m before and above all other men is due the maintenance
of loyalty in Maryland. His course was censured by the Democratic
Legislature of his State in the winter preceding the Rebellion.
He replied through an address "to the voters of Maryland," which
for eloquence of expression, force, and conclusiveness of reasoning
is entitled to rank in the political classics of America as the
Address to the Electors of Bristol ranks in the political classics
of England. As a debater in the House Mr. Davis may well be cited
as an exemplar. He had no boastful reliance upon intuition or
inspiration or the spur of the moment, though no man excelled him
in extempore speech. He made elaborate preparation by the study
of all public questions, and spoke from a full mind with complete
command of premise and conclusion. In all that pertained to the
graces of oratory he was unrivaled. He died at forty-eight. Had
he been blessed with length of days, the friends who best knew his
ability and his ambition believed that he would have left the most
brilliant name in the Parliamentary annals of America.

Robert C. Schenck was an invaluable addition to the House. He had
been serving in the field since the outbreak of the war, but had
been induced to contest the return of Vallandigham to Congress.
His canvass was so able and spirited that though in other parts of
the State the Democrats captured eight Republican districts, he
defeated Vallandigham in a Democratic district. Mr. Schenck had
originally entered Congress in 1843 at thirty-four years of age,
and after a distinguished service of eight years was sent by
President Fillmore as Minister-Plenipotentiary to Brazil. After
his return he had taken no part in political affairs until now.
His re-appearance in Congress was therefore significant. He was
at once placed at the head of the Committee on Military Affairs,
then of superlative importance, and subsequently was made chairman
of Ways and Means, succeeding Mr. Stevens in the undoubted leadership
of the House. He was admirably fitted for the arduous and difficult
duty. His perceptions were keen, his analysis was extraordinarily
rapid, his power of expression remarkable. On his feet, as the
phrase went, he had no equal in the House. In the five-minute
discussion in Committee of the Whole he was an intellectual marvel.
The compactness and clearness of his statement, the facts and
arguments which he could marshal in that brief time, wer