, 1880-12-07

kallE u tGti1ibA hNlll uI'tItt9 tll' 'hh"G t'7h"ft
mt hetng Atontny amt htl.s'ay, tho tn'lnt
could not hr raIsc., Md tho Speaker would
he relieved from tito embarrassment of .ls-
cfsan. llnw long tho .Iuihhln would hnye
Rerycl tO protfact Tic discussion, Itow tnn1ty
members c0,slA l,nyr talket Mt nice, and how
tlle Speaker wnnld ilayo decided. must over
l,e matters Of profound mystery. sInce tlIo
n,ctl,ory of n former member recently ,!e-
cs:nsrtl wns iny0kc, 10 dtsslpatn The pentttnE
q,laitlnry. 4 f,rn,a1 resolution Of regret WIS
introduced tn The nlck hf time, MID tic cxtcnt
of furling iM the llnnse WIS illustrated BY n
scramble u. tho fl0ar antl III tho galleries to
yacate tho hal1, IN the knowledge that all-
jonrnu.cllt nlways follows tho announcement
0f death.
The Senate was tlulter tl,an tho House only
BECAUSE tllcru nru fewer members ansl moro
nge. Tho listening to tho ,tltssnge by court
csy wns the business Df tho day. This IL 4
sOrt OF traditional fiction. Mt moru t!lan
twenty Sennturs wcre III their seats, md IL
t,lesu tObotly cu,tttt be discovered wl,o was
absorbed in tllo ,ilcssa9G, though two 0r
three were lfstlesly moving nycr tho 1rnvcs ut
the printed pamphlet containing tho doc,@-
,ncnt which had been plncc,l ttpnn their
tcs}ss. Tho wrighty nlntters Of f;ovnr,,-
ncnt WllIcA wcro discussed from nil Execu-
tive lMillt 1T view falleh IN ar,lllse any
response commensurate with tholr In'por-
tul,cc, md there WIS no portcnd anywhere
uf tllu sacred trust of tllo liberties uni vel
faro Of ho.oo0,o0o Of pcoplo which Is pre-
sulnabty ru.use.l III tho Capitol. After tho
prrfunctory reception of Tie ,ucssago the
Scnntc appeared to lluyo just about life
enough to lisperse for tho slny.
| T'1lerc wcra sotlo points about tho opening
Of Congress- which might llaye Impressed
the observing spectator. Ono of tho n0st
obvious WIS the selfish character OF the pc-
cusion. Nothing less than cgottsin In tho
pllilosopltc sc,se OF tho word can nationally
account for tho universal Indifference with
which, tho nrairs Of tho Nation were re-
cciyeI BY the ussotnbtGtt Soions. Tlicro
| WIS barrly responsibility about tie
| OCCASION, but no sOlemnty, inprcssiveNcss.
Or pictures0ueness. Sobotly manifested tho
slightest consciousness ot responsibility.
Tho liberalists md sccmlarlzcrs could
have listened to the opening prayers Ut tho
cliuplulns and watched their luck of impress
sion without npprotendlng any serious
cncroncl,ment Of tho Church upon tho State
through the pro .fornHa ceremony. Tho
who!o scene Was hrnulrnm nud commons
place. Il study Of tic inen niMi flowers OH
| tic i1onr would hayo revealed tho fact that
TIC size md number Of bouquets were rs II
| rule In inverse proportion To tic Importance
Of tho pGrsonages who were favored with
tnral offerings. The nest striking lncident
OF tho tluy was consultation Immediately IN
front Of tho Speakers 'lesk between tho late
VIcc-lrrsident Ut the Confectionery In Ills III
| yalitl.cl.n!r and tho late commander Of the
Rebel forces with blnck balut nbout Ills
forehead, rs II lIc had recently como from
the battlefield. 1t might l,ayc occurred to Il
cas,,nl visitor ttlnt such sight, the cxcep'
t1onal prominence OF two such men In tho
liis|, councils Of tho Nation they Ind sauEhi
to destroy, was q novelty In history Dutltcx'
cited 10 comment, a1al wns not eyen thought
Of OH tho tluor Of tic House. Su
In tho Senate. my onu who was learning
tic mines anti bearing Of tile Grasc md rey'
crend selgnors III easy chairs brforc lin
| Mtgit have bgen surprised to find so man,
whom lobotly knew, aud to learn they wcrt
mainly ux-Confedcrtes who Ind developct
no higher capacity for government than +
fuculty for voting in executive session for ol
agatnst appointments tfiat either suitCtl or Of
fcr,tlctl their partisan Or sectional purposes
Aside from some such observations, tht
American citizen can afford to ,bo as indttfer
ent to tho opening Of Congress rs Congress
was Mt Its opening to everything Of plshll'
nature which was suggested.