Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-03-05
4 Glance At some q the ssrea, Men
Philadelphia Times


just twenty-one years ago / used
to frequently stick my head over
the railing of the reporters gal.
lery'' Of the United States senate
and behold the assembled wisdom
there congregated. "And there were
giants in those days. From the
same standpoint to-day but two of
those men are seen there-HannibaI
Hamlin, OF Maine, and Henry b.
Anthony, of Rhode Island. NV
recollection of that senate in Febru-
AIRY, 1860, conveys an idea of great
ness which ii look over the gallery
in February, 1881, does not main
tain.
John G. Breckenridge, the vice
president, with his dark complex
ion, presided with quiet dignity
that excited admiration, and his
failure as Il rebel general in a few
years thereafter cannot efface from
my-mind the conception of great
ness which | accorded him then.
There was James F.-Bayard, of
Delaware, the talented gentleman,
and his colleague, Willard S8uls-
bury, a man of undoubted genius,
yet unable to govern his appetite.
Singularly enough, the small state
now has a son of the first and
brother of the second to represent
her in the senate. Then there was
Charles Sumner, the scholar, the
orator and the courageous advocate
of human rights. Whoever has seen
him and heard him speak will never
forget it. Not far from him sat the
venerable John j. Crittenden, who
ardently pleaded for peace and inef-
fectually cOncOcted his compromise
that war might be averted. And
Zach Chandler, of Michigan, was
then a new senator, given some
what to dissipation, and yet he had
greatness enough TO wrest presi-
dency from its rightful owner. On
the same side of the chamber sat
VIM. Pitt Fessenden, he of worse
than plebean origin, yet withal Il
great man. Also close by was the
oratorial John p. Hale, whose great
ness was somewhat clOuded by inef-
ficieney. Not far from him sat Viii
liam Fl. Seward, the diplonatist,
and who was aSsassinated nearly to
death on the eventful night when
the martyr president met his doom.
The gifted Preston King was there,
too, who afterwards so mysteriously
jumped from a ferry-boat at New
York and whose body never received
sepulture. At that time Andrew
Johnson sat on the democratic side,
while James r.. Doolittle, of Wis
cOnsin, had a chair on the republic
can side, as did also Lyman TFum-
bull, of Illinois; now they are bright
particular stars in the democratic
circus. Pennsylvania was repre-
sented by the genial William Big
Ter and the man who now dictates
the policy and action of the republic
can party of the state-SimOn Cam
erOn, and the latter at that time
evinced no cOntrition or conscience
for securing the senatOrship by
means of three democratic votes in
the legislature, Itch votes Col.
John w. FOrney thought belonged
to him. That Gen. Cameron is one
of the great men who constituted
the senate of twenty-One years ago
will rot be disputed by those even
who hate him most. His son Don
now sits nearly i'm the same position
in the chamber.
The "little giant of the west,
Stephen A. Douglas, at that time
occupied a prominent place in the
councils of the nation. And there
was the burly Robert Toombs, of
Georgia, who thought that the time
would soon come when he would
call the roll of his slaves on Bunker
Hill. Robert still lives to regret
that he ever made such a foolish
boast. James NJ. Mason, of Nir-
ginia, and John Slidell, of Louisi-
ana, were both members of the sem
ate then, and the little episode of
their capture by our government
during the war, which came SO near
getting us into difficulty with Great
Britain constitutes their only claim
TO greatness. And not least among
the senators of that day was JEFF.
Davis-calm, cool and calculating
Jeff.-the rebel president. AT that
time, ! recOllect, an affection of the
eyes prevented him from giving
very close attention to his senatorial
duties
Then there was Henry Wilson,
who afterwards became vice-presi-
dent, and "honest Ben Wade" of
Ohio, who was never afraid to speak
his sentiments on any and all Occa-
sions.
Kansas and Nebraska were terri
tories in 1860, and the states of Ne
vada and Colorado were not even
in an embryonic condition. In look
ing back upon these men, who at
that time and a few years later in
our nations eventful history filled
such large measure of public no.
tice, one fact is conspicuOus-not one
of them developed any military
genius. Perhaps, by making sena-
tors of them, many good general
was spoiled. However, the present
senate has a sufficient number OF
generals to make up what might
have been lacking in its compost
tiOO tWpntV-Onp wears ago.