General Grant had never engaged in a partisan contention, had cast no vote since the outbreak of the war, and was therefore free from the exasperating influence of political controversy.

The Democratic members of the House shared fully in the kindly feeling towards the new President.

They were in a minority, but among them was a large proportion of able men--men of experience and great skill in debate.

It is seldom that the opposition party has such a list of champions as appeared on the Democratic side of the House in the Forty-first Congress.

Beck of Kentucky, Randall and Woodward of Pennsylvania, Marshall of Illinois, Brooks, Wood, Potter, Slocum, and Cox, of New York, Kerr, Niblack, Voorhees, and Holman of Indiana, Eldridge of Wisconsin, Van Trump and Morgan of Ohio, unitedly presented a strong array of Parliamentary ability.