Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1881-02-12
THE SENATE OF 1890.
There were Giants in Those Ways
AGIauee at the nen OF the Past.

There were Giants in Those Ways
A GIauee at the en- OF the Past.
Wash. DOR, Phila. Times.
John C. Breckenridge, the Vics Pres
ident, with his dark complexion, pre-
sided with a quiet dignity that excited
admiration, and his failure as q reoel
general in few yeaTs thereafter can
not etfsce from my mind the conception
Of greatness which accorded him tuen'
There was James A. Baysrd, OF Della
ware, the talented gentleman, and his
colleague, Willard salisbury, a man
of undoubted genius, yet unable TO
govern his appetite. Singularly enough
the small State now has o eOn OF the
hrst and a 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 speak will never forget it. Not
far from him sat the venerable John J.
Crittendep, who ardently pleaded for
pescs and Intellectually eoucocted his
compromise that war might be averied.
And Zach. Chandler, Of Michigan,
was then new Senator, given some
what to dissipation, and yet he had
greatness enough to wrest Presidency
from its rightful owner. On the same
81 de OF the chamber sat Vim, Pitt FEES
sender, hs of worse than plebeian or
IGN, yet Withsl great msn. Also
close by was the Oratorical John I.
Hale, whose greatness was somewhat
! cloudsd by ineilieiency. Not far from
him sat William II. Seward, the dipio-
matist, and who few years later was
assassinated nearly to death on the
eveutful night when the martyr Prest-
dent met his doom. The gifted Preston
King was there, too, who afterwards sc
mysleriously jumped from = ferry-boat
at New York and whose body never re-
ceived sculpture. At that time Andrew
Johnson sat on the Democratic side
while James r, Doolittle, Of Wisconsin,
had chair on the Republican side, as
did also Lyman Trumbull of Illinois
nov they are bright particular stars IL
tho Democratic circus. Pennsylvania
was represented By the genial william
Bigler and the mau who now dictates
the policy and action OF the great Re
publican party Of the State-Simot
Cameron, and tn" latter at that time
evinced no cOptriLion Of conscience fol
securing the Ssnatorship by means o
three Democratic votes in the Legisla
ture, which votes Colonel John w
lForosy thought belonged to him. Tina
General Cameron ia one Of the grsa
men who constituted the Senate o
twenty one years ago will not be dis
puted By those even who hate hin
most. His son Don now sits nearly II
the same position in the chamber.
IA The "little gian Of the West" steph
en- A Douglass, at that time occupied
prominent place in the councils OF tn
nation. And there was the burly Rob
ert TOombs, of Georgia, who though
that the time would soon come when ~
would call the roll of his slaves o.
Bunker Hill, Robert still lives to re-
gret that he ever made such foo lisl
boast. James NJ. Mason, Of Virginia
aud John Slidell, Of Louisiana, wer'
both members of the Senate then, ant
the little episode OF their capture b!
our government during the war, Whicl
came 30 near getting us into dith?ult.
) with Great Britain, constitutes their on
ly claim to greatness. And not leas
among the Senators OF that day was Je
Davis-calm, cool and calculating Je
the rebel President. At that time
recollect, an affection of The eyes pre-
vented him from giving very close a
tention to his Senatorial duties, an
one of the claims for greatness PIT
} forth for him was that his first wife wa
i the daughter OF President Zach Taylt
n and that he had married her in spite
the old man 3 opposition. | came mel
forgetting Henry Wilson, who ate
= wards became Vice President, an
''hopest Ben Wade" Of Ohio, who WI
never afraid to speak his sentiments
j.. any and all occasions.
e. Kansas and Nebraska were Territori
9 in 1860, and the States of Nevada 81
!, Colorado. now represented in such
!, solid manner, were not even in an or
bryotic condition.