Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1880-12-15
Prom our regular correspondent
WASHINGTON LETTER.
wIsniseTos, D, o. Dee, u, 1850

old. A large crowd gathered to look
on, filling tho galleries aud thropgine
tho corridors, as usual, but there wal
nothing particularly exciting or OF OK
traordinary interest In the event -
One thing worthy oflnolice, perhaps
was tho cordial greetings and unusual
good nature manifested among the
members, many Of whom knew that
the brief session then opening would
DO their last appearance upon the
scene. Prominent characters In the
panorama as viewed from the report
ers' gallery wsre men known far aud
wide, There was the tall and erect
torn of Fernando Wood, that throws
q faint shadow OF dignity over the
scene, aud without whose sleek, white
haired presence II would hardly seem
possible to open u session olCohgress'
Then in painful contrast Is the weazcn-
cd little crippled figure OF Alexander
II. Stephens, sbriveled up in his wheel
chair directly in front Of the Speaker,
The broad ,shopldercd Blackburn and
the quiet, unoslenta'ious Morr'son'
occupy contiguous positions and both
have ample evidences OF their popular
ity among fellow members. The lat
ter Is the ab!est man in the Illinois
delegation, aud the former one Of the
best speakers In Congress, Hester
Clymer, who freed Belknap, and
Bellzhooyer, whom the n. Y, Tribune
tried SO hard to defeat, arc both prom
inent in appearance as we'll as famous
Ia name. Gen. Joe. Johnston and
the one armed Hooker, are two OF the
conspicuous ex- contederales III Voh'
gress, and both are able men.
Over on the Republican side is lit
tic Conger, the sqaeaky.voiced, ofiici
Gus member from Michigan. who
aspires to leadership, to the speaker
ship, and to the senatorship, oil faI
above his calibre. The seat Of Gen.
Garfield is not quite empty. Page Of
California rattles around in It, Then
not far away is the venerable Judge
Kelley, immersed as usual in a pile Of
newspapers, and lro,uud Robeson, the
thrifty old salt of the navy in Grants
time, on able man aud a bad one 10
we'll, but Ifair representative OF the
elements that are uppermost in bis
party. One character noticed by
everybody is the fastidious Acklen'
the gay lothario Of tho House, the
breaker of womens heats and the
destroyer of female virtue. He eau
hardly be said to belong to either aide,
but he always takes position that
overlooks the galleries, and also en-
ables the galleries to overlook him.
1t is said that the portion Of Mr..
Hayes message relating to Polygamy,
was written after consultation with
Acklen land Ben. Lttevre, Of the
House, and Ben. Hill and Matt. Car
penter, of the Senate. Certainly one
or more of these might give valuable
suggestions beariug on that or similar
subjects. Acklen was we'll remember
ed by his female admirers in the floral
line. For that matter tributes of this
sort were as plentiful as blackberries
on all hands.
The Senate kept up its reputation
for dignity on this occasion. Pretty
much all the dignity we have in this
country is to be found located in that
chamber. TO an eye accustomed 10
take in, from a lofty perch, above, the
horoscope Of that body, year after
year it IS plainly perceptible that many
of it's members show the advances OF
time and the wear of thought. SEN
ator Thurman looks worn and weary.
Burnside lis feeble. Blaine is as 70.
bust as ever, time tor him seeming to
have halted, leaving him, like the
Lotus-eaters, in the ever-atternoon
cline Of perfected::heslth and strength.
VOORHEES, is getting older land slower
day by day. There are more wrinkles
in Ingalls, face to day than q year
ago, but his hair curls just as natty as
ever. Mcdonald was fifty years old
when be was born and has not aged q
day since. There is no change in
Beck or Baysrd. Salisbury throws
bis. head tback and looks as sharply
and vigorously at the alternating flies
on the ceiling as he did years age, and
gives assurance OF maintaining bis
ability 10 that direction for many years
to come. Morrill's resemblance to
Charles Sumner becomes more aud
more spparent every season. Senstor
Grover of Oregon. OF whose bad
health there has been 90 much said