Evening star., 1943-05-09
Capital SideIights
By Will P. Kennedy.

When Senate Leader Alben w. Barkley
OF Kentucky visits his alma mater, the
University of Virginia at Charlottesville,
Va, on July 4, to deliver the memorial
address on the 117th anniversary of the
death Of Thomas Jefferson at the insti-
tuition which he was active in founding,
he will have an aura of the Jeffersonian
spirit. He will speak in the spirit of
Gray's "Elegy in Country Churchyard,"
because Senator Barkleys Capitol head
quarters is the old robing room of the
United States Supreme Court the same
room where nearly $50 years ago Thomas
Jefferson, as Vice President reflected
upon the future of the 13 original
Colonies. Careful research seems to in
dicate that it was in this very room that
the work on Jefferson's monumental
Manual of Parliamentary Practice" still
the basis of Senate and House procedure,
was perfected
When the Supreme Court moved into
its magnificent new marble palace, which
for the first time in history gives the
Supreme Court recognition and standing
before all the people as one of the three
great coordinate but independent
branches of the Government, it left to
the Senate a heritage of sacred space
in the Capitol. The old Supreme Court
room, first designed to be the Senate
chamber, will be kept intact and will
serve as museum. The clerks Office,
the marshal's office and adjacent rooms
now are utilized for important Senate
work. The sergeant at arms of the
Senate Wall Doxey, former House men,
ber, has his Office in the room which
was first occupied by the United States
Supreme Cortland there Chief Justice
Marshall handed down his cornerstone
decision In the famous Marbury vs.
Madison case.
The old robing room for the justices,
a spacious chamber with high ceilings
is adorned with excellent examples of
mural relief. It's sandstone walls, part
of the original Capitol built in 1889 and
1900, of Virginia sandstone, show the
marks of the fire when the Capitol was
partially burned by the British in 1914.
The chandelier, miraculously, came
through unscathed and still is in good
condition. 1t forms the central lighting
feature of the renovated room. The
impressive old mantelpiece, too, showing
a fault-line in the marble on one side
and perceptible crack between joints
on the other. both of which are clearly
visible on old prints, was not greatly
harmed and is magnificent antique.
The exact history of this room is in
definite, just as there are many rooms
in the Capitol about which the history
is uncertain, as their occupancy occurred
nearly $50 years ago; but the old Capitol
Building is brimming with traditions
surrounding the beginning of the Nation,
and places of sacred memory to all STU
dents Of American history and particu-
larly to Jeffersonians. Students of the
earliest days of the Republic, after zeal
Gus search of dusty old records are con-
hdent that the old robing room was the
office of Vice President Jefferson from
the time the completed northern wing
was occupied in 1900 until the expiration
Of Jefferson's term as Vice President,
March 3, 1901. 1t continued to be used
as the Vice Presidents quarters, except
during the period OF reconstruction after
the burning of the Capitol by the British,
until 1859 or 1860. when the Supreme
Court took over the old Senate chamber
as courtroom and used the Vice
Presidents room as study and place
to don their black court robes before
entering the courtroom.
The most conclusive bit Of linking
evidence as to the authenticity of the
chamber used by Jefferson is the ornate
central prismatic glass chandelier. His
torical traditions are convincing that
this is the fixture which Jefferson him.
self purchased in France and brought
with him when he returned in 1889 from
his tour Of duty as Minister to that
nation.
Senate Leader Barkley feels himself
especially blessed in having this inspira-
tional penetralia. He treats it as a
shrine. He feels that the inspiration
one gets from visit to Monticello, the
home Of Jefferson (built according to his