The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-01-23
NO. 2l2.
For the National Era.
LETTERS FROM THE CAPITOL.
e WASHINGTON, January l6, 1851.

ny = ronicling Of daily events, and an occasional
tie GU - ,;so in the Capital City, might not be
interesting to you. ,
= ,hs Presidents levees. This found great
"A Int very pleasant affair Notwithstanding,
w. r.rs met many friends and acquaintance Oh
% ian President Fillmore wore the OLD,
i'o' smile. and gave the same courteous greet
~ % al who approached. wonder H. WIN men
80 - nc temperament, good nature Is always spOn-
VI =, ,,a md easy-if it never drags. have often
,Loncbt that your hsbitually kind and courteous
'u'- -S. mnst miss great luxury, which the more
,s;orate and bilious enjoy in speaking 'he'r
r with careless or vehement holiness anu
= ,onchiug up the faults and folies OF their TEL
lows. ,.;s - r,sass
- hors His daughter, who have been toid
:, very noble girl, has a fine intelligent lace
which interests you at once
noticed on that evening an endless variety oi
costumes. the national spirit of independence
%-ao,,;rg ont in ali imaginable styles and coiors'
and that everybody wore an easy, at-home man.
80 There is as you know, at these leVees
neither music nor dancing, but people look very
c,v ueyertheless-as they collect IN groups 70
i,nsb and chat, or stroll up and down, admiring
and criticising, as they find most matter Tor COM
mendation or satire.
have not been to the Capitol much as yet
no very interesting questions having been up ior
d;scussiou of late. The Cheap Postage bill before
the House is one of most importance to us ou'sid-
ers. They are making fVe-minutes speeches. upon
this which are sometimes quite amusing. Inc
difference between the different speakers powers
of condensation and directness of thought Is mere
most apparent. Now and then rises one, VINO,
speaking straight to the point, is able 10 say his
say distinctly and fully within the small appoint
oil t;me--but. alas the Chairman's hammer
brings many poor fellow up standing in the first
faint dawn of thought-cruelly cuts him of in
the midst of metaphor, perhaps i have noticed
that Mr. Stanly of North Carolina and Mr..
Strong of Pennsylvania are particularly happy
in packing their opinions into the five-minuses
MEASURE was greatly amused the other day by
d choice bit of reasoning employed by an opponent
of the bill. "If" said he the revenue Of the De-
partment is increased in proportion to the reduc-
ton Of postage the friends of the measure affirm,
do away with postage altogether, and what an i'm
mense income will you havep This logic is like
the Irishman's, who, having heard a new patent
stove recommended as saving half the fuel de-
clsred that he would have two, and so save the
whole!
Ia the Senate, yesterday morning Mr.. Clay
spoke at some length, and very earnestly, in sup
mort Of petition from Rhode Island against the
African slave trade, and in support of Coloniza-
tiop-which petition the distinguished Senator
impressyely declared was signed by large por-
ton of the elite of that State; by Governors and
OK. Observation-Disclosures and x-Scnators-mem-
bers and ex-members--by many of the l1erati,
heads of colleges, &c. The petition presented
under such august auspices opens with fearful
picture of the slave trade it yet exists with all
all its Outrages, horrors, and brutalities-no, !
ask pardon of those dumb, unreasoning creatures
who have never been degraded from An honest
brutehood by the lust Of tyranny and the vile love
Of money, and would substitute infernalties for
brutalites. The petitioners then proceed to point
cut Colonization as the only remedy for this enor-
nous evil and to ask in its behalf the counte-
nance and support of Government. May we not
consider the long vexed and vexatious question
settled at last Is not its final quietus made?
Statesmen, divlues, authors, and philanthropists
will argue aud preach, and speculate no longer,
now that the "lRe0tn of Rhode Island have pro-
nounced their decision and most surely the free
colored people of the United States will doubt and
demur and demonstrate no longer, now that the
lii. Of Rhode Island have taken their poor for
tunes in charge They scarcely expected such
an interpOsition of Providence May We not look
to zee the ocean soon white with the outward
bound sails Of Goverpment-furnisbed fleets, bear
ing to the far land of their grandfathers, and
great-grandfathers, Americas oppressed and dis
owned children. AS the matter now stands, the
free colOred people will surely not take offence at
being publicly branded by the distinguished Sen
stor as degraded, corrupt, and dissolute
class for under the patronage of the literature
divinity, and fashion of a sovereign State, are
they not going forth to cvilize and Christianize
Africa" missionaries according to the appoint
ment OF Clay priests after the order Off Dr.
Tying?
without reference to Mr. Clay, whom | be-
heve sincere in the advocacy of his favorite i'm
practicability, as a benevolent plan, and aside
from bis political interests, can but remark that
am often struck by the pous phrases and high
sounding professions of philanthropy with which
the speeches of politicians abound, when upon
'his same subject Of colonization. Words Of SOL
emn warning and severe morality, never brought
iof'h on any other occasion, then come with pom
'erous force; and the name Of the Deity, not
precisely stranger in their vocabulary, is then
uttered IN new connection, and in tone some
what less easy and familiar than that in which it
is heard in their ordinary discourse. An ORGAN.
grinder under my window, after giving us ala.
nette and Jeannoi," and yankee Doodle has to
cur utter astonishmeDt, struck up "Old Hun
dred" Who believes that the Italian stroller
feels the simple solemnty of that grand old puri-
'an'e'i air. Does he not mechanically grind out
fehgon, as he does sentiment and patriotism, be.
c'nse it psys7
'h's' evening, the ladies' at the National Hotel
gave soiree, which had the honor OF attending
. was very brilliant affair." scene of much
1f'iy ana enjoyment. Almost every Washing
.'.0'''y was there, except the great Ameri-
- '''e''A"n, Webster, and the little Hungarian
1'''enlht, Jagiello. noticed the French Min.
I.s' "ua ms family, Lady Bulwer, Madame CAL
.. n'oa and the hat:ferocious, halfcomical repre-
s,s 80 Of the Russian Bear, NJ Bodisco--,he
~, -, "'s' Lynch Of New York, and the bril-
~ ,'"' WIS Ashley of ST. Louis-fne types Of the
,','Aern and Southern lady-and number, Of
l..i Hil'rons aud young girls, whose enviable
>, 1'''ous were beauty, gracefulness and taste.