The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-04-11
THE SENATE OF 1861.
A Memorable Body Of Which but Few
Now Survive.



The death of Hon. Timothy O. Howe
removes one of the few men lately IN
active political life who COMPOSED the
senate at the special session Of the Thirty
seventh congress- which met on tie
Fourth of july 1851 having been called
by proclamation of President Lincoln.
issued on the 10Th of April previous. the
day after the fall of Fort Sumter. This
summons to congress was part of the
same proclamation by which 1.-THE lniIitio
of the several states of the Union. to tbe
aggregate number of 20, 900. - were called
forth to suppress the combination in the
southern states opposing and obstructing
the execution of the law. 1t will be in
teresting TO call over the roll of that
senate and recollect the men, who less
than twenty-five years ago, met the great
and unprecedented responsibilities of the
time.
Hannibal Hamlin was the vice -presi-
dent of the United States senate. and
called the senate to order and the Rev.
DIR. Sunderland offered PRAYER. Both
these gentlemen are still living. Mr..
Hamlin had had long experience in the
senate, having been first elected in 1S4S
and serving continually, with the excep- |
uon OF less than two months occupancy
of the gubernatOral chair of Maine I'm |
til very recently he has been in public life |
ever since, serving another full term in
the senate sincesthe war The two sena-
tors from Maine were Lot NJ Morrill, and
William Pitt Fessenden. Mr. Fessenden
had been in the senate since 1853. Mr.
morrill, was new senator elected to sue
coed Mr.. sHamlin Mr. Fessenden
died in 1869 and Mr. Morrill, last wear
vermont was represented by Solomon
Foote and Jacob CoHamer, both men of
great ability and distinction. Mr.. Foote
entered the senate in 1851 and died in
ONCE Ia 1854. He was president pro tenn.
OF the senate during this. congress. Mr..
CollaIner nrst entered the senate in 1865,
having previously been twice chief Justice
or the supreme court of Vermont. six
years member of the house Of represen
tativcs and postmaster general in Tav1or,c
administration. He died in office in 1873 I
and his statue is one OF the contributions s
oil his statesto the hall of statuary in the {
national capitol. '
John L. Hale and Daniel Clark were the |
senators from New Hampshire. Mr. Hale /
was serving his third term. Mr. CLARK |
entered the senate in 1857 for a short '
term, ending in 1861, and was Reelected I
MT. Hale has been dead ten wears hnt a
clark has been United States distriot o
Judge Tor New Hampshire since 1860 L
Ihe representatives of Massachusetts u,oya I
Charies Sumner and Henry Wilson The t.
former had been senator since 1851 s
ana the latter since 1855. Mr.. Summer
1ied In 1874, and Mr.. Wilson the follow
ing year Rhode Island was represented
oy James r Simmons and Henry b. An
chohy. MT. Simmons had been a senator !.
ron. ron. 1871 TO 1847, and was Reelected in !,
N H.
u 1ooS ne resigned and died two =
80 hlr. Anthony began his long j,
senatorial career, which is moi vet endadS !
IN 1859. There is but one more. O- 80 .
member of the Senate in that oo,, 49,
"ho Is now member of that body and "
alf. Anthony alone has had conf;nrone =
service. James Dixon and Lafavatto G ~
oster were the Connecticut eerato.o u
III Di1on entered the senate in 1877 :.
er'ed Two full terms, and died in 1879 ?:
NJ oSter became senator in 1877 and | q
erVed Two terms. He was chosen nreoiN -
ren1 pro TEN. OF the senate when Andrew ~
Johnson became president of the TTnited pc
states. lie is not now living. a.
\, Ireston hlng and Ira Harris were the :,
W" Aofh members. Judge Harris was !,
q new member, having been eIectod - IL
succeed William III Seward Mr. Kino q
had been in the senate four wears Roth :
are dead. The New Jersey senator's were =
John X. Thompson and John G. Ten g
Yck Mr. Thompson was a democrat, =
serving his second term Mr.. Ten Evck :
was republican, and had been in the :
senate two years. The former died in / (
1862. We do not know whether tbe !.
other is living or not. Pennsylvania was :
by David Wilmot, of Wllmot-
proviso fame and Edgar Cowen. Both >
We're new senators. Mr. Wilmot died in J
1868, and we are i'm doubt about Mr. !
Cowen. Delaware's senators were James
A. Bayard, father of the present Senator I
!, bayard and Willard Salisbury. We be !
lleve that Mr.. Bayard is dead and Mr. {
is living. Anthony Kennedy ,
ana j. mes A. Pearce were the two MarV- :
lanu members Mr.. Pearce had been :
senator continuously since 1913. He died :
IN 1862. Mr.. Kennedy served but one :
term. Jul on0
John G. Breckenridge and Lazarus w $