The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-06-19
Letter from tho West.


INDIANAPOLIS, June 18th, 1858.
Since writing you from Evansville, Ohio / have
travelled leisureiy to the capitol of Indiana You
know that. at one period Of the worlds history II
WAS great honor-a valued privilege for one e
be able TO say IL am a Roman Citizen" think
the honor is equally great for one to be able to cal
himself an "American Citizen" am proud of il
and prouder still that am "vrgiuian."
Though have seen but portion of it, musI
say that had no just conception of the nature
and extent ofthis great Country, the Great West
Such Wheat! and in such abundaucel More mon
ey may be made out here, am sure, than in yir.
gnia, yet for all the purposes of mans ENJOYMENT
tor pure air and good water-for hot broad and
black servants for all the comforts of life, and
the social and religious privileges of man would
not exchange the Old Dominion for all the terrific
ry northwest of the Ohio River
A visit to Colum bus made u favorable i'm sression
The city is neat, well laid out and bandsomely :
built up. The State House, is magnificent build
ing The largest and most costly State Capitol in
the Union. lis about twice as large as ours in
Richmond. and, though not yet finished has al
ready cost the State of Ohio over two millions oi
dollars. Some idea may be formed of its style and
spieudor from the fact that the ten chandeliers
in the Senate Chamber and Hall of the House OF
Delegates, cost together thirteen thousand dollars;
and the desks for tho speakers and clerks of the
two Houses cost twelve Thousand five hundred
dollars. They are made of pure white Italian mar.
BILE. The building is of a beautiful limestone.
Ont here the ladies have more Csc for men 70
lriye them than to walk with them. They drive
themselves. In Columbus saw handsome open
buggy drawn by two spirited horses, coming dash.
ing down the Main street, and driven by TWO beau
tifal young girls-no man with them. They were
the daughters of one of the richest merchants in
the city-school girls taking an evening drye-a
common thing in Ohio. 1t struck me with some
surprise, and yet perhaps it should not, and would
not had reflected that the ladies hold tie reins
everywhere.
meet in this city today. AZ a matter Of curiosity
want to go TO it, and may give you further no.
tice of 1t.
This city is noted for it's magnificent depots
One of them surpasses any in the United States
except the one at Chicago. Nearly one hundred
trains of cars pass in and out of indianapolis eve
ry day This has not been the C. q for two or
three days past, because the travel on every one
of the railroads in this State and Illinois has been
m peded by the mighty floods OF this week. More
than twenty bridges and culverts on the railroads
hereabouts. have been washed away. There has
been no train from Chicago for three days. 0E
Thursday last there the heaviest fall OF water
in this city ever known. Truly, never saw any
thing that approximatcd to it, 'fis impossible
20 describe IT, The very flood gates ofthe heavens
seemed to have been opened. For u hour more
on unbroken sheet Of water descended. The city
Is very level, you know, aud consequently the wa
ter did not rapidly run Oft Streets were mpasss-
BILE that we're never before ohstructed. Cellars
were filled that never before had water in them
After the rain somewhat snbsided, the hotel keep
ers sent ont their omnibnses to help the people u
cross the streets. A boat, called the LADY wise,
ferred the street opposite the Bates House, which
1, situated near the centre of the city. The west
ern rivers are ell overlooking cir banks. Little
streams aspirs to the dimensions of mighty rivers
Great damege Is apprehended Thousands OF acres
of wheat are now known 20 be submerged, and the
worst is not yet. Very little has yet beeu
planted In Indiana, Ohio aud Illinois, and muct
of that which has been planted has Just rotted in
the ground.
The State House of Indiana, Is a very digeren,
affair from the one at Columbus Ills rather tht
Legislature meets wonid hardly be occupied by
decent Lodge OF Odd Fellows or Masons, or a Divi
sion of the Sons OF Temperance. TIE erection of .
new Capitol will soon DO commenced.
The National Division OF the Sous Of Temperance
has been in session here for three days respee ct
able delegation has been In attendance from indi
ana, Ohio, New York, Maryland, Rhode island
Pennsylvania, Missouri, Massachusetts, South Ca
olins North Carolina, Maine, New Jersey, Virginia
Kentucky, Illinois, Iowa, Oregon, New brunswick
and Canada West. large amount of business hal
been transacted. The.reports are rery, rery encou
raging. b. ID. Townsend, of South Carolina, Wa.
elected Most Worthy Patriarch for the next two
wears lie succeeds Judge McHenry, of Kentucky
whose term has just expired. The exciting ques
lion of slavery has not disturbed the national or
eanization Of the Sons OF Temperance Iot that
the North or the South has yielded, either to ths
other, any thing OF their sectional views on tbs
subject, but the whole subject has simply been ig.
uored as one which has nothing TO do with ths
ends and objects Of the order. know that in tbs
south we have been stigmatized by some as, be
longing to the Northern isnss aud especially thai
we are associated with the abolftionisfs eouol
not that many persons in the South imagipe thai
negroes iu the free States connected with ouI
ordsr-and yet II is true that, noswishstandine
there is nothing in our constitution 10 exclude ne
gross from membership, there 10 not negro Do
proyness This fact of tselfis sufficient to esiab
lish the I'm OF the order to conservatism.
$50 CYRus.