CHAPTER IV.

A SENATOR OF THE UNITED STATES.

1859-1869.

§ 1.-In the Thirty-sixth Congress.-1859-1861.

MR. GRIMES took his seat in the Senate on the 4th of March, 1859, and served in the thirty-sixth Congress on the Committees on Pensions and on Private Land Claims, and was placed, January 24, 1861, upon the Committee on Naval Affairs, in which he remained during the rest of his senatorial career, serving as chairman from December, 1864.

47.-To Mrs. Grimes

WASHINGTON, March 5, 1859.

I write you my first letter from the Senate-Chamber. I was sworn into office yesterday, with seven other new Senators, three of whom are of my complexion in politics, and as substitutes for pro-slavery Democrats.

March 6th. It is remarked here that a great change has taken place with Southern Senators. For the first time, they came over to the Republican side of the chamber, and sought introductions to the new Republican Senators. Heretofore they cut them socially. I do not include all from the South in this statement. But Hunter, Chesnut, Fitzpatrick, Kennedy, Mallory, Brown, and Benjamin, were quite generous to me, and desire, I think, to be on amicable terms.

Last night I dined at Governor Seward's. Our repast commenced at seven o'clock, and ended when the clock struck twelve. The party was composed of Governor Wilson,' of Massachusetts;

1 Free-Soil candidate for Governor in 1853.

Governor Anthony, of Rhode Island; Governor Bingham, of Michigan; General Shields, of Minnesota; Smith O'Brien, John Mitchel; Preston King, of New York; and your unworthy husband. Governor Seward told me that he went to find O'Brien to invite him, and discovered him at the house of John Mitchel. He was therefore in a measure compelled to invite Mitchel also. This offended Mrs. Seward and her daughter so much, that they declared they would not go to the table, or see him; and they kept their word.

March 9th.-I have come to the conclusion that this is very stupid business. ""Tis distance lends enchantment" to the Senate. I have by no means had any occasion to complain of my treatment since I came here. I have been given the most conspicuous and important position on the committees of any of the new members of the Senate. Still, the life I shall be compelled to lead is not at all adapted to my habits or inclinations. I have no day since I came here been to dinner earlier than half-past four o'clock. I rise at six, wander about the city like a ghost until nine, when I am permitted to get some breakfast; most people not eating until an hour or two after. Then I am compelled to spend three lazy hours in the best way I can until twelve o'clock, when the Senate assembles. We sit about four or four and a half hours, with closed doors, and then go to dinner. I go to bed at ten o'clock, but the rest of the world sits up nearly all night.

48.-To Messrs. Hillguertner, Olshausen, and others.

BURLINGTON, April 30, 1859.

I have just had placed in my hands a copy of your letter to the congressional delegation from Iowa, in which you propound to them the following inquiries, viz. :

"1. Are you in favor of the naturalization laws as they now stand, and particularly against all and every extension of the probation time?

"2. Do you regard it a duty of the Republican party, as the party of equal rights, to oppose and war upon each and every discrimination that may be attempted to be made between the nativeborn and adopted citizens, as to the right of suffrage?

"3. Do you condemn the late action of the Republicans in the Massachusetts Legislature, attempting to exclude the adopted citi

zens for two years from the ballot-box, as unwise, unjust, and uncalled for?"

To each of these interrogations, I respond unhesitatingly in the affirmative.

In regard to the recent action of the Massachusetts Legislature, I have this to say: that while I admit that the regulation sought to be adopted is purely of a local character, with which we of Iowa have nothing whatever directly to do, and while I would be one of the last men in the world to interfere in the local affairs of a sovereign State, or with the action of any party in that State upon local matters, yet I claim the right to approve or condemn as my judgment may dictate. I believe the action of the Massachusetts Legislature to be based upon a false and dangerous principle, and fraught with evil to the whole country, and not to Massachusetts alone. Hence I condemn and deplore it, without equivocation or reserve. Knowing how much the proposed constitutional provision will offend their brethren elsewhere, the Republicans of Massachusetts owe it to their party that this amendment shall be overwhelmingly voted down, and I think it will be.

49.-To Mrs. Grimes.

PHILADELPHIA, November 24, 1859.

I am safely in this beautiful city of brotherly love, and shall be compelled to remain here a week, to close up some old business that has been dangling on my hands for years.

From Galesburg to Wheaton I was in company with Dr. Blanchard. He wished to be kindly remembered to you, and expressed the hope that you would be led at no distant day to change your religious views, though, I believe, he seemed to entertain a faint hope that you was good enough to go to heaven with your present heterodox opinions. He uttered no word of reproach, remonstrance, or persuasion to me, for having no settled religious convictions; so you perceive that in the view of some of our orthodox friends it is a good deal more dangerous to believe too much than not to believe at all. But Dr. Blanchard is an able, honest, ultra, enthusiastic, and somewhat bigoted man—a great friend of ours, and I entertain great respect for him. We also had on board Mr. Lovejoy, member of Congress of Illinois, a talented and agreeable man. From Crestline, Ohio, to this place, I have been in company with Mr.

Crittenden and his wife, who are on their way to Washington. Perhaps I have told you that Mrs. Crittenden, though a rather elderly lady, is one of the leaders of the ton in Washington, as she is in Kentucky, and as she used to be in St. Louis, when she was the wife and widow of General Ashley. She is a very kind, amiable lady, but there is so much precision and mock dignity about everything she says and does, that intercourse with her is not so pleasant as it would be if one could only persuade himself that her heart would come gushing out of her mouth once in a while.

50.-To Mrs. Grimes.

WASHINGTON, November 30, 1859.

Everybody but me is busy about the organization of the House of Representatives. That, and the execution of John Brown day after to-morrow, are the only topics discussed.

I heard Wendell Phillips lecture on l'Ouverture at Philadelphia, to an immense and breathless audience.

Senate-Chamber, December 6th.-This body was organized yesterday; Mason, of Virginia, immediately introduced Harper's Ferry resolutions, which are to be taken up, and discussed this morning on the assembling of the Senate. So you see the excitement is to be kept up upon the irrepressible conflict question.

Mr. Sumner appeared in his seat yesterday, looking in vigorous health. We expect to hear from him in a great speech during the session. There is an immense crowd of people here for one purpose and another, but I keep out of it pretty much. I am as retired here. as ordinarily at home.

51.-To Mrs. Grimes.

WASHINGTON, December 10, 1859. One week of congressional life is over, and I think it to be the stupidest business I was ever engaged in. We have done nothing in the Senate but discuss “John Brown," "the irrepressible conflict," and "the impending crisis," and no one can imagine where the discussion will stop. The House of Representatives is still unorganized, and daily some members come near to blows. The members on both sides are mostly armed with deadly weapons, and it is said that the friends of each are armed in the galleries. The Capitol resounds with the cry of dissolution, and the cry is echoed

throughout the city. And all this is simply to coerce, to frighten the Republicans and others into giving the Democrats the organization of the House. They will not succeed.

I called on Mrs. Trumbull to-day. She is the only woman I have spoken with since I came here. I called on another, to whose party I was invited the other day, and did not go; but she was not at home. You cannot imagine how I dislike this fashionable formality. It is terribly annoying, and I think I shall repudiate the whole thing.

Sunday, December 11th.-I have just been to church, and heard a long and not remarkably entertaining sermon.

I have about as much as I can do to restrain myself from plunging into the debate in the Senate on John Brown, but I exercise self-denial, and do not.

In the Senate Mr. Grimes gave close attention to public business, and to whatever matters were referred to committees upon which he had been placed, and was early known as a working member of the body. Mr. Hammond, of South Carolina, spoke of him, May 28th, as "an active and able, and rather a young man." Mr. Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi, said, June 13th:

I have been repeatedly struck with the accuracy of view taken by the Senator from Iowa upon military questions. I think in principles he is usually correct, but in detail requires yet to obtain a good deal of information.

He was a skillful parliamentarian and a ready debater, curt, and to the point, never prolix, nor caring for the last word. He spoke in a clear, direct, and succinct manner, and was heard with attention for his candor and power of elucidation.

Extracts will be given from his remarks at different times upon various subjects. They show his opinions, and the vigilant scrutiny and enlightened consideration he gave to public affairs.

His first remarks in the Senate were in reply to Mr. Toombs, of Georgia, who, January 24th, had arraigned Iowa, with other States, for having passed laws in contravention of the Constitution of the United States, and violative of the rights of sister States. Mr. Toombs said: