The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-12-10
WASHINGTON.
Tho Senate Photographed How II
Looks To-Day and How 1t
Looked Forty Years
Ago.
Some Pen Pictures Of Leading aena-
tors -Conkling. Hamlin. Bruce.
Edmunds. Bayard. Thur
man and Others.
Correspondence Of tho Democrats
WASHINGTON, December 4. isI

WASHINGTON December 4, 1879
Al the opening of Congress, through tn
courtesy of Senators Jonas, and Walker. q
Arkansas | obtained al admission to tn
floor Of the Senate, had not enjoyed tina
honor since ts4s, when the Senate sat In TIL
old. quaint, semi-crcular room where the Su
preme Court now sIta In sombre grandeur
1t excites ones indispensable surprise that on
Senators should have been crowded into n,
contracted space, and suoh great debates
should have been held In go narrow and con
tracted d compass for speakers and auditors
Contrasted with The present spacious and lofty
rooms there can be no stronger evidence
OF the material progress oF tho great republic
which In twenty-eight years has multiplied
its sovereign States from twenty -four U
thirty eight | say maferiat or asotdupoie
progress. for am not prepared ~ adult that
the intellectual weight and measure ef the old
Senate Of forty eight members did moi exceed
That of tho present Senate M sovaniy
members. | have attended that old Senate
when Calhoun. Clay Webster. Forsyth. Eer-
rier Pondexter sllas Wright, Clayton, Ew-
lnG, Allen. Walker. Of Mississippi. were the
leaders In debate Of the great political parties
of Che day, | was also q constant attendant
or the sessions or the senate during tho three
or four years preceding our civil or sectional
war.
Nhe two sections. FOR II had become soc
nunal issue. then wore represented nv fret
class men IN the Senate. The North ~ stew
ard, Sumner. Hale. Fessenden Wade, Irum-
bull, Douglas. aud the South by Hunter
Tooinbs, benjamin, jeff Davis Rayard. Ell-
dell, Wigfall and others. all Of senatorial cali
bre-s men Of ability, earnestneas aud pluck |
heard all the great debates AMI closely
observed and Htudied the utteranroa and
movements Of the great actors In the exciting
drama produced In the Senate III the years pf
Breekinridges presidency or tho body con
Tess, therefore. that when ! re- entered tho
Senate for tho first time since the exciting
events Of that era or violent sectional strife. IL
was not In favorable state Of mind toward
the successors Of the great Senators nf those
brilliant epoehs in the history or the Senate
I trust however, that this propossession
WILL not Induce any excessive diaparagement
OF the present Senate. Thus far have boon
restricted to the study and observation Of
their physical OF physiological charaGteris-
tics. OF their intellectual and parliamentary |
galibre must reserve my Judgment until !
have enjoyed better opportunities ~ aeti
mating the same. There is certainly nothing |
In the physical aspect of our Senators to IN
dictate the greatness assigned to them or tho /
almost divinity with which they arc regarded |
by many of the pilgrims 10 this political
Mecca. La the aggregate they have very /
much the appearance OF any other assem-.
blage of slxty elderly representative mon oi |
the vast and multitudlnous community of |
States and people. There used 10 to Ill thu
olden time directories and guide books to aid |
strangers In Identifying and recognizing the
prominent men Of Congress These are no
longer salable about the Capitol Mast aud
kepler have superseded them Ivy their mint |
table. portraits and sketches Of our great |
men." Their faces and forms are indeIibly |
Impressed In the memories of all readers Of |
Hufpef's Weekly and Puck. Thoy are recog
nized ut glance. Who. entering tho cnato, |
ioes not immediately fix his gezs of reoogni-
lion upon the immortal
ROSCOE CoNRLINH,
who has filled SO largo q space in public oh
servRtlun and gossip for tho laat twelve
months3 The erect. atawart figure. tho
naughty pose Of tho large head. with The
blonde locks and tho graceful curl intnr-
mediate between the same. serving II double
purpose of ornamentatian and ooneealnent
u growing badness. attNst the fidelity NJ
Nast and kepler. Nor can That vary dark
'omp lexioned, aboriginal hued and formed
person, OF the slick, long. glazed raven aaap-
ucks escape detection III the auhacipra intrn
zion Into the highest and most dignilia1 de
lucrative body IN Tho Worll, oF n vulgar.
fociferous denaRo4un with thu Hill 81 \ New
York hummer. but now Tho Senator from tho
sreat State Of Illinois,
LOGAN
~ name. hutnot n descendant Or the great
Ifnga ehlnf immurtali1rd hy LhpmHa lrtlnr-
ION US the model nt An Indian orator and
rave. Nor will tho observer have long g.
lunt to uncover tho shlivaei ti4Hrn nni
dismal phIS Of tha grandpa of the
,enate, the musty old mummy from Maine
vho still bears that African oognomen which
ed IoombH many years ago To inquire If hN
yas griffa or mulatto lnterrogatnd
nt1n I'm tltI5 Al
emark, the Georgia senator replied that In
lis country African names, like Juha. lianni-
al, were never bestowed on any but negroes.
md even the great name Of SCipia was eN-
lusively appropriated by the African race,
ecausa he had been honored for his victory
yer the Carthagentans with the title III
Africans. Certainly
THE OLD MAINE SENATOR
ave color to the innocent assumption Of the
Georgian by his complexion. his name and
IL political ideas. But IN one respect ha NJ (
lted all such suspicion and vindtcated his {
'orthern origin. This was In his vigorous ! {
to style of hahiliment which
rould be very unsatisfactory aud repugnant
D the tastes and feelings of a warm-hlpoded
nd well bred son or descendant from sire
the sunny South. A pigeontaiied dress
cat, with white eravat, low shoes, cotton
Doks, black satin vest. and no overGnat ut
rap OF any sort, is very evidently not re- 4
arded as the Senatorial or seasonahle garh Z
q this sharp, wintry day, by that dlgniiad !.
nd solitary representative uf the African
ace In the Senate The Hon. Mr.
BRUCE, OF MISSISSIPPI,
ltting near HamIin arraycd IN garments ,
the warmest and most fashionable style Tor :,
no season, with his largely exposed. spotleaa-
7 white shirt bosom and protruding cuffs |
with diamond studs and his deli ]
ate hands encasNa in thrrp-hrttonrd kids.
IL well oiled and carefully arranged hair or
fool parted III the middle. and Ills glossy
oots rejecting the Counteuancrs of all hG-
olders the legitimate and inpal descendant
t though bearing glorious Scottish
ame-exhihited striking contrast with tho
aesgre, salow, lily ani inaaequstrly attilrd
nd misnamed representative of the NEST
yperhoreau OF our communities, and the
lost enlightened and progressive III our
aces, Between these two we quickly
ientify that long and angular face and slick
srehead extending from the nasal base ~
he precipitate descent Of the organ OF phlo-
an uninterrupted sphere Of :
'flliiant ami II would appear conRenital bald
ess, as the unmistakabe physical charac-
erl sites 81 the embodement OF the stern