Senator Barton, fierce, impatient, bombastic, had long ago exhausted the
vocabulary of invective and could only repeat himself in descending
anti-climax.
Hill of Georgia was a young man of ability who gave promise of greater
things under more favorable conditions.
The real business of this Congress was transacted in secret executive
sessions. When the public was admitted, the people of Richmond generally
looked on with contempt. They sneeringly referred to them as "the
College Debating Society, on Capitol Hill."
The surroundings of their halls added to the impression of
inefficiency--dingy, dirty and utterly lacking in the luxuries which the
mind associates with the exercise of sovereign power.
The Senate was forced to find quarters in the third story of the "State
House." There was no gallery and the spectators were separated from the
members by an improvised railing. The only difference noticeable between
the Senators and the spectators was that the members had seats and the
listeners and loafers had standing room only behind the rail.
The House of Representatives had a better chamber. But its walls were
bare of ornament or paintings, its chairs were uncushioned, its desks
dingy and slashed with pocket knives.
Pages:
469
470
471
472
473
474
475
476
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493