The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-03-28
COMMUNICATIONS.
Letter from the National Capital.

ABOUT MAINE MEN IN WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Mar. 25th, 1864
To the Editor erfhe Pre2;
The luckiest Maine man in Washington is
probably DIR. William II. True, of Freeports
whose faithful labors at the Campbell Hos
pital seem to have been fully appreciated by
those whose appreeiatious is most to be de-
sired. As the Doctor was making his eve
ming round on Wednesday, 9th instant, he
was not surprised perhaps to find Chaplain
Somerville in the Ninth Ward; but be was
undoubtedly surprised when the Chaplain be-
gan to make neat little speech to him and
concluded by tenderiug him in the name of
the officers and patients OF the ward, a beau
tiful sword, belt, sash, and shoulderstraps.-
But this was not all. Every Friday evening
dramatic entertainment, furnished by such
talent as the hospital contains, is most wisely
allowed to the inmates. On the Friday eve-
ming after the presentation already mentioned,
the amusements were witnessed by large
assembly, comprising the medical staff of the
hospital, several officers, ladies, soldiers and
citizens, when who should appear but the Rev.
Mr.. Somerville again, stepping out in front of
the stage with another little speech and again
aud this time unutterably surprising DR.. True,
with gold watch and chain worth S140, the
gift of the officers and patients OF the Sixth
Ward. Think of that-sword, belt, sash,
.shoulder-straps, gold watch and chain, all
within two days, and don't know how many,
but at least seven more wards to hear from,
IS we say at election time.
The unluckiest Maine man in Washington
is de cidedly Mr.. Darius Forbes, formerly
Journalist in your city but holding lately
third-class clerkship in the Pension Office
There can be no harm in mentioning that Mr.
Forbes has been removed from his clerkshp.
Indeed the fact is notorious, has alrerdy been
published in the Chronicle, and has reached
Maine before this time in hundred ways.
The cause, according to the report current
here, is singular one. 1t seems that Mr..
Forbes, having his suspicious aroused by some
peculiar circumstances investing claim
which had come before him, adopted the ex-
traordinary course Of going to Baltimore and
seeking personal interview with the claim
ant, from whom he obtained statements and
papers which in his view justified him in re-
jectog the claim on his return. or course
his decision was subject TO the revision of the
Commissioner; but practically, since the
Commissioner. .cnnnot be cognizant of all the
details OF each case, it was final. His busi-
ness therefore was not to act as an advocate
for the Government in obtaining new evidence,
but to decide upon the evidence before him,
between the Government and the claimant.
Mr.. Forbes seems in good faith TO have taken
a different view, and TO have been actually re-
moved for the very singular cause of doing
more than his duty. For according to the
rnmor, which repeat without vouching for
its eatire authenticity, Senator johnson pres
emily called upon Secretary Usher and remon-
strated against this assumption of extra
judicial functions, to SO good a purpose that
Mr.. Forbes was removed from Office.
One of the most distinguished Maine men
in Washington last week was Gen. Neal Dow
whose mere presence in Richmond seems to
have permeated his prison walls and acted SO
powerfully upon the legislative bodies there
convened as to have educed from those ur-
promising assemblages full-blown Maine
law, by vote of threelto one, in both bran
ches. No license to sell liquors will be gran
ted after the LIST OF May; and one of the Rich
mond Lawmakers said in his seat that he
would move to atiix the penalty OF public
whipping to the law, but for the fear of inno-
Gently entrapping some Of his colleagues, GER
tain of whom have already become liable to
the same penalty for infringngthe law against
gambling.
Gen. Dow arrived here, as you know, last
Friday. Saturday morning, notice appeared
in the Chronicle that he would speak that
evening at the Union League Hail. The
hall is by no means such as is felt te be Il
necessity in every New England village, far
less such hall as Mr.. Beecher praised in
Portland this winter. Washingtonis is not yet
sufficiently democratic, sufficiently civilized
10 provide large and eommodious hall for the
busy people, who get their education not from
dead books but from the living lips of living
men. So the New Englanders who throng
the city under the new regime, hear their
lectures in churches, 10 the Smithsonian lee
lDre room, sometimes in the Hall of Repre-
sentstives, and speeches almost every night
in this Union League Hall, which Saturday
night was crowded and packed till every
inch of standing room was occupied. II was
New England audience, largely sprinkled
with soldiers, and grievously disappointed
audience when at halfpast seven, it was an
nounced that through some stupid blunder
Gen. Dow had not been informed that he was
10 speak, and had started for home that morn
ing 1t seems that the General had been ap-
preached on the matter, and had said he
would willingly speak at any time, while he
remained in the city. Thereupon the notice
had been issued, and the note advising him