Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1864-04-30
Letter from New England.
"From an Occasional Correspondent"
ORANGE, Mass, Feb. "a, 1864.

Ed. STANDARD: After journeying some
time by sea and land, have at length came
to anchor in New England, theland Of steady
habits. You, and perhaps the readers Of your
paper, would like to learn something Of the
state of things on this side Of the continent.
1t is my fortune to be here now amid one
of the cold winters of New England. The
scenes around me are frigid and dreary.
Everything around me seems to BE- wrapped
in bands of ice and snow. The birds have
flown to more sunny climes. Nature is silent
and sad. Never in my life have I put a
higher estimate upon the climate Of the Paci-
fic than at the present moment. Never did
its fields appear greener, its air more balmy,
Or its sun more genial.
My native hills aud these worn out fields
that werc once so familiar to me, revive the
"reminiscences Of my early youth, as l pass
among them. Every day l am more and
more impressed with the nice stereotyped pre-
cision of New England, as mingle with my
quondum friends, but more especially on the
Sabbath. The time.worn customs of this day,
though much modified, carry me back on the
line of my ancestors to the days of priest
craft and witchcraf.
There has been no heavy fall Of snow. 1t
is now about foot deep. Sleighing is good
and has been good for long time. Vast
quantities of wood and timber are continually
passing over the road. Sleighs are flying in
every direction. Almost every hour in the
day the noise of bells, or the whistle or rum
bic of some train of cars going north or south,
east or west, is heard. Upon every hand I
see soldiers and officers, absent on furlough,
passing and repassing, and everywhere min
Cling with the people. and especially with the
better half Of the people. They seem dis
posed to share the advantages of female soci-
ETY. while they remain in the North. They
throng at the depots, hotels and saloons.
The hustle of soldiers and officers and the
ratlling of swords, gives the country quite a
military appearance. War seems to be a
profession they talk about as they would
about any other profession, the profits ofwhich
they calculate to a cent. The bounty in
some portions of Massachusetts amounts to
$S27 for veterans and $727 for new recruits.
This includes tho Government bounty, and
State and town aid Hereafter, am in
formed, the State and towns cannot raise
money in their corporate capacity. The
towns are already raising money by subscrip-
tion. Clubs have been formed in some of the
towns for the purpose Of sharing the commu-
tation mony among them of those who should
be drafted. In some instances, the dividend
for those drafted in clubs has not amounted
to over $50 to the man. find no one excit-
ed or anxious about tile war. I have heard
little o. 10 murmuring about the hardships Of
the war, and have found no one sinking
under them. I have seen no weeping, heard
no waling. Scarcely aword has been said in
my hearing, Of friends or relatives slain in
battle. Nor have noticed much solicitude
or concern about friends in service. have
heard little upon the great questions that
now concern the nation, aud scarcely doubt
expressed az to the perpetuiiy Of our Govern
msnt. All, or nearly all, appear to be conf
dent in the ultimate triumph of the North.
The possible resources Of New England are
very far from being exhausted. Not half Of
the enrolled men are in the field. The num-
Der who have left is so small compared with
the whole population that they are scarcely
missed. 1t is seen and felt most in the price
of labor. which seems to 5e in as great de-
maud here and commands as high aprics as on
the Pacific. / have but little doubt in my
own mind that New England can contribute
the same amount of men and money for the
support. Of the war for two years to come that
she has for two years past without being sore
" distressed or embarrassed. The war in
some respects appears 10 bs profitable to this
country. 1t has thrown iuto circulation mil
lions Of dollars; it has furnished employment
for thousands of men; it has opened mar
ket for vast amount Of stock aud produce.
The consumption Of the Government has
opened tho way for the production Of the peo-
pie. The war has transferred capital from
the hands of the Government to the hands Of
the people, who still hoad il ~ part of the
national wealth; aud the great sacrifice Of hu.
man life. though . great calamity and loss. is
the inevitable tho legitimate. result Of war for
the rights which the God OF Nature has given
us-for free government, the estimate Of
which is not confined to the present time or
the present generation, but extends to tho fu-