The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-01-08

+ tined to the presidency largely through
+ his great debate with Douglas in the
/ summer OF 1855 William H Seward. 10
De Lineoln's secretary Of state; Charles
( Sumner. III successor. as he immedi-
ately had been. Of Daniel Webster;
Henry Wilson. 10 be vice president with
/ Ulysses :. Grant as president; Andrew
johnson, to be vice president and presi-
dent Of the United States; John Bell.
soon TO be a candidate Of vast num-
/ ber OF citizens who esteemed the Union
above political parties; Robert Toombs
and Ben Wade, the antipodes of south
ern and northern sectional spirit; James
A Bayard. whose father was senator
and whose son, Thomas F. Bayard,
was to be senator: David Frederick. the
fearless Californian. who died in a duel
with Judge Terry Of the supreme court
Of his state; Stephen r. Mallory. 10 be
the Confederate secretary Of the navy.
Judah T. Benjamin, 10 be the Confeder-
ate attorney general; John SiidelI. his
colleague from Louisiana, with James
n. Mason Of Virginia. to be arrested on
the steamer Trent while on their way
to England a. commissioners Of the
Confederate government: G. G. Clay
and Benjamin Fit7patrick Of Alabama;
Robert W Johnson q Arkansas. James
Dixon OF Connecticut David L. Yulee Of
Florida, Lyman TrtlnbuH Of Illinois,
Jesse d. Bright Of Indiana. James Har-
Ian and George W. JoEes of Iowa. John
Fessenden Of Maine. Zachariah Chand-
Ter Of Michigan, James s. Green and
Trusten Polk Of Missouri. John p Hale
Of New Hampshire. Thomas l.. Cling
man Of North Carolina, Joseph Lane Of
Oregon, 10 be candidate for vice presi-
dent on the ticket with Breckenridge;
Simon Cameron Of Pennsylvania, James
II. Hammond of South Carolina, Robert
NJ. 7 Hunter Of Virginia, James Doc
little Of Wisconsin, Samuel Houston,
who had been a representative ia con-
gress from Tennessee and governor Of
that state and the first president Of the
republic Of Texas. and James Shields,
representing Minnesota in the senate.
who had previously represented Illinois
and was yet to represent Missouri in
the same body"
Truly there were giants in those DAYS.
and il is more than doubtful if the SEN
ate of the present time measures up
anywhere near the standard of the SEN
ate Of fifty years ago in either ability
or eloquence. The civil war was brew
ing. and the constitution received many
severe wrench before the question Of
slavery was finally settled. But the
Union survived. and the present gener-
alton can read the record and accord
each character the praise to which he
is entitled, even while remembering
the mistaken ideas which drenched the
land i'm blood. There is not a single
survivor of the senate of fifty years
ago OF the men who sat in the upper
chamber during the civil war but one
survives, Stewart of Nevada. The great
men Of the reconstruction period have
also passed away. We live i'm another
age and a new generation of men have
come upon the scene. In place of Will
liam Fl. Seward we have Thomas c.
Plat. in place of Charles Sumner. Mas
sachusetts sends Henry Cabot Lodge:
Shelby Cullom and Albert ]. Hopkins
occupy the places once filled by Stephen
A. Douglas and Lyman TrumbuI. while
the members from the southern states.
with one OF two exceptions, do not for
an instant compare with their prede-
cessors of half century ago.
At the time the senate moved into its
present quarters the slavery question
overshadowed everything else. Today
the commercial spirit is rampant. and
the efforts Of the statesmen are directed
in eurbing the power of aggregated
wealth. Perhaps the aforementioned
problem is more difficult of solution
than the first History will award the
palm according TO the result of the
now going on