1879.
EDITOR CHIEF:
The assembling Of Congress ha
been described many times, but ou
legislative Sons Of Thunder never re
turn to the scenes of their glory .
their shame, as the case may be
without exciting renewed interest
Upon their words and ballots depend
to great extent, the welfare of large
human interests thar, perhaps, an,
other nationality combines. Not il
present population, but in c!osel,
prospective population, in wealth
and in all that relates, in the wonder
full future, to the amelioration OF bu
man government. When we think o
our remarkable age and of this mi
raculous country what wonder tina,
the mediocre men, who are majority
of boil, houses, become transfigured
aud grand. If man is great in his own
destiny, if the judge is august in hit
power over human rights and human
life, what must be the clothed emf
nence of those men to whom kingly
and imperial functions are transferred.
But it is time to start for the capitol.
The day is superb. The crowd will
be great, for the old resident and the
stranger within the gates are equally
anxious to see Congress on this first
day. The session will not begin un-
til IL NJ, precisely, but already, at IL
o'clock, Pennsylvania Avenue is alive
with groups of ladies aud gentlemen
all moving in ore direction. The
Capitol will hold this immense throng.
for the rOtuDda and lobbies are spa
cions, but only favored portion will
be able to secure admission to the
galleries. Happy, on these crowded
occasions, is the correspondent whose
ticket admits him to the reporters
gallery, from which serene height
he may look down upon and scru-
tinize in superficial way the chosen,
the elect of the Nation. Here they
are, their frequently portrayed or
caricatured4faces recognizable even
to strangers. What American citizen
is there that is not acquainted with
the physiognomy Of Blaine, Coukling,
Thurman, Bayard, Logan, Edmunds,
Lamar, Gordon, and others Their
faces tell but little of the perils they
have passed during the summer; and
some of them have passed perils.
Some aspiring ambitions have been
Some have gone through
the fire of investigation. But the face
Of the politician, like that of the ideal
lliplomatist, ia imperturbable. l have
not time to do better than give you
my notes taken from the galleries of
the House and Senate
Large fire places, with wood fires,
to improve ventilation and add tn the
cheerfulness Of the legislative cavern,
have been placed in the hall of the
House. The House economically uses
The same carpet that was on tho floor
ast year. y
Young Congressman Acklen smoked
! cigar and examined the cards at
;ached to the bouquets that had been
placed on his desk. Newspaper men,
we prefer to be called journalists)
Congressman, lobbyists and bouquets
nave reappeared in the House of Rep.
'esentatives. Mr.. Cobger and Mr..
Garfield held each other by the hand
md looked towards the other end of
he Capitol. The Capitol police have
'ew and handsome uniforms. The
atest thing for ladies is to crochet in
he galleries. The printer will please
rot say coqnet, that would not be
,ews. Fernando Wood was always
he most Frenchy looking Congress.
nan in the House, but now, since he
las been in Paris sll summer, he looks
more French-like than Prem Gilman ,
'imself. Congressman Kelly appeared
n the same suit in which, be inter.
'fewed Bismarck. mean the sack
oat aud sack like trousers that have
'een worn through the longest Con-
'ressional career. Randolph Tucker
nd Gen. Eppa Hunton were tho only
members that we're observed to hug
ach other, conapicuously, like bears.
Sen Butler seems little worn or iaded
y bis signal defeat and now appears
II the streets rs haudsome As ever.
nd completely robed in fur la Es-
|nimaux. He has very extensive
'ractice in the courts, and ranks
'moDg the legal fraternity as one of
ts foremost advocates.
The Presidents message was lis
ened to with great interest by men,
,ers of both parties. As a pnhlic