The Press., 1883-11-15
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Washington, D. c.. Nov. 9th, lSSS.
 The senate chamber in the United States capitol at Washington is undoubtedly the most interesting room in this country. It is superb apartment in itself Its mar ble walls decorated with some of the finest pictures and historical paintings and por- traits in America it's superb stained glass roof admitting modified light; the ele- gant stairways and balustrades leading to 1t of Tennessee marhle on one side, and the pure white marble of Genoa on the other; the tiled flooring, the rich hang ings, and the semi circular row of polished mahogany chairs and desks, to say nothing of the elegant senatorial lobby, and the wonderful marble room, in the rear, make an ensemble which is at once magnificent and imposing; room which Is 8 fitting place for the meetings of the "most potent grave and reverend seniors" of the repub- lc. But aside from the rich garniture which makes this room the wonder and delight of visitors, some of whom go so far as to say that it is the most beautiful in the world-it is coming to have historical and personal interest of a rare and peculiar nature. Ours is such young nation that our history, though exciting enough, is too recent for veneration. Pride in our national c reer and in our men of the past seems to be thing of slow growth. Per- haps we are too busy with matters of the present or the future to think much about it. Certain it is that we have no Vest minister kbbey-no place peculiarly sacred to the great of our nation, I fell to think ing of this the other day as looked from the gallery of the senate chamber down in to the room below. A woman was en- gagged in putting the scattered furniture to rights, but 1t was not occupied by any oth- CT at the time, save the ghosts and spirits of those one might call into place by an effort of the memory. quarter of a century ago witnessed, in this room, the preliminary contests between slavery and freedom. Charles Sumner, Thad. Stevens, Lyman Trumbull, Wm. Pitt Fesseuden, and few others fought their parliamentary battles with Toombs, Davis, Walker, Hunter, and other southern leaders here, Then followed the war period when Ham, lin, Morton, Harlan, Wilson, Washburn, Boutwell,, Trumbull, and others represent ed the republican side, and, next, the long contests of reconstruction, and the trial of President Johnson, which took place in this storied room All these are its his torical treasures and associations. They cling to it and are part of 1t, and make the United States senate chamber a his torical room peculiarly associated with the greatest acts and epochs of our history. As time goes by and veneration succeeds familiarity, and when the ordinary heroes and statesmen whom we meet to-day come to be remembered in the peril and grandeur of the times in which they lived, we shall have here in this chamber the most vital and enduring realization of the history of the great civil war.
 But the memories of the past must yield precedence to the immediate interests which surround the meeting of the senate on the second Tuesday ill December. The senate Is 8 continuous parliamentary as- sembly. The house is elected every two years, but the senate never expires. Hence the changes from one session to another are not very observable. But this coming session will be rather remarkable in this respect. It will make it wildly evident that many of the recent leaders of the re- publican side are gone Blaine, Conkling, Morton, Windom, David Davis, Carpenter, Burnside, and not few more have drop ped out, and their places know them no more. Their successors are linked with more recent events. Most of their reputa- tions have been made since the war, and emphasize the fact that new epoch has succeeded the old. Their procllvities are or new Ofdef ana date. Iney are not attached to the past, but to the present, and their political battles are not to fight over again the memories of the war, but to grapple with the industrial and economic questions of the hour. There is no such tendency towards following the domination of one superior political leader as there used to be when the crippled giant Morton would rise and whip into place with his terrible scorn and fiery satire the recall citrants to the '''policy.' "Policy" does not exist much now. Party organization is a very dilapidated structure in the sen ate. It is more of 2 go=as- -yoa- please match in which the senators take part. Whether this is to the advantage and gain of politics in general or of the republican party in particular l leave to the reader to de- termine for himself,