Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-02-19
EXTRACTS FROM WASHINGTON LETTERS
We find in recent letters from Washington
some things that will be read with interest.

We find in recent letters from Washington
some things that will be read with interest.
THE oRDINANCE DEPARTMENT.
In arresting Gen. Stone the secretary of
war has stopped short, 1 am afraid, of the
point which the necessities OF the government
demand Efficiency, if not the public safety,
demand changes to which man of his energy
and penetration cannot remain blind. Promi-
nent among them is the central bureau of the
ordinance department | do not know that
sympathy with rebellion can justly be charged
against Gen. Ripley. But to another charge,
almost as fragrant, he certainly is fairly liable
No man that has had TO do with his depart
ment could have failed to be most strongly
impressed with the feeling that he is utterly
incompetent for the proper dis charge of the
heavy and responsible duties of his position.
The Army Register shows that Gen. Ripley
entered the service in June, 1874, as a second
lieutenant OF artillery. He must,have been at
that time at least 81 wears of age, as he was a
graduate from the POINTS, that probably he
is now nearly, if not quite, seventy
years OF age, and, with perhaps a
haltdozen exceptions, the oldest man in
the service. He has nsver been remarkable
for vigor of intellect or energy of action. He
has always been welded to the oldest of oldest
OF weapons is the old fintlock musket and
the smoCIhbore Founders, with which lie
was first acq TAINTED in the days when he was
boy at the academy. Every improvement
proposed is at once condemned by him, and
not one has been adopted except AGAINST his
determined opposition. In addition 10 this
educated prejudice, he is paraly zed as it were
by the infirmities of age and the enervating
influence of Washington lite. 1t would be
l;nf tbn D,,A irn
| Gen. Ripley was capable of redeeming the in
efficiency OF his chief. But in the qualities
that the first lacks, the second is entirely def
Gent. Besides, the investigating committee
| OF the house of representatives have most
clearly established that Colonel Maynadier is
less worthy of public trust than those who are
in arms against the government. That he is
not now in the rebel capital, is because the
chiefs of the conspiracy would give him only
the second positonn the ordnance bureau, in
stead of the head, which he demanded
MARSHAL LAMoN.
a letter in the New York Times says
Marshal Lamon of the District of Columbia,
who audaciousy delayed fifteen days to exc
cute an order of secretary Seward for releasing
slaves from the Jail, is evidently equal to the
most odious exactions of the slave code. 1t
would be gratifying if it were no worse than
that he is willing tool of an odious institu.
| ton. But he evidently has the capacity 10 be
| a first class siave-driVer. 1t has been ascer
tanned and stated in his place in the senate by
senator Wilson, that between the date of sec
reiary Stewards order and Marshal Lannon's
directions to his jailers to execute its behests,
| he had general Jail delivery of the poor un
! tortunates previously in his charge, his min
ions moving them-d Ia the old style-to tie
| slayepens of Baltimore and to the jails of
! Maryland, beyond the jurisdiction of tile dis
trict, By your congressional proceedings you
will also see that senator Wilson depicted in
indignant and thrilling language a scene
| where Lannon's miniOns had lowered O..
man, charged with being a slave, out OF
window of the Jail, fifty feet high, had
strapped him across barrel and given him
severe whipping, and then taken him to the
slave-pen at Baltimore. 1t was to afford time
for such acts, and to give opportunity for its
! virtual veto, that Lamon so long delayed exc.
cutting Secretary Stewards order. As ii to
make himself more odious to the people, Mar
sinai Lamon has dismissed from the pub ic
service Mr.. Duvall, the assistant keeper of
| the Jail, through whose timely expositions
! the senate became aware OF the horrors of
I that prison house This man, Lamon, is a
native of Virginia. lie was made marshal of
! the district through some personal friendship
| entertained for him by some member of Presi-
! dent Lincon's family. II is not probable that
| lie will be removedsthough it is impossible
! to conceive how he can be retained. But
| there are influences potent to retain known
! rebels in the public service, and the same
may and l fear will be potent TO retain one
who is blot upon human nature, and an
abiding disgrace to the administration, the
country and the age But the senate, am
happy to say, though powerless to remove
| Lamon, has yet the power and the will to
take from him the custody of the district
Jail, and thus relieve humanity from a repeti.
ton OF the outrages which have shocked and
scandalized the moral sense of the country"
MRS. LINCOLN.
There is not little Indignation in the pub.
lie places against the outrageous language
used towards Mrs Lincoln by the illustrated
papers, in describing the late ball at the White
House. Not content with giving a vile carca-
ture Of human being and undermining it
"'Airs. Lincoln" Leslie's Illustrated Newspa-
per talks of "the exquisitely moulded shout
ders and arms of our fair republican queen.
the whiteness of which was absolutely daz.
cling; and again, cher coronet wreath was
in perfect keeping with her regal style OF beau.
ty"; and still again, "Mrs Lincoln possesses
that rare beauty which has rendered the EN-.
press of the French so celebrated as a hand
some woman" Can it be doubtful if any
mother of grown up children could feel any
thing but modification and disgust at seeing
herself thus spoken of in public print? Mrs.
Lincoln may be susceptible TO such fulsome
tiattery, but hope she is not. AT any rate it
seems repugnant to good taste that any paper
should give publicity to what is either malig-
nant satire or gross exaggeration.
GEN. SCoTT.-In New York City, day
h..lnr s.nsLcrln.. NIL