, 1862-01-04
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

New Yeoa's Day at the Capital--1Ae Congress
tional Recess and i&s Healthy InHpence-An-
other Visn to Hashington Jau-GenerM De-
1;rerN Of that I,stitution-Qu Quayze7nsas&er Gen
ezaz Teod Of Illinois, tic.
"
[From onr Own Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Jan. ], 1852.
New Years. Day in Washington happens to
be IN imposing occasion this time, whatever
it may or may not have been heretofore. The
guns Of Fort Corcoran, nearly three miles dis
TINT, are jarring all the window panes in the
city. The streets are th1ongcd with epau1ets,
swords, gold lace, white gloves, iYeries and
yellow breeches. Naval officers in full dress,
with terrible cooked hats, striped and slashed
in every direction with gold lace, and looking
like tremendous sun-fish- gallant fellows ney-
erthelces-are seen in groups all over the city.
The corteges Of foreign diplomats, in the
court dress Of their respective countries,
glittering with crosses, medals, bobs and
sinkers, roll by to the intense qualification Of
native funkeys, and all goes merry as mar
Rage bell Among military novelties may be
mentioned 4 fall regiment Of Lancers, from
Pennsylvania, who are parading the streets
with their lances at rest tipped with little rcd
banners, and making real sensation wherever
they are seen. Whether this war Of ours has
any business for them or not, they are fo1Hid-
able chaps to look at, and ii they do not
bleed the enemy profnsely they will scare
him badly the first time they are brought into
action,
The pageant will soon be over, and early
next week Congress will be required to look
the situation Of things squarely in the fnce. Il
is fortunate that the members allowed them
ro5.-o. -oa- 1.N..saN -
have rome bome xhere theIr st eaDst,tuents ~ tI can
wipe the pro-slayery death-damps from their
brrws. Rnsiness is cern;nu on reonir;no nerra
' ~.
anu conscience, and 100 many, unfortunately,
have been bereft, during the past thirty days,
Of the fraction which Providence ASSIGNED
us1 ,4ees a.e eus oa4 Aee' 4n5e a4;' tA4'S
our country Will ever have to pass Whether
they be or not, depends wholly on the cour-
age and INTEGRITY of the neoplc's representa-
t;yoe
uses' ......
am relo1ced to say that one important re-
form has been accomplished during the inter-
mission Senator Grimes If iowa chairman NJ
A41-A' .o.A'oA e4-.o oA -0-' s.N-a D.' y"
the Committee On the District Of Columbia, hav-
]
| to effect q general Jail delivery, proceeded
| to that institution yesterday in company with
| Provost Marshal Porter. I was invited to
| witness the operation. Rurnors have been
! atIoat, describing great improvements in the
| iail since The voT}ons exnosTras we've made at
! lie beginning Of tie piesent session Of Con
| gIees, It required but Glance to satisfy mr.
! That snct was not Tho c5se Tie rcrr frst
person We met there was free coIorcd boy.
| cightecn or twenty years old. named John +
71o7,ths and four days without any charre
| against.hin, on s71spieio, Of being a fuyitiSe
] slave. Another candidate. awhile man named
William Brazil, sick and emaciated. lad beer
| detained six weeks after being discharged by
| the on,nd inry-hc having rn1y7mitted ne cr;mr
articulatc He said he had been in iaiI fou1
| months, and had never been able to learu
| what was the charge against him. Re-
| frrring to the commitment book Of
the Jill, ne found opposite his name the
et 6els e BY 19sr Of saes as Gaod
| as though he had committed murder or grand
! larceny In the negro Quarters we're Two
slaves Of one Miner, q Virginian, and d
Captain in the rebel army, boarding
at the Government expense; also :
slave, Of oHe Mm.yott, Of Ann Arundel
rested and confined in the jail for keeping q
rebel rendezvous and recruiting station; also
a free colored man from Pennsylvania, who
was attached to one Of tile regiments from
that State, and who had committed no crime
and was charged with none; also a colored
girl, left in the unwholesome den for safe
Keeping. Talk about reform in Washington
jail! The old sepulchre is not to be cleansed
by any amount Of public clamor. The only
! prescription suitable for it is q barrel q
gunpowdcf and slow match And yet
let us not place the blame in ths
Eenseless brick and iron. We asked tht
deputy ja1lor what the free colorcd boy
%as kePt atd thege for aia1,3 1ss; Good G0d! wha
~ DC ne1e ETH tol aan hiI G,on orifs MN ntfe ae
tIs Whnt ~ he here for ~ smch va ~, fht thI
desnerate resnonse. Af7rr scver11 exh,nst ;ns rls
cffnrfs. I nm 1n1d an order w,s nrorrTrJ -;
tho remnya1 of The insane soldier Who pas
there when first visited thr instifut;onws
moor creature hcioneinp to the rconlar army
who Ind last his wis no or fhrsS 1y"c1,a ~.
fore the battle of Bnil RIM and Who lad necr
kept in pic Of dirty straw in the ;ail not Icss
the following purposes: ], Il prison 2, 4
I si1Ye Pen ., Mlllta11 suafu mouse =, a