The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-03-27
Letter From the National Capital.
WASHINGTON, March "a, 1856;

WASHINGTON, March "a, 1868.
To the Editor of the Press:
Not much of general interest has taken
place here, since the close Of the special ses-
sion of the Senate. or the numerous appoint
ments and promotions confirmed at that ses-
sion, thesmost, tits to be devoutly hoped, were
due to honesty, capacity, and thorough fit
the day of incampetents and imbeciles is quite
past, would perhaps be too much. No posi-
BILE care on the part of the Executive can al
together prevent unfit and unworthy men
from intruding themselves into places of pow
er and trust, though by the help Of experience
this evil is greatly diminished. Much as We
have already suffered from this source-and
who has not been sometimes reminded of the
sarcasm of Philip, when in alusion to the
practice in Athens of choosing ten generals
each year to conduct the military affairs of the
city. he asked why the Athenians did not
select all their asses to be horses" adding that
he had "never found more than one general
much as we have suffered from this source,
/ say, it is no more than we must expect to
bear, when we improvise war on grand scale.
BY keeping constantly on hand great force,
educated, Bred aud habituated to the profess
sion of arms, we might avoid some of these
evils; but even grave a remedy as great
standing army, with all its thoroughness of
discipline, system and method would prove
but an imperfect and partial defense against
ba
commencement of the rebellion, the country
had decided against standing army Of any
considerable size, preferring to tae burdens
imposed by such an establishment, the evils Ii
able to rise from want of preparation in any
great and sudden emergency. 1t now seems
rather unfair for people, who have enjoyed the
benefits of this course for many years, to de-
denounce the Administration so fiercely as
many do, for faults and shortcomings, which,
to great extent, inhere in our system, and
which no power OF man can wholly separate
from it.
Among the civil appointments, we regard as
a very good one that of John n. Goodwin, as
Chief Justice of Arizona. In its present dis
ordered condition, that territory needs at the
head of the administration of justice, a man
requirements. and practical capacity. Such
man Judge Goodwin is believed TO be; and
his friends doubt not he will prove the right
man in the right place. The Delegate from
New Mexico declared recently, that with
proper protection for life and property, the
LII -
few years attract to itself as great popula-
ton as that of the Territory represented by
himself.
The Senators and Members of the late Con-
gress have mostly left the city with triling
weight in their pockets, by way of third
mileage. Those gentlemen who voted for it,
may have thought the measure eminently
proper, wise and patriotic, but doubt if the
people can see it in that light. 1t is only just
10 notice the fact that, while a decided
majority of the Republicans in both branches
voted against the third mileage, the Demo-
Gratis, who have been all winter shouting
themselves hoarse over "oflicial dishonesty"
and Treasury plunderiue," voted almost SOL
i'd for what their own papers stigmatize as
''the meanest thing done by the late Con-
gress." 1t is also just to say that, notwith-
standing faults of omission and commission,
from which it would be absurd to pronounce
the Thirty-Seyenth Congress free, it has done
more TO make the Union perpetual, not only
by its efforts TO destroy its armed foes, but al
so to make it rest more securely and firmly
upon the great, eternal principles Of justice
and right, the only sure basis of government,
than any other Congress since the adoption of
the Constitution.
The Capitol is very slowly approaching
completion The force of workmen now em-
ployed upon il is considerable, but very much
yet remains TO be done, before this vast and
splendid pile of architecture will stand per-
fectly finished. 1t seems doubtful, if all the
details of the interior are carried out fully in
fifteen or perhaps twenty-five years more. At
present the work is confined to the exterior
portion Of the building, and it would have re-
NAMED suspended altogether, bat that the no.
bic edifce was sustaining much injury from
its unfinished condition. More than once last
winter, the water came in freely through the
roof, filling the massive walls with moisture
soaking the beautiful stucco work, and doing
much miscellaneous damage. On one occa-
sion, the Senate Chamber itself was hardly
tenable without umbrellas. In this instance a
storm had come on suddenly, against which
the workmen had neglected to provide. The
eastern porticoes of the extension will be mag
niicent. The style of architecture is very
nearly pure Corinthian, for richness and SPLEEN
dor passing all comparison. Considerable
progress has been made in the portico of the
north extension. Each column when cut and
set in its placewill cost over four thousand
dollars. The statuary for the pediment, cut
from the models by Crawford, is already done
and stands in the old Hall of Representatives.
For considerable time past, we have been
waiting in anxious suspense for some reliable
news from the southwest. Momentous events
are doubtless transacting, but all accounts
that have thus far reached us seem very vague
and contradictory. The rebels have proved
themselves capable of such astounding ex-
PLOTS by way of lying, that no other achiev-
ments of theirs can be believed without other
evidence than their assertion.
The Union League of this city held a pub
lie meeting on Saturday evening, which was
addressed by Senator Lane and others. The
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