The Xenia sentinel. [volume] (Xenia [Ohio]) 1863-186?, 1864-01-26
Especial Correspondence Of the sentineI.I
Letter from Washington.

Washington, January IA, 1864.
1 EDITOR SENTISEL:
would be happy to write you any news
of interest, but lis task for which your
correspondent does not feel himself com.
petent at this time.
1t is true Congress is in session, but
members have not sufficiently recovered
from holiday festivities to be in "full
blast" Some few members. are still alb
sent. But The symptoms are favorable,
and soon the halls of Congress will again
echo with the loyal mans eloquence.
1 visited the Senate Chamber the other
day, and heard Salisbury spew out his
venom and treason. 1 felt mortified.
His theme was GencrallBob Schenck' S
or3er requiring voters in Maryland and
Delaware, at the late election in those
States, to take the oath Of allegiance be-
fore voting. He thought it an outrage on
the people, to quire those who had been
ia arms against the Governm Mt, who had
given aid in every way they could to the
rebels, to be required to simply s,osar
that they would do 50 no more. Not one
word Of reproach or harm came from his
lips to the rebels. He became excited,
and charged and snOrted, and in short be-
haved in the most ridiculous manner. l
lave seen many scboolboys perform much
more creditaBly. He declared thousands
of loyal citizeas we're thereby excluded
from the polls On 4aning, I suppose, loyal
to JEFF. Davis, for the election returns
show the largest vote ever polled in the
State.
General Schcnck is abused in the most
outrageous manner by these treason hens.
It is rumorei that the seat of the repre-
sentative from Delaware will te contested,
and then General iSchenck will be heard
from. He will be competent for the oc-
casiOn.
Yesterday Senator wilson's bill for the
expulsion of Grrrert Davis, of Kentucky,
was up. Being. a little late 1 could nrtget
in, every aveuus Of approach being crowded
to overflow. Re aught to be, but 1 be-
lieVe, will not Be, expelled. or.
Doubtless there are many good men in
Congress, but few able ones. 1t strikes
me that WashingtOnis not so gay as it was /
in 81 when I was here. .1
Previous to the r belEon it was a grcat
resort for rebels. Theyused to come here
by hundreds and thousands, men and
women, tospend money earned by negroes,
to gamble and Loaf etc. OF course they
all dressed finely. But now you see on
every street army wagons, thousands Of
which are passing to and fro daily. In
wet weather the streets are very muddy
in dry very dusty. Washington looksde-
oidedly JIuer than it used to. Hundreds
of soldiers are passing through both ways,
every day.
Union Leagues are in vogue here. I
listened to lecture from DR.. Doan, Of
New York, last evening at Q. L. Hall.
L was the most eloquent speech Pve heard
for Twelve months. The speaker expressed
the hope that old Abe would be reelected,
at which the whole audience cheered ;tbey |
threw up hats, and the ladies waived hand
kerehiefs. I never, in all my life, saw |
more enthusiasm exhibited than at this /
point. % .i' -
I am now Of the impression that Mr..
Lincoln will be nominated by aeclamation.
While the most hattering and earnest ex- !
pressiOns Of appreciation are heard, Of
worthy men, such as Chase, Butler, ETC., /
who have served their country with such
distinguished fidelity andability, on every /
hand, yet, everybody seems tc have the
old Abe fever. This IS enphatlcatty |
the feeling Of the Peop7e here, the masses,
and time will soon show tie same feeling
the whole country over.
I think amendments to the draft, and
its discaSsioas have occupied most Of the
time Of Congress since The holidays. The
hope is expressed, and belief is e6terrained
that volunteers enough viii be obtained
to I'll The call for 100000 men. The in
dications at this time are, that no draft
will be made soon. Senator Harris, Of
New York, stated in the Senate the other
day that he confidently believed the rural
districts Of his State would6ll th, If quota,
some counties laying done SO already. 1t
is known here that several States hare
flied Their quotas for the last ell. The