The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-03-30

known as "Tom" Corwin, was senator
from Ohio from 1916 to 1850, when he
became Secretary of the Treasury under
President Fillmore.
Reverdy johnson of Maryland repre-
scented that State in the Senate from
1915 to 1S49, when he was appointed At
torney General of the United States by
President Taylor.
John M. Clayton. the greatest of all the
long list of Delaware Claytons," was a
Senator from 1845 to 1S49, when he be-
came Secretary of State under General
Taylor.
Willie P. Mangum. of North Carolina,
was President of the Senate under Presi-
dent Tyler, and again member of the
Senate from 1s4l to 1S49.
Stephen A. Douglas was first elected
senator from Illinois in 1S47 and
served in that body many years.
Geo. Evans was senator from Maine
from 1s41 to 1847, one of Names greatest
men,
VIM. l.. Dayton, of New Jersey, was
senator from that State from 1912 to 1851,
and the Republican candidate for Vice
President in the Fremont campaign"
Levi Woodbury., OF New Hampshire:
then appointed Judge of the United
States Court by President Polk.
VIM. r.. King, of A Alabama, was senator
from 1886 TO 1852, when he was elected
Vice President of the United States.
He was senator in all 81 years and
was President pro tenn of that body 10
years.
John Mop. Berrian, Georgia's sgreat-
est statesman, was in the Senate from
that State from 1870 to 1916.
| could enlarge the list of distin-
guished men who served III the Senate
during that decade, hut it is unneces-
sary. Any man acquainted with Ameri-
yiSh
that no such array of talent was ever
concentrated in that body before or
since.
The next decade from 1850 to 1860, the
Senate lost nearly all the great lights of
the former decade. Webster, Clay,
Calhoun, Benton. Wright, Buchanan,
and Others, all went out. have no
time to go through the list of senators
from 1850 to 1860. hut will take a look
at the Senate of 1860, the last before the
rebellion.
The Senate then had many distin-
guished men of great ability and of a
Of Massachusetts, VIM. H. Seward, of New
York, John 2. Hale, of New Hampshire,
Lyman Trnmbull. of Illinois, Jacob
Collamer, of Vermont, Hannibal Ham
lin and VIM. F. Fessenden, of Maine,
stood at the head of the list on the Re-
publican side, while Henry Wilson,
James r. Doolittle. of Wisconsin,, James
Harlan, of Iowa, and Ben Wade, of Ohio
were very strong men of the same poll
tics.
Among the ablest senator's on the
Democratic side of the cham Der were
ohm j. Crittenden, OF Kentucky,
Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois, James
of Louisiana, RIM. L. Hunter, of Vir-
ginia, "Bob" Toombs, of Georgia, and
James A. Pierce of Maryland.
Then there was Foot of Vermont,
Chandler of Michigan, Cameron of Penn
sylvania, Anthony of Rhode Island on the
Republican side; and Green of Missouri,
Mason of Virginia, Slldell, of Louisi-
Mississippi, on the Democratic side, all
men of large experience and command
ing influ ence in that body.
Notwithstanding the secession ele-
ment in the Senate at that time, it
maintained the old time dignity, high
rank and senatorial courtesy of it's form
er days. And even when jeff Davis and
other rebel senators resigned their seats to
enter the rebellion, in. their parting
speeches they punctiliously maintained
their senatorial dignity and retired from
the Senate chamber with no outward
act" inconsistent with their former
relations with that legislative body.
But what of the present American
Senate, and how will it compare with
that of 1860 and 1861? A careful COMPARE
son will introduce US to different class
of men-inferior in rank, ability and
statesman ship.
1t is true there are men in the present
Senate distinguished for their ability as
legislators-men who hold respectable
rank in that body; but their numbers
are few. Hoar of Massachusetts, while
perhaps the ablest man in the body, will
not compare with Charles Sumner,
neither will the brilliant Lodge size up"
with the sturdy Henry Wilson. What
descent from John P. Hale to VIM. E.
Chandler in New Hampshire and what
a coming down from William Fl. Seward
and Preston King to David Bennett Hill
and Ed. Murphy, Jr., in the great State
of New York. Don Cameron is but a
pigmy compared with his father Simon
Cameron, and Matt. Quay is still less
Cullom and Palmer OF Illinois able as
they are look decidedly small besides
Stephen A. Douglas and Lyman Trum-
bull. Villas of Wisconsin may reach it,
but it will take him years to "stand
in the shoes" of James K. Doolittle, and
either Stock bridge or Mcmillan of Michi
gan will have long road to travel be-
of Zach Chandler. Eppa Hunton, of
Virginia appears like a political dwarf
compared to R. NJ. Z. Hunter, while
"Joen Black burn, of Kentucky will
"die without the sight" if he ever hopss
to reach the national reputation of conn
j. Crittenden. And SO l might go on
with these comparisons, which when
rightly considered reflect no credit on
the American people. In justice to
States which have maintained their
reputation in the Senate it should be
said that John Sherman of Ohio, James
r. Hawley of Conn ecticut, VIM. B. ALI
son of Iowa, and Nelson W. Aldrich of
Rhode Island, are the peers of any of
the men who represented their States in
1860.
The large number of new States that
have come into the Union since ante
bellum days, and the substitution by
many of the older States of political
demagogues for experienced statesmen,
has SO changed the Senate from DELHI
crate, dignified body that it sometimes
appears more like wrapgling political
gathering than United States Senate
If anyone desires evidence of this let
him study the disgraceful. undignified,
shameful proceeding of that body during
the late extra session.
The grand "old United States Senate"