Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-07-24

Riot--The Retreat Of Lee across the Po-
tomac-etc. & M
WASHINGTON, July Is.
After great deal of careful inquiry on the
subject among those we'll informed, am in
clined to the opinion that cabinet meeting,
under the present wise and happy organiza-
ton of that distinguished body, is very fun
ny thing all around. Mr.. Lincoln is, Of course,
er-o6icio, President of the meeting. He sits
at the head of the board, with his hand full
of trumps and deals around the subjects of
discussion. l need rot say how he looks,
because everybody knows. The proceedings
are naturally Of solemn nature, but are not
opened with prayer so often as with story
Mr.. Secretary Seward sits next the President
on the right. His head and nose are extern.
sive, his eyes shrewd, and his body small
about the size, though not quite so well put
together, if may modestly say so, of that
Of your handsome correspondent. Mr.. Sec
retary Chase, the next in local position
(around the board) but the first of all in pa
triotism and ability, is the finest looking man
in Washington. Stanton, of the War De-
partment, is chubby fellow, with rough
face, and spectacles. He of the Navy, Hon.
Gideon Welles has the most Abrahamic beard
and the sleepiest look ever saw outside of a
cabinet meeting. Mr.. John P. Usher, Of the
Interior, is soAtterly commonplace both in
mind and body, that, like mediocre poet,
neither gods nor newspaper columns can en-
dure him. He looks like the figure Of large
round man, made of dough, mixed with milk
of dirty ''yaller" color. There isn't point
about him, except the points of his boots
The Postmaster, Blair, has sanguinary cast
of countenance and of hair. Since he read
Philips speech of the 4th, he has most mel
ancholy expression, as though he were just
beginning to appreciate the notion of total
humiliation. The Attorney General, vener-
able man, who has come down to US from
former generation, is now out of the city.
That's the way Ca abinet meeting looks
The proceedings, in general, as am inform.
ed and veribly believe, are on this wise: Mr..
Stanton, being at the head of the War De-
partment, and the war being the paramount
subject of discussion, opens up with regu.
lar speech in his sing song tone, and in a
style of great vindictiveness, and with terrific
gesticulation, pours forth for an hour or so.
Seward, meanwhile, with diplomatic reticence
and Bill Brown motion. pays devout attention
to the warlike Boanerges, nodding graceful
assent to every proposition Of Stanton's.-
Chase neither speaks nor mods, ordinarily
Welles mods, but not after the fashion of
Seward. Usher goes to sleep. Blair is think
ing of something or other, and Bates takes
lounge on the sofa. 1t is agreed that Stanton
shall do what he thinks best, and the Cabinet
goes to dinner. That is Cabinet meeting.
Seward calls around, however, after awhile,
and suggests to Mr.. Lincoln that so and so
had better be done, or, more fatteringly, asks
|if SO and so had not better be done, and gets
it done. And that's what comes of cabinet
meeting, generally.
was slightly extraordinary. Seward openly
proposed to throw out tub to the whale by
withdrawing the proclamation of emancipa-
ton! This treacherous, inhuman, monstrous
proposition, he maintained, understood, in an
elaborate argument, which was replied to BY
Stanton in an animated speech, and refuted
by statesmanlike response from Mr. Chase
But they postponed the draft, and still the
riot goes on! OF course it does, but if the
Cabinet did not know that Ben. Butler could
have squelched out that riot in few hours
they were ignorant of what all other people
knew.
The successful escape of Lee across the Po-
tomac had been feared here for day or two
before it was announced-either that he had
escaped, or would escape. do not see how
Meade can avoid censure for permitting it,
but a generous critic will thank him for re-
ducing the rebel army by at least 81, 900 men
in one Of the bloodiest battles of the war, and
for so crippling his foe that he can not think
of offensive operations for some time to come
Think of how we felt, when Hooker re-cross-
ed the Rappahannock, even with his army in
fighting order, and we will know how to ap-
preciate the feelings of the Richmond people,
when rejecting upon the terrible disaster
which has befallen their "invincible" army.
Then throw in Vicksburg, Port Hudson, Rose
Grams chasing Bragg, Helena, and Morris Is
land, and we have cause enough to rejoice,
providing there be sense and spirit enough in
the country to put down the roughs Of New
York. LINKENsALE.