, 1861-06-13
OUR WASHINGTON LETTEn.

QUE WASHINGTON 1ErrEn.
Hono4s to .aEr. Doayzas-F.tbsic Buildings, Aop
dTaped-The Gdpito@-Son,e reflections there
Last ,eords Of Tie Senator in rBreckinridge
and Doug1as--1ne Capitol easily ezeaned-Dt7s-
ner on SoIdfeT's Rations- -SesTvta.y Cameron
eats their Bread-Sepdrds Lepees1 es1TAe High
landcTs eostunae-1he cry il" !StQt thy eonse'
-CaEfiues 1aten By The Rochester bous-Got d
:, Brother cf Jackson, E1lsscoths nsurderer-
Darts tapeeted
Especial Correspondence Chicago Tribnne1
WASHINGTON, June 8, 1861.
Yesterday WAS as still as Sunday in this city.
Scarce Eame was heard but that Of Douglas.
HIS pictures we're every where hung out, and
crowds could be seen around them, discourse
ing, in hushed voice, on his character and
looks. The people generally seemed to enter
Into the Recommendation Of Secretaries Sew
ard and Cameron to observe here the day Of
his buriali In Chicago. Had his body been pres.
ent with ns, there would have been O pomp
and circumstance Of woe as when only a great
man dies. All public business was suspend
ed. Some two Thousand clerks in the Depart
ments we're away from their desks, and that
too in the midst Of the pressing claims Of the
war., Every one Of the great public buildings
Was heavily dIaped In long flowing and grace
fully disposed blAck linen. Tint at the De-
partment Of State WAS put ont the day of his
death, and completely shrouds the whole
building. The Treasury has becoming de.
gree Of drapery. The Executive mansion can
hardly be termed the White House, for 1t is
mcst e1nborately festooned in black, from the
pillars and lamp posts to the lofty windows In
front. In this case, the ends of the cloth are
all scolloped, and the door bell Is hung with
immense Grape, and the whole house as still
rs though the dead were its occupant The
same elaborate display Was seen at the War
md Navy Departments: At the Post Office
whltenees Of the marble. Here the pillars
were tWined BY the drapezy as II It we're dark
running vine. The Patent Office was decked
on all three fits fronts, each column having
9 long piece Of the dToping in graceful tis in
front. But the Capitol was the place where
the gloom seemed greatest, for could not but
think of it as the home Of the great Senator.
The only time ever saw OF heard him was
there, and this was scarce two months ago.
His frame go agile; his dre*s so tidy his voice
go merry; and his wit 80 genial. I seemed
again, md as: I looked up and around on tie
Capitol and eaw the heavy fo1ds Of the habiu-
ments Of mourning, I could hardly mske 1t
seem real that 1t was all for him I had lately
heard raise general laugh in these balls.
The occasion was this: Mr. Foster was In
want Of = quorum. !; Tho lsst aostur uas came
in that completed the qnorum:i = mo gno.
1um, repeated MI. Foster. Mr: Douglas, who
saW everything, rose, and pointing 70 senator
Foot, good hunofedly eaads MI President,
his last word iu the Senate. He had Just been
wrestling with Breckinridge, that dark, iron
man ot destiny, and had floored; him, on the
question o. Mllndta"!ng tna troops 1rom AZ
the ecceded states, ana Ibis lille tsn d'esprN,
Gomlpg N q enen Tune, was most haPpy.
to the traitors. Douglas, too, has gone; but
who bad not 1athe5 have the iams Of the latter
IN MS grave, tt2n6dgufed oy ni8 Ater patffot-
I'm. than fhe iniamy OF tue: :e2,Ytce PRESIDENT,
.nsine nslnE aoG:: mAy oe nettet taan
: oeao non iol oltipE aaa az, sna4T4ang, not
from the capitol OF ne !otty residence Of Mr.
Doug!as, and breGk1nf1dge lived II N the other
enc OF Inc same oloek. senator hlce between
On!J ono VIII come naek. fhe places, there
and In me eenate, tnat mteiJ KneW them WILL
knoH them no more; ! have written many
speeches M Pave & taken en- all bitterness from my
PEP, ana 1as oeatn nas consectated his VIRTUES.
ss't &c nfo7a0o n'sa ooastna.
"SEeh honors Hum to her Hero paid
and silent nourned the mighty Heetor's shade"
TIE Capitol has nov bqt fey troops, some
with soap and brush, getting It ready for the
9TH Of July Congress, and some extra touches
ere being given to the ftesco work in the Rep
resCntatlEes' Hall. The story Is all 8hafn
that the building was badly damaged, and such
atemple of filth that Cloaeina might have pre-
secessiontsts, who would razo the whole TO
the ground could they do 1t. In the base-
mcnt I visited the four durable ovens. which
have done good seryica-tu1nipg out l., 100
lcaTes Of bread daily. As It happened, there
come in two ladies-one t5s wife Of ! Con.
gressman. Haying visited The sick. q dozan
ar more, thev were about tn f,ta q soiiierse
ration. On an inyItation { ifined The nnes4>
and fof the first time had soldiers rations.
though many a time have I had The same un.
There were good pork and beans. baked. en-.
cellent bread, and Of which Secretary Camp.
bell bas his prayer answered. Give us thls
dar cur dailv hraad NLand to ton nfr With-
which was extra ration-I-Ta hsd piclies.
nice apple sauce, tea and butter.--O Of the
fighting, after her eolItiers' meal. thst she Was
ajmoat afraid she ehou]d whip her hnshand.
Secretary SeEari is retting rav in hIs nld
age. He is great on p6od dIfuers. and meane
to let the war make his dinners Id less. and
to give the officers such rationa as fhey win
isy evening. ~ was praced among 1nn5reds of
otRers. bV the HIrhlsnde1s;. ataff IN ~ mi
ccsfn1ne Thev 4rt At W351srd,e ante.
nom. where they we're the starx # the hnnr
Win their cans 80 scotchV. WI tbeir ha1ee ~
nI Ghe me
81 d.shfnc ana nricirai. the,r ooot;a fa;r e.
ra,fI coynScd and sEeenSng doEEn r. . M nnnr,
10 lie bottom Of thar }hoeRs their stocE;nos
80 r.v. and fhc3r 1e1a ~ snoeestiGa @ # ~,
ro1l5tis and thus prf511ndfno 1fmx 'hetora The,
/ oueer would be impolIte: fheY presented =
copnie and most remarkahla appea1ence. one
Of thcm had bowie hIfe which wAs extra
yncant1y mounted, aud along the side Of the
sheath we're disposed hts knife and fbrk with.
corresponding 61IIliants In their setting. Only
company or two have the Highland. dAhR il
full, and only the officers haye vely1 81
ones. It may do for gals day and I'D
dress but too f1nifed for severe fH -.
"Fuss and feathers " sits peculiarity. There
| is Regiment of +" "CaJugas' II Just come to
| this great Wigwam," which fills my admlra-
| ton more than the HRhlandep, and whose
officers were at Mr.. 8eward's last evening,
with others, chiefly Cabinet djgnatasiss. Com.
| Ing Is The CayuEas do, from: Auburn, and
| Clarence Seward nephew Of the Secretaries'.
one Of the Stat, he and his son Frederick
| have made them formal cali at their Bar
| racks on the Avenue, and I perceive that they
are fully rationed with fteah beef and bread.
Some, fifty beeves arc daily Killed for the SOL
diers, and your Hugh Aaher b will bare to hurry