Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1863-11-26
Communications.
Correspondence Of the Charles City rnteIlgencer.
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.


EDrroR INrELLIeENcER We CORES
pondents, as Mr.. Davenport sings
about the sailors, are a jolly crew,
when enjoying the sweets of private
life. 1t is only when we go to she'd
ding ink that we are terrible as Achil-
les wrath. Then, let your cabinets,
your pseudo statesmen, your humbug
generals and your shams generally,
beware their eyes l say this now
because at this time | propose to my.
self to write quiet, chatty, gossipy
letter about this city, its bookstores,
ETC., ETC., leaving Mr.. Seward, Mr..
Blair, Mr.. Edward Bates, Gen. Halleck,
and all the others who ought to be
mercilessly "cut up" to be handsome
ly picked on some more auspicious
occasion, when l shall be in less
amiable frame of mind. ...E
"AShiNotoS, FREE ClFn.
1t is wonderful how the National
Capital has improved during the past
year-and-a-half. 1t would be natural
ly supposed, because of the proximity
of actual war, (the firing from several
heavy engagements has been distinct.
ly heard here, and the rebel flag flaun
ted in plain view of the Capitol for
many weary months, under McClel.
lan's organization it would be nat.
urally supposed, under such circum-
stances, say, that enterprise would
be effectually laid out. Notwithstand-
ing these untoward circumstances, the
city has never improved so rapidly as
it has since the slaves of the District
were emancipated. The streets have
been improved, the sewerage enlarged
and extended, water pipes carried to
the limits of the corporation, hun
dreds of old buildings torn down and
new ones put up in their places, hun
dreds of magnificent distances" here
tofore bleak and dreary, now adorned
with good and substantial buildings
the old 'busses have given way to the
crowded street cars, the necessities of
enlarged trade have pushed business
into now thronged streets and ave-
nues, where not long ago the grass
grew, and the horn of the oysterman
was the only sound one heard. One
of the largest and finest public school
edifices of the country is now being
finished on Capitol Hill, worth all the
others here put together, and not cost,
ing half SO much. Others have been
commenced. In short, whereas Wash.
ington, two years ago, was a thrift.
less, lazy, gone-to-seed, Southern city
it now gives many unmistakable evi
dences of the thrift and goaheaditive
ness of the free North. Many things
still need Improvement, it is true. The
debris of slavery, and of society under
that "destitution,' still lie around
and necessarily cucumber progress tc
some extent, but they will soon entire
ly disappear, and leave the great polit
ical metropolis of the country to bt
rapidly redeemed, regenerated and dis
enthralled by the irresistible genius
of universal emancipation.
Nor is this matter of the status o
Washington city matter OF mere 10
cal Importance. 1t is, in sense, tn
prosperity of the whole people, in tn
value, Improvement and adornment 0
which they are all interested. VIII
ever visits Athens, without even nov
being reminded of that wonderful pee
pie whose versatility, genius and GU
ture made other peoples, not altogetl
er unreasonably, appear as barbarian
in comparison? Who can look upon tn
Coliseum as it stands to-day, withou
;. having his reflections go back to tn
stern people, the tramp OF whose Il
gions once echoed round the world
The political centres of great people
} ought to be their faithful represents
| tiyes. Heretofore, Washington ha
been the representative OF Souther
standardization, not of the civiliz;
ton of the North. The person wh
, should Judge of our people by the
! National Capital would be as niue
; mistaken as he who should Judge I
our sculpture by the Indians and biI
" nosed Dutchmen before our tobact
| stores Ruf the time for that mlStal