New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-04-16
MR., BLAINE'S SILHOUETTES.
ESTIMATES OF CHARACTER IN "TWENTY
YEARS OF CONGRESS-"
SIMMER IN WAR TIME.


ing our foreign relations and TO issues growing out
of the slavery agitation TO the latter he devoted
himself not merely with answering fidelity but
with all the power and ardor of his nature. Upon
general questions of business in the Senate he was
not an authority, and rarely participated IN the de-
bates which settled them; but he d d more than any
other man to promote the antl-slaveTy cause, ana
to uprear its standard in the Republican party ne
had earned IN an uneXampioi degree the hatred OF
the South. and this fact had increased the zeal Tor
him among anti-slaveTy men throughout the North'
The assault made upon hun 10y Preston . PIooNS,
q South-CarOlina Representative, Tor his famous
speech on Kansas, had strengthened his hoId upon
his constituency, which was not merely the otate
of Massachusetts but the radical and progressive
Republicans of the entire country. ,..
Mr. Sumner was studOuS. learned, ana AMBITIOUS.
He prepared his discussions OF puO,i, qaeatiTITIs
with care, but was not ready as dendtI' ne
presented his arguments with power. but they were
1aborous ESSAYS lie had no faculty Tor ex,ei9p9e
speech. Ike Addison. he coma draw MS uTSlI lui
n thousand pounds, but might not have shining Oh
change TINS did not hinder his progress or lessen
his prestige IN the Senate. His written arguments
wefe tho anti-Slavery classics of the day ana they
were read more eagerly than speeches when pro
duced greater effect on the healer. CoIOaei beitoi
said that the eminent William Pnclney OF Maryland
was always thinking of the few hundred VINO came
10 hear him in the Senate Chamber. apparently I0r-
getting the million who might read HIM outside
Mir sumner never made that mistake HIS argu-
meuts went to the million. They produced Wiue7
spread aud prodigious etfect on pIDie OPINION 4 I
left an iudehble impression on the history o. INC
TuADDEUs STEVENS.
The Uouse was filled In able men. many OF
whom had parliamentary experience. Inc hatuiaI
leader, who assumed his place by common consent
was Thaddeus stevens, man OF strong Pcc9iiail'ts
OF character, able, trained, and fearless; porn ~
Vermont and educated AT Dartmouth, ne Dad
passed all his adult years IN PENNSYLVANIA ana was
thoroughly identified with tue olate Wcn lie may, nlu
served tn dist notion both III her own Legislature
aud IN Congress He mad the Teputat on oi bonS
soIncv hat INSCRIPTIONS as to political melh2aN.
someN hat careless IN personal conduct, somewhat
lax i'm personal morals but 10 the one great oh oct
OF his life the destruction of slavery ana the eeVa-
ton of the slave. he vas supremacy devoted from
alr NH ID
Upon 10 phase OF II would he listen to COMPROMISE
Any E,an who was truly ant-SlaVery was ms
friend. Whoever espOuSed the cause ana proved
faithless in never small degree, became his
enemy inevitably and iTreconcnabIy. Toward
his own race he seemed often to be miSanthroplc.
lie was learned in the law, and for a third OF
century had held high rank at the bar Of State DIS
tingushed for great lawyers lie was disposed TO
be tacituTn. A brilliant talHer he dld not IeilSh
idle aud aimlcsS conversation. tie was much given
to read ng study and reflection, and to the retire
nent which enabled hun TO crafty his tastes. as
was said of Mr. Emerson, Mr. Stevens loved solitude
and understood It's Uses. .
authority He spoke with ease and readiness using
style somewhat resembling the crisp, clear sen
righteousness of Dean Swift. Seldom, even III the
most careless moment, did sentence escape his
lips that would not bear TIE test OF grammatical
and rhetorical criticism. He possessed the keeneSt
whom Inc did not like. He illustrated IN concrete
form the difference between Wit ana Auniof. lie
did not indulge in the latter ne dld not OF ENJOY
laugh. When his sharp sales would set the entire
House in uprOar. he was as nnpasslve MS visagc rs
solemn. II nc were prOnounclng funeral Grafton.
His memory of facts. dates and ngnles was exact,
and i'm argument he knew the book and chapter ana
page for reference He was fiona OF young men, IN
Tifed their society encouraged and generously
aided them. He was easily moved by tho distress
of others. He was kind, charitable Lavish OF his
money the relief OF poverty. lie had character
istCs which seemed cOntrad Glory, but winch com
bined 10 make one of the memorable figures in the
Parliamentary history OF the United StateS,-a man
who had the courage to meet any opponent ana
who was nc Oycrmatched III mt. lectual conflict
NEN-NORk IN THE WAR CONGRESS.
New-York sent Reuben E. FentOn, already prom
incnt, upu!ar, and strong IN the puOhc service;
JlbraEa e. SpaUldng, VINO became useful anu CIV en-
William A. Wheeler, afterwaId Nce-l'resid,nt OF
the United states; iheodoIe Poneroy, the nelgnb9r
aud confidential friend of Mr.. Seward; Charles b.
SedgwIck. ut pronounced ability IN the law; Charles
fl. Van Wyck, who aiterwaTd sought distinction
in the West; and Abraham Olm subsequently well
he a5ie5t and most brilliant man of the delega-
ton wa, Roscoe ConNing. lie had boon
elected to the preceding Congress when
but tvcuy-nme Years OF age, ana had eX-
ulared bi,r al once IN the front TauN. His command
of language was remarkable. In ahluent AMI cX-
uberant dlction Mr.. CoukiIug was never surpassed
in either branch of Congress, unless, perhaps, by
Rufus Chpate
wASHBURNE, LuVEJOY AND LOGAN
Ulinoi, sent Ehhu Is. Washbucne, already eight
wears Representative in Congress. man Of cont
ave. energy and principle devoted 10 the Republic
can purfl constant III attendance upon the SESSIONS
OF tbr Ilouse expert i'm it's rules its most watchtu
and most careful "lembcr, an economist BY nature
IA Zoe 70 every form of corruption.
owen LoveOy, though native OF Maine spring
ing from Puritan ancestry, ana educated 10 the
Christian ministry IN tine taith taught by CALVIN
had the fiery eoquenCo of "a French RevOlutlOnlSt
Not even the eAaspeIatlng wit OF lladdeus stevens
or the studied tduuts of John Quincy Adams, ever
threw the southern men into .uCh rage as the
speeches of LoNeJOX. lie was recNessly D"lu' MS
brother had been killed by mob Tor preaching
the doctrine of the AbOlItOnlsts and he seemed al
most to court the same fate lie was daring enough
TO say To the Southern Democrats, at time Of
O. a
long before the WAL that the negroes were destined
10 walk to emancipation, as the children OF Israel
bad Ourncyed TO the promised land, " through the
Red Sea" Among the Democrats the most cDnSpc-
nous was William A. Richardson. who had been
devoted adhercnt of Douglas, aud had cOoperated
with him IN the repeal OF the Missouri COMPROMISE
A younger adheTent of Douglas was John 4. Logan,
serving IN ms second term. lie remained, however
but "A short time in tie Thirty seventh Congress.
His ardent patriotism and ambitious temperament
carried him into the war, where his brilliant career
is known and read of all men.
MCCLELLANS MILITARY CAREER.
This ended the military career of General Mcclellan,
which thToug hout It's whole period had been sub
Sect OF constant disCussOn-a discussion which has
not yet closed. Inc opinion OF majority Oh iltgI-
ligent observers. both CIVIL and military is that he
was IA of high professional training, admirably
skilled in the SCIENCE OF war capable OF command
ing large army with success but at the same time
not original in plan, not fertile in resource, and
lacking the energy, the aeTtncss the daring, the
readiness to take great risks for great ends which
distinguish the military le iders OF the world For
q commander of armies in an offensive campaign,
bis caution was too argey developed. lie pos
sessed in too great a degree what tho French term
the defensive instinct If the engineer, and was appar
emily incapable of doing from his own YolItion what
be did so well on the bloody field OF Antetam, when
under the pressure Of an overwhelming necessity.
THE FRANKEsT DEMOCRAT.
The new crusade against the President was begun
by MIR Nallandi CHAM VINO If not the ab!est was the
arankest and bOdest member of his party. lie took
The stump after the Adjournment OF the
Thirty-soventh Congress. 1t was an unusual time
Of the wear to begin political contest, but the
ends sought were extraordinary and the means
pdopted might well be OF the same character. On
81 tr-t dav of MAY Mr. Nallandgham made a