Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-29

gress is the most dramatic chapter
- in the history of the national Leg
islature. Its first session began on De-
cember S, 1859, and it ended when Abra-
ham Lincoln was inaugurated presi-
dent of the United States. Before its
stormy career was over, six of the
southern states had seeded and had
formed the Confederate States of
America. Jefferson Davis was inaug-
urated president of the Confederacy on
February 1S, 1861. Only q few weeks
before he had bade farewell to the
United States senate in a speech of
profound pathos. Other southern SEN
ators and representatives left the con-
gress as their states seeded from the
Union, and at the end of the thirty
sixth congress was almost a purely sec
tional body.
Every effort possible was made by
that congress to devise a compromise
which would again postpone the in
eyitable conflict. John J. Crlttenden,
a senator from Kentucky, whose pub
lie service began in the war of 1872
and who entered congress as early as
1916. earned the respect of congress
and the praise of history for his efforts
to effect a peaceful compromise, but
his work was vain. Peace was impoS-
sible That congress opened with the
house so evenly divided between the
opposing factions that two months
elapsed befort it was possible to elect
speaker. William Pennington of
New Jersey finally was elected, the
vote of Henry Winter Davis of Mary
land, Southern American" giving
the Republicans victory after the
long, long struggle. But the regular
Republican candidate, John Sherman,
could not win because his name had
been signed to an Endorsement of
Helpers book, THE Impending
Crisis" Pennington was a new men,
ber and his strength was altogether
in his weakness-he was unknown and
had no enemies.
In the senate the chair was occupied
by John C. Breckenridge of Kentucky.
vice-president, and the candidate of
the southern wing of Democratic party
for president. He witnessed the depar-
ture of his political followers and sup
porters as they left the senate; but
he kept his seat he presided over the
count of the electoral votes and he
declared Abraham Lincoln and Hanni-
bal Hamlin elected president and vice.
president of the United States. A lit
tie later he was a general in the
armies of the Confederate states. The
senate during this congress honored
Jesse d. Bright of Indiana by electing
him president pro tempore of that aug
ust body; in the next congress it ex-
PEELED him on charge of treason.
The history of the thirty-sixth con-
gress is important only because of its
dramatic incidents. 1t did little or
nothing affecting the permanent status
of the country. 1t engaged itself in
vain but patriotic endeavors to avert
the storm that is now believed to have
been inevitable. But in those days
men still hoped for reconciliation.
There was a strong Union sentiment
both north and south, and in both Sec
tions there was an element which
flouted the constitution. The extreme
secession party, supreme in South
Carolina, bazed the way for disunion.
Yet Alexander II. stephens, Zebulon
b. Vance and men of their kind OPP
posed secession. When their states
decided to leave the Union the vast
majority held to the doctrine OF state
sovereignty and gave their allegiance
to the state rather than to the nation.
At the north the extreme abolltionists
had denounced the constitution as "a
league with death and a covenant with
hell" There was by no means a suf-
ficient anti-slavery sentiment in the
north to Justify a battle upon that
issue. The north made THE Union"
its shibboleth.
OF the men who made up the thirty
sixth congress but few are living. Per-
haps the only survivors are Gen. Dam
iel e. Sickles and Judge Roger A.
Pryor. Both were Democrats, Sickles
from New York and Pryor from Vir-
ginia. Sickles became a major gem
eral in the Federal army, Pryor was
a member of the Confederate congress.
Both now live in New York.
The thirty-seventh congress met first
In special session on July 4, 1861. at
the call of President Lincoln. The
Civil War had then begun, but as yet
no one expected it to last long, and
no one dreamed what four years
would bring. Nine of the seeding
states had no representation, the loyal
portions of Virginia and Tennessee
sending both senators and representa-
tiVes.
Gaiusha A. Grow of Pennsylvania
was elected speaker of the house, but
Thaddeus Stevens assumed the posi-
tion of parliamentary leader of the
Republican party and became in fact
the master of the house. The speaker
reflected his will and he drove the
house to an acceptance of his DEGREES.
A man whose private life and personal
mannerisms were such that he could
never attain genuine popularity, ne
ruled by sheer force of intellect He
was a master of vitriolic sarcasm,
and he convicted every man who op-
posed him of treason. Only Lincoln
and at a later date Grant were too
mighty to stand without falling be-
fore his vindictive distrust. AS the
chief foe of slavery he naturally at
tracted the strength of the abolition
sentiment, which, when the war had
actually begun, expanded enormously
throughout the north. Stevens was
the logical leader of the house.
The thirty eighth congress met first