Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1860-05-18

Ep1roR1AL CORRESPONDENCE.

! have spent few days very pleasantly in exam
lining the various objects of interest with which
the National Capital and adjacent coantry a
| bound. The usual programme for strangers
! embraces trip to Mt. Vernon, call on the
| President at the Executive Mansion, visit IL
/ the Smithsonian Institution, the Patent Office
! the Dead Letter department of the Post Office
! 3 Blildings, the National Conservatory, thG
Capitol. its numerous appendages, beautiful
surroundings, &c. We visited al these places
and though it was not the first time, the pleas
ure afforded was none the less on that account
for at most of them the objects to attract
! and interest are so numerous, and at some o
them 50 constantly varying, that days would
not suffice TO exhaust the novelty that att;.che;
/ to them or cloy the enjoyment their eXamina
/ ton affords
We visited Mount Vernon Tuesday morn
ing, our company comprising about fifty
amang whom were perhaps twenty members
/ Of the editorial excursion. the great body ol
| them having remained at Baltimore till the
! morning Of that day, making their visit Tues
! dav afternoon. Our last previous visit to that
sacred locality was ten Years age, and the raw
I ages Of time upon the mansion house and it,
surroundings within that period readily
perceived. large number Of workmen are
now engaged in restoring it by repairing such
portions as will admit of it, and where there is
thorough decay aud dilapidation entirely re
| newing 1.-THE new work in ali cases being al
| exact imitation of that which it replaces Il
is fortunate that the ladies of the country sue
ceeded in purchasing the property as soon a.
they did, as few years more delay would have
| found it in such utter decay az to have render
cd its restoration impossible The late propr
etor, Mr.. JOIN 4. W AsuIoToS, is still occupy
ing the premises, but he is TO leave in a few
days which will be source of qualification te
visitors, as his churlishness, penuriousness and
lack of everything like courtesy, are notorious
to all familiar with his history. The fare OF
the boat which takes visitors to the place is
SI,aO, one-fourth of which sum goes to Mr..
w and has for years yielded him an immense
revenue Previous to this arrangement being
effected he strictly prohibited all visits 10 the
/ place. He got on board the boat and came
up to Alexandria with our party which afford
ed them an opportunity OF seeing him. He is
a rather fine looking gentleman, aged, should
think about 46 years.
The excursionists had q formal reception
| from the President Tuesday morning, during
which he delivered to them a short speech
which will be found in the papers. The inter
view was pleasant one on both sides, and the
visit to the White House is regarded by many
OF the strangers as the feature of the Wash
| ington incidents of the excursion. We paid
our respects to his Excellcncy this afternoon
were cordially received, aud were quite favora-
|
| commanding appearance. of his politics it is
not necessary to give our opinion at this time
| We spent portion of each day of our So
journ in the city in the galleries of the Senate
i Chamber and Representatives Hall, taking a
survey and noting the proceedings of our
Senators and Representatives in Congress
assembled The halls are both splendid
/ rooms, and the Capitol itself, when fully COM
pieted, will be one of the most magnificent
| structures in the world. It is a building OF
gigantic dimensions, and most admirably stu
ated to exhibit its architectural beauties to
! the greatest advantage While in the SeEate
we heard the distinguished iire-cater, JEFF.
| DAVIS, of Mississippi deliver his great speed,
on his slave-code resolutions. He is man of
eminent ability, honest and sincere, detests
anything like subterfuge or trickery, and bold
| " and fearlessy avows his sentiments without
reference to political expediency. He pitched
into the humbug of popular sovereignty u
with vigor, and gave it most terrific raking.
His colleague, A. G. BRowS, in few remarks,
also repudiated in the strongest possible Ian
guage the dclusive dogma and the gentleman
whose political fortunes are founded upon it
Mr.. CLISGMAN, of North Carolina, an old
Wing but now a Democratic Senator replied to
Messrs. Davis and Brown, favoring the views of
the Little Giant, but his remarks had no effect
upon the Gre-eaters, who treat both squatter
sovereignty and its present chief advocate
with utter contempt. We also heard the
homestead bill discussed-SenatorsW Wade of
Ohio, Hunter of Virginia. Wigtal of Texas
johnson of Arkansas. Green of Missouri
Douglas of Illinois, Wilkinson of Minnesota
Pugh of Ohio, johnson of Tennessee, and
and Doolittle and Durkee of Iowa, participa-
ting. The discussion was quite interesting,
but with a few exceptions there was nothing
extraordinary Or striking in the appearance of
the speakers, their manner or utterances.
The House presents an extraordinary spec
tacle as you look down upon it from the gal
leries and to person who has not had the OPP
portunity of observing it is utterly impossible
to convey idea of the scene of confusion
presented to the view, especially when the
House is in Committee of the Whole. The
members number nearly two hundred and fifty
in all. A portion of this large crowd is seen
seated on the sofas arranged i'll circles for their
accommodation-oth are marching from
one portion of the Eall to another-others seat
ed on sofas arranged around the wall in the
lobby-some collected in groups on various
parts of the foor-others going out and COM
ing in. While this is going on perhaps balf a
dozen gentlemen are addressing the chair at
the same time each striving for the floor,
which when obtained affords the lucky member
an opportunity to make short speech which
nobody listens to and probably conld not hear
if they did, as during the entire time three
fourths Of the members present, if not enga-
ged in writing or reading newspapers are talk
ing to each other in loud tone, the constant
thumps of the Speakers mallet having no effect
in producing order. This is generally the con-
dition of affairs, though not always, as there
are a very few members who are able to com
mand attention, and among this class may be
numbered the Representative from our district,
whose experience as a debater and power of
lungs give him advantages the great body of
the members do not possess; and beside the
subject under discussion during the present
week (the tariff is one on which he is as
thoroughly posted and as much at home as any
gentleman in the House. Monday afternoon
| noticed gentleman l&boriously engaged in
in reading a formidable manuscript speech, and
such was the " confusion worse confoun(lcd -
which prevailed at the time that it was with
the greatest possible difficulty / could even
make out the subject upon which lie was dis
coursing. and am confident that of the TWEEN
ty to thirty members present not one was lis
tenng to his production, while the gentleman