The Portland daily press., 1865-03-22
Letter from the Federal Capital.

Letter from the Federal Capital
The capital after the adjournnent-Ihe nesc
Cabinet Rotation In Office Reoet jag
presentation-Ihe Prestdent-1he Sttud-
ton and army touenaents-f> ersonot etenaS.
WASHINGTON, March IS, 1855.
To the Editor Of the Press:
Alter the excitements of the session, and
the displays of the Inauguration and the fes-
tivities of the quadrennal ball, the metropo-
lis may well be excused for wearing prosy
and working-day aspect. Those huge ma
chines-the Departments-grindo on, oil course,
as ever making neither more nor less speed
for the coming or going of Congress, but at
this end Of the Avenue the adjournment ID a
great event. No more expectant waiting up
on the uncertainties of legislation; no more
stirring debates or parliamentary tits and
Journeys; no more Congressman standing
sage, their hands clasped meditatively beneath
their coat tails
with Atlantsan shoulders fit to bear
The weight Of
of-almost anything. or paradng the lobbies
with high and mighty presence, or perehanee,
if you would believe it, in the pauses of their
Titanic labors, well settled in their chairs and
with their heels over their desks, catching
sly nap; no more busting to and fro of petty
officials or scampering hither and thither of
pages; no more pressing, squeezing, elho wing
crowds drawn hither by curiosity or deeper
interest; no more OF all this, but instead emp
ty and deserted chambers, vacant halls and
corridors, along which there now and then
sounds solitary footstep, OF saunteFs group
Of strangers. What binders one to take his
"otium cum dig" or, If he pleases, "dig. cum
otto" or should it suit his taste still better, his
ease without any dig at all?
A considerable number of Senator's and
Members still remain in the city; another and
quite numerous portion of our legislators have
gone to recruit from the tolls and cares of
state by enjoying the salubrious breezes sup
posed to float around Hatteras and farther
down the coast, perhaps, In ways not unfamils
lar to adventurous landsmen, to deliver their
systems from the efects of this bilious eli
mate, thus ingeniously uniting pleasure and
profit; wAiie the poor President, having gone
through with the inaugural Garemonies and
bowed himself the whole length of Pennsyl-
vania Avenue back to the White House, and
shaken hands in the evening with ten or If
teen thousand popular sovereigus, finds him
self ready, doubtless, to emphatically endorse
the sentiment
THAT one of the pleasures of having rout
Is the pleasure Of having it over,h 40
and is obliged for some days to recuperate as
best he can ia quiet and seclusion, to the
grievious disgust of importunate visitors. He
took an airing in his carriage on Thursday
afternoon, and, truth to say, looked sadly worn
and jaded.
The commencement Of the present Presi-
dental term has been marked with singularly
few changes in the Departments. The two
new Secretaries throw the balance of the Cab
met far enough west, we hope, to satisfy those
polit clans who are most jealous of New Eng
land ideas and New England statesmen. On
this point, however, we have no complaint to
'rete so long as the country is well served,
and that It will be well servea VI * 80 NJ
Culloch and Harlan nobody doubts.
Neither have there been any considerable
changes in the clerical force, nor, except for
good reasons, do there seem likely to be. The
public service will not suffer by this. 1t is
very doubtful if the most jealous advocate
fer rotation in office" that ever clamored for
sweeping removals of the Sins" at the begin
mag of each Presidential term, that the "outs"
might take their turns, would, if personally
charged with the superintendent and respon.
sibility of even single Bureau, find 1t expedi.
emit to remove from places requiring not only
much general intelligence and business ca
pacity, but also a large amount of acquired
ability, one set of men merely to put another
set ia.
ST. Patriek's day was observed here with
the customary festivities by the countrymen
and admirers of the great snake extermina.
tor. About four o'clock in the afternoon, a
rebel flag, captured at Fort Anderson by the
14Osh Indiana regiment, was presented to Gov.
A. 2. Morton, of that State, upon the balcony
OF the National" in the presence of about
two thousand spectators assembled to witness
the ceremony. The President was present
and made short speech, in the course of
which he remarked that, If the slaves would
fight for the rebels, the fact would furnish a
stronger argument for keeping them in sla-
very that any he had ever heard. He believ-
ed they would not. He congratulated the
country on thus seeing the enemy put to his
last shift, and upon the evident approach of
peace. He was greeted by the band in atten-
dance with "Hail to to the Chief" and by the
people with enthusiastic cheers, and as he rode
away the acclamations of the crowd followed
him. orB
All this is gratifying to the people, but the
constant draft made upon the time and ener-
gies OF the President ought to be and must be
aoated. The Tribune is right is saying that
ii he is to outlive his present term radical
retrenchment must be promptly effected in the
current exactions upon him. The great lead
er OF Israel did not stand more in need of the
polite and sensible suggestions of Jethro,
than does Mr.. Lincoln of some arrangement
which shall proportion his labors to his
strength.
The southern skies are bright. Forty-three
cannon and immense arsenal stores captured
at Columbia, twenty. five cannon and six hum
dred barrels OF gunpowder at Cheraw, twenty
five pieces of artillery aud much war material
at Fayetteville-thes will do for the inciden-
tai and wayside trophies of Sherman's vctori-
Gus march. Hampton's boosted victory turns
out to be very much of another 'blessing in
disguise."l neiaig0T2 g l3Eos2 21o%
CT
nor is Shermap's army much longer to pull
alone at the laboring oar. The sending ofsut-
lers and camp followers to City Point. and of
all super6uous baggage to the rear, the de-
falling of,men not able to march, and the
turning over of superfuous ordnance stores,
the issuing of four days. rations to the men
and OF eight to the supply trains--all indicate