The Indianapolis daily herald., 1865-12-18
CoRnHsroSpE,cr
NUMBER oxp

gess. eIc- washington Cny- Disappointed
WASHINGTON. ID. C., Dec. IA, ls65.
Onitting all preliminaries of introduction ~
the readers Of the HERALD, your correspond
ent wishes il understood that in his letter.
from the Capital, be will present all such INST
tiers and occurrences As fall under his personal
observation in the light, as nearly as practical
be, IN which they appeared 10 him, designing
- not TO extenuats or set down ausht in NAL
ice - respecting men and measures, leaving
Jour readers freedom 10 draw their own in
ferenees. and the discussion Of principles TO
your able editor. In all other natters, be il
understood.
. tell the tale a. twas told 10 me-
At the present writing there Is but little in
the atmosphere of the Capital Of a Sensation
al nature, Congress having organized with
out spasm Of any kind, and the Message DIS
appointing everybody who anticipated some
projection which would enable some body using
II "a lever 20 .sraise a rows Of some kind.
No message within my recollection excited
30 little comment among outsiders, as this re-
cent and most important one; whatever may
be in store for II, pent In the bosOms Of the
wise and select men Of the nation, or held in
allegiance for the proper hour. Ii is very evil
dent that but few Of these wise ones were in
the confidence Of the President touching this
message; as the House resolution providing
for commi ttee to investigate the condition Of
the States now held lin probation and ex-
cludmg all representation from these States
indefinitely, wnf4 was passea .-hS..s.tzn1 X
ly after the House was organized, Indicated a
fear ON the part Of the leaders of the dominant
party. that the message would contain matters
dangerous on this subject, which they designed
to forestall. The passage of this resolution by
the Senate subsequently, with non-esseutial
amendment, may be taken AS an index to the
policy of the party in power, to which the
President gracefully turns over all response
bility, and with which he will, i'm all respects,
cooperate.
Let no one hatter himself, or deceive himself
with the idea that there is a wide or threaten
ing chasm between what is called the "Radi-
Gals element of tho Republican party, and the
conservative or more general element OF that
party-or between either or both of these and
the President. The truth is patent to an OBJ
server Of slight penetration, that the entire
Republican Representative, with the excep-
ton of few members, are in fact =" Radical"
| on all the great questions of the day. 1t is
true that some, or many, having the fear of
their constituencies before their eyes, shrug
their shoulders at the specter of negro suffrage,
and, with your Governor Morton, NAV con-
vince themselves, intellectually, that the ques-
ton should be pushed away, gently, into the
. future-postponed to that indefinite period and
" more convenient season. when they shall no
longer be aspirants for the honors which now
they bear heroicalIy: yet for all practical ends
they will be found 'agreed" with the more
outspoken. earnest, and sincere of their faith,
Nwho are not ungrateful to the negro, and not
willing to see him pushed aside, when his
cause has reached that point, easily foreseen,
but very trying to those who We're not in earn
est respecting the status Of that race.
Mr.. johnson will go with, not from, or in adj
vance, of the popular sentiment as expressed
in the latest elections. The question of negro
suffrage WILL i'm all probability, be tested
early in the legislation appertaining to the Dis
triet of Columbia. The City Fathers are al
ready i'm agitation respecting it-and the old
regime will soon have past away. To avoid,
the humiliation of a city government in which
the negro has had a voice, il il already pro-
posed TO surrender the franchises of the city,
and throw the government back upon Con-
gress. where it originally vested.
Congress, 10 an old observer, presents moth
ing in its personnel Of particular interest over
other sessions. The Senate presents no great
conspicuous head, no name which has been
burned upon the brain of admiring multi
tudes. rs in other days; yet no man of inteIi-
gence could fail to be impressed with the av-
erage manhood of its members, the dignity and
decorum of its action, and the atmosphere of
intelligence, if not, indeed, wisdom. which
pcrvades.
The " House" has new and elegant car
pet" green and gold'-but the same abom-
Unable black upholstery.
The members present the same spectacle of
restlessness, not to say impatient confusion,
which have observed before, the same wear
not exactly motley, which Jacques affected
and pronounced "your only wear although
there may be members who have not enough
To support the character to which il were be-
coming-but the motley of all manner of gar
mentS. without regard to style or texture. Ii
were, perhaps, unwise to find fault with the
dress, or the absence of DRESS i'm its real sense.
of our members, rs Republicanism affects SIM
plicity; but that, am constrained to believe.
does not signify yugarity. or demand indjf
ference to good taste.
The next most noticeable characteristic (the
haa III -
is the number of bald heads scattered through
the body of the House. yellow and glossy in
the light Of the stained glass overhead: SHIN
Ing out in prOfusiOn. like a rich harvest Of
pumpkins in the midst of surrounding YER
dure. counted fOrty-three such on the floor
yesterday. There are many wigs to be noticed
also, which increases the percentage of those
whose locks have fallen early. There are but
few .old mem in the House. Mr. Stevens. of
Pennsylvania. and Mr.. Wentworth. of Illinois.
are among the oldest, yet these are very yigor-
Gus men, and very prominent
Legislation will not fairly begin until after
the holidays. The present work is all prelim-
mary.
Outside of Congress there is little i'm Wash
ington, or Of Washington, so differing from
other cities n to afford matter of interest 10
the general reader. The incidents Of the late
war made our whole people familiar with
Washington. Not a township in Indiana but
had its representatives in that grand host which
followed Sherman through Pennsylvania Ave
nue. last spring-and no state j. better repre-
scented i'm the Departments and the seekers for
position than our own HOosier land. Under
the administration of Secretarys smith, Usher
and Otto; the Department ef the Interior was
ehristened the department Of Indiana, since
/ understand changed 10 the department Of
Iowa." and there are ,Hoosiers everywhere
else. | believe they rank web. too. in
their various relations: but | am al
Ways very sorry for 4 young man
who has any native ability or intrinsic worth
Of character, when | see hun seeking for
IN Washington. There is no more
hungry or greedy grave, devouring and hiding
forever talent and ambition than these marble
tombs--the public buildings Of Washington.
Your young friends Of the Democracy. how
ever, need have no dread of them for some
time 10 come, and the Republicans viii not
thank me for my opinion, in this or other