The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-08-10
nrrnR FROM THE FEDERAL oAp1.
WASHINGTON. Ane. I 1865.

WASHINGTON, Aug. Z, 1866.
TO the Editor Of the Press:
The aspect presented to the eye of the trav-
eller by the country lying between this city and
yours, is very different from its appearance
year ago. The scorched and withered grass,
the meagre and lustreless foliage OF the trees
suffering everywhere, and in some places actn-
ally dying of drought, the crops stunted
and shrivelled, having long before exchanged
the effort to grow for desperate struggle to
live, the earth in some places baked to tile
like hardness, and in Others lying as fine and
dry as ashes, all this was sad to see. Nowhere
aloug my journey homeward, made during the
last Of July, 1864, did there appear anything
like the ordinary greenness of the season, un-
less perhaps for a little distance along the
shore Of the Sound. A change more kind and
grateful, or one better calculated to inspire
pleasant and thankful thoughts, than that
which now meets the eye of the traveller,
can hardly be imagined. Not only has the
staunch old earth survived the tremendous
scorching of last year, but she now presents
herself with many smiles, arrayed in her rich
est and best. Luxuriant growths OF grass
and grain, fields of rankIy fourishing pota-
toes, and Others where stands Mondamin, as
tall and graceful, with plumes as gallant as
when he first presented himself to wrestle
with the fasting Hiawatha; copse and forest,
with foliage less daintily fresh than earlier in
the year, but still dense and rich and glossy
meadows, which if no longer so jocund with
the rolliclzing roundelays of bobolinks, and
the sweet carols of orioles as in the spring
time, are yet blithe with many CHEEKY note;
broad hillsides, lacking perhaps the delicate
greenness of June, but now, as then, giving
generous nurture to gadding, nibbling focks,
or staid, Illuminating herds; such are the pic
lures that, framed by the car window, now fit
past the wayfarer. Rarely do hill and plain,
field and forest present fairer prospects; rare
ly indeed do we see surer promise of abound
ing harvests.
One thing win hardly fail to impress the
traveller at the present time. Not many boys
in blue are to be seen along the great routes,
and the faces of these are uot as heretofore
turned toward the South. Coming from the
North we occasionally meet train from
which, as we rush past, our eyes catch the
prevailing blue, and the CLEAN of bayonets,
but none such do we overtake. Now and
then we may see a squad, perhaps a wasted
regiment marching along the streets of some
town, or resting upon the sidewalks, but there
is lightness in their step, and brightness in
flair. hot
bound. AS we come farther South we notice
that the huts, where of late soldiers were sta
toned to defend some important bridge, are
tenantless and deserted. No guard has now
the road save that where in thick array
Islands the serried corn like train bands
Plume and pennon rustling gay
As we rush past useless rife pit and desert
ed blockhcuse, we can hardly realize that over
this same country, not thirteen months ago,
victorious rebel horde went plundering and
pilaging at will; while we were shut up in
Washington without railroad or telegraphic
communication with any place except Alexan-
dria, anxious, meanwhile, with too good rea-
son, lest the audacious foe should force his
way into the very Capital How full of noble
deeds, OF heroic achievements, of glorious sue
cesses has been the time since that, our last
great humiliationl One mighty grief we have
known and we still carry its weight upon our
hearts. The mourning emblems that draped
these stately buildings, and darkened all these
streets three months ago, have disappeared;
the flag no longer waves at half mast, bordered
with funereal Grape; only now and then an
officer retains upon his arm the sign of grief;
but still we cherish in our heart of hearts
our martyr President; blood for blood, shed in
no vindictive spirit, but in obedience to the
stern demands of justice, may ease our sense
OF wrong, but cannot assuage our sense of
loss. And let us not forget that in no
other way can We SO honor our fallen Chief
as By carrying forward with steadfast purpose
and devoted zeal the great work in which he
persisted to its grandest completion-the sub
lime work of achieving and securing impartial
freedom to ALL Such contamination will be
the only monument truly worthy of him we
may ever hope to rear, and one that shall bear
up his name forever before the eyes of all the
ages. TSP.
.