Identifier: picturesquewashi00moor (find matches)
Title: Picturesque Washington: pen and pencil sketches of its scenery, history, traditions, public and social life, with graphic descriptions of the Capitol and Congress, the White House, and the government departments ..
Year: 1884 (1880s)
Authors: Moore, Joseph West
Subjects: Washington (D.C.)
Publisher: Providence, J.A. & R.A. Reid
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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much excited and uttering sarcastic and exceedinglyimpertinent remarks, and apparently confusion worse confounded —can form some idea of how the old House appeared while debatingthe vexed questions in the turbulent times of the first part of the cen-tury, when congressmen had a code of honor which necessitatedthe carrying of pistols, and when there were numerous crested jay-hawks of the mountains threatening violence to those who spoke thetruth too plainly. Many able men gave strength and character to the national legis-lation for half a century, and made the old halls of Congress mem-orable. John Quincy Adams, who enjoys the distinction of being theonly son of a President of the United States who has ever occupiedthe Presidential chair himself, began his congressional career in 1803as a Senator. After his term as President he was elected to the Houseof Representatives in 1831, and became one of its leading members.He was bold, experienced, and learned, but exceedingly frigid in his
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THE ROTUNDA. ii2 PICTURESQUE WASHINGTON. manner, and was never on terms of familiarity with any member.The old man eloquent, as he was styled, was seldom absent fromhis seat in the House, and day after day was fully prepared to discussevery matter that came up. It was his delight to start a stormy de-bate, and then he would throw off his frigidity, and become very ex-cited. One who knew him well wrote as follows of his manner ofspeaking: He rises abruptly, his face reddens, and in a momentthrowing himself into the attitude of a veteran gladiator, he preparesfor the attack ; then he becomes full of gesticulation — his body swaysto and fro — self-command seems lost. His head is bent forward inhis earnestness till it almost touches the desk ; his voice frequentlybreaks, but he pursues his subject through all its bearings. Nothingdaunts him — the House may ring with the cry of Order; he standsamid the tempest, and like an oak that knows its gnarled and knottedstrength, stretches his

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