Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1850-04-18
LETTERS OF MRS. SWISSHELM No. |.
Visiting svasiingaOn--E'Ese Capitol
Maryland--Ehe Slaye-Trade-.Esoss's
Speech.
ington Correspondence of the Tribune
IRVING HoUsE, Wednesday, A

: q
TO talk good deal about Congress and the Capi
/ toll They had news from Congress-speecbes
| made in Congress-and wonders TO tell that were
! done there. One could hardly get the men folks
to chop oyen-wood if there was any late news
from the Capitol, and when they sa, down tc
! smoke and laid their feet up on the chimney board
TO dry, they twisted their cigars round to one cor
ner OF their mouths, held them in their teeth, and
through the little aperture uttered great words ol
glorious dolngs or terrible disasters at Washing
ton Sometimes things would get into desperate
| fix, and by the words that curled up among the
tobacco smoke, one could learn the clouds were
about to grow nigardly and withhold their rain
that the sun was to stop shining for want of
gas, and "my bony lady moon' to take perma-
nent lodgings in potato-pit forced TO suspend OPP
erations for want Of funds and all because some
body was going or was not going to Washington.
Is it any wonder l should get to think this same
" ashlngton wonderful place, and feel very Gu
| rlous to see it! As the common consent OF man
kind has assigned to Woman an extra quantity of
| curiosity in lieu Of other inalienable rights, the
right to crafty that curiosity should be included
in the grant. for one take it for granted that it
is and hope you will not object, especially as
this same inqusitiveness leads me TO wonder how
the crude ideas of a western woman would look
in the columns Of the far-famed Neao- York Tri6-
une. beside the finished productions of the master
minds of the age. You will respect this audable
curiosity as woman's natural right, am sure, and
so permit me TO tell your readers of all and sun
dry the wonderful things in this wonderful place.
In the FIRST place you know the Capitol is sub
lime. never saw anything the work of mans
hand that struck me with such sublimity. Com
ing by the Baltimore Railroad, it suddenly starts
into view, in The midst of wilderness, like the
glorious visions of our prophet poets on the DESC
late wastes of our present bleak and barren world
Maryland poor Maryland how disconsoate
she lies, with shackled limbs and cold and joyless
bosom. II is very wonderful to see the old State
he Inactive with great tracts, as far as the eye
can reach, at the very foot of the Capitol streach
ing out ia primitive wilderness or exhausted barren
wastes. wondered much but when saw an old
man stand, with face as black as ebon. and hair
as white as snow with the crnging aspect oil a vas
sal, and the and tattered garments of a
slave, knew that Maryland, like a second Rachel
was weeping for her children and refusing to be
Comlored not that they ''are not but that they
are worse than ifthey had never been. The poor,
old, desoae mother! One would think that at
this moment she held up her hands, like Jacob of
old, to plead, Joseph is not, and Simeon is not
and will ye take BENJAMIN also = For long years
she has lain in an apathy of grief, as the thous-
ands OF her children have cast themselves upon
her bosom TO utter their agony of prayer to the
God OF the oppressed, who seemeth not 10 hear
Many thousands of them have dragged their man
acled limbs away, away to return no more and
as the mother lay, the springs of her bosom have
been dried up by sorrows fires, and her children
are torn from her, and sent 10 seek the sustenance
she car no longer give. Premature old age has
come upon her, and yet it is not enough. Those
who should comfort her, who should eire her
beauty for ashes and the oil of JOY for mourning"
are seeking for another Egypt where her josephs |
may be sold INTO bondage-a cattle market for
her sons and daughters, where their bodies and
souls like those OF the craven Egyptians, may be |
for corn.
These thoughts naturally suggest themselves
after passing through the garden like plantations |
Of eastern Pennsy ylYania and then coming suddenly .
10 an extended waste, reminding one who has seen
both, OF the huckleberry districts of Butler Coun-
y. As the locomotive sped along and set the
rees TO dancing, watzng, whirling to the music
If its railroad gallopade, sat watching for the
)yeriowing barns. the focks and herds, the troups
II poultry, green fields extensive gardens, hot and
greenhouses, that supposed must extend far and
vide for many miles in every direction from so ia
nous city as our great Washington, that Pan
fora box from which proceeds all things good and
vii, and cannot well describe my surprise when,
IS we passed tract Of soil apparently too poor
0 bring mullin and pennyroyal, and partially
,losed with a rickety old post and rail fence,
made with spder-leg posts and three thin rails,
lere and there propned with rotten sticks, or in
eIwoven with brush and briars, suddenly as
hought the great marble edifce loomed up in the
orizon-the Capitol of this great Republic in the
midst of desert!
Here, MIR. Greely. let me take breath, and re-
over from the modification have just now suf-
cred! When got thus far DR.. Snodgrass called
} say 1t was time to 60 to the Capitol, where
al been yesterday TO hear Harris of Tenn. be-
aublng the remnant of the Northern Democracy
Tho had stood against the ST. or-na--s stood firm
'hile the thunders roared, and one after another
ad fallen victim" 10 their great love for the
lononS Constitution and its immortal compro-
llses Poor fellows how piiied them and felt !
enevolenly inclined to offer the loan ofan umbre-
|, much as any one dslikes to lend that article ,
ut it was pitiful indeed it was wondrous pitilnl to
INK OF their standing in the rain and it thunder
lg He appeared TO think they were in as sad a
situation as the g meandering" lover, once S
card Western orator talk of, who I" had nauth- a
g but cold airth fur downy pillow, and the r
road canopy OF the blue skies fur cuverin.''- +
ldeed it might have drawn tears from all eyes to ,
ear the hon. gentleman groan forth the single :
ard storm IN that deep guteral agony revival
eacher IS apt to use in the latter part of an ex- u
orlatlon. The poor gentleman did appear to be e
a sad way about the political executions of his n
ear friends and allies. Moreover he says you n
lcked Northern Wings are every man of you in q
vor OF the horrible Wilmot Proviso! Some Dem \
;rats too were recreant to their sacred trust of "
siendlng the glorious privilege" not of being
oepehoehi' but OF whipping women and selling a
ioies. II Is very great shame for you all to
your southern brethren with such unbrotherly i
i