The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1844-01-04
From the N. Z. Tribune
IMPRESSIONS OF THE CAPITOL
OFFICE SEEKING.
WAsa1NeToN, Tuesday, D,

WASHINGTON, Tuesday, Dec. IL.
To a new cogaer to Washington, Tar
CkPIToL wears an imposing appearance: Nay
more.-Let him view il for the first time by
daylight, with the flag of the Union floating
proudly above it, Indicating that Congressis
in SESSION. and, if he be an Auleyican, Ide
fy him to repress a swelling of the heart--a
glow of enthusiastic feeling. Under these
free-fioging Stripes and Stars the Represen-
tatives of the Nation are assembled IN Coun-
oil-undcr the emblem of the National Sow
ereignty is in action the collective energy
and embodiment of the Sovereignty. Proud
recollections of beni6cent and glorious events
come thronging thickly upon s1im--of the
Declaration of independence, the struggles
of the Revolution, and the far more glorious
peaceful advances of the eagles of Freedom
from the Ailleghenies to the Falls Of ST An
thony and the banks of the Usage. An in
voluntary cheer rushes from his heart to his
lips, and he hastens at once to the Halls of
Legislation to witness and listen to the dis
plays of patriotic foresight, wisdom and elo-
quence there evolved.
But here his faptures are chilled instQnter.
Entering the Capitol, he finds its passages a
series of blind, gloomy and crooked laby-
rinths, through which stranger threads his
devious way with difficulty, and not at all
without inquiry and direction. totle door OF
the Senate or house. Here he is met, as
every where through the ediice, by swarms
of superserviceable underlings, numerous as
the frogs of Egypt, eager TO manifest their
official zeal and usefulness by keeping him
out or kicking him out again. He retires dis
gusted, and again threads the bewildering
maze 10 the gallery, s.teire { i Of Inc House,
he can only look down on the noisy Bedlaul
! in aciiun below him-somebody speaking
and nobody listening, but buzz of CONVEX
sation, the trotting of boys, t he walking about
Of Members, the writing and folding Of let
tiers, calls to order, cries of question, calls
for Yeas and Nays, &c. give him large OPP
portunities for headache, meagre ones for cdr
| fcation. Haitian hour will usually cure him
of ali passion for listening to debates in the
House. There are of course occasions
when it is a privilege to be here, but
speak of the general scene and impression.
To-day, but more especially yesterday, a
dcplorable spectacle has been presented
here--a glaring exemplifcationo of the terri
BILE growth and diffusion of Office begging.
The Locofoco House has ordered clean
sweep of allits NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., por-
fers, messengers, wood-carriers, &c. &. |
care nothing for this, so far as the turned
out are concerned--let them earn their liv-
ing, like other folks-but the swarms of as
piran:s that invade every avenue and nail OF
the Capitol, making doubly hideous the dis
sonance of its hundred echoes, were dread
full TO contemplate. Here were hundreds Of
young boys, from twenty down TO twelve
years of age, deep in the agonies of this de-
basing game, ear wigging and Understanding
talking Of the services of their fathers or
brothers to sthe party and getting members
/ to intercede for them with the annninfinn
I power. ne new Door-Keeper was IN dis
traction, and had to hide behind the Speak
| er's Chair, where be could not be be haunted
except by proxy. When viii The People
awake to the decentralization of such scram
! Bles, and insist on the only efsectual remedy
RADICAL RETRENcHMENT. The pages Of
/ the House, (boys oftwelve TO sixteen, TWEEN
fy or so in nunlber,) are paid $1,000 each
per week; while three dollars would be q
fair compensation. OF course, while sc
much is paid for so little, this indecent
scramble will only become more and more
widely debasing. When will the People
arouse 10 see the evil and apply the reiIleul;v
/ H.G.