, 1865-08-26

once steals over the visitor.
fe1haps nm unduly prcjnGiced ngaius
washington as summer residence. But
never conld IL former years when compclle,
70 Visit or sotonrn in it, and cannot now, re
s.st sensation Of displeasure. discomfort nm,
dullness, whenever am fully awakened i,
my surroundings to the reality Of the fac
that an IN Washington. ! wish ii wcr,
Otherwise. I wish could. while looking
anxsotlsly up and down tie broad stretch q
pennsylvania Avcnnc n seaech Of an object o.
interest, experience ihe sn1ne feeling OF com
plaecncy that fills involunta:ily the Stlaneur''
On the Noulcva1ls Of raris. Hind II Inpossf.
be. Would that Washington might become
Faris! | cannot help thinking fiat If any
mortal suffers from au overdose OF human
happiness and IL in danger OF becoming Mase
al.d 1ized Of his existence, let lin but come
foS week IN the mouths Of July, August or
| September to Washington. At the end Of his
term Of probation he will have ACQUIRED a
most thol oush appreciation Of the good
things Of this l:l:. 1t seems stupid and jrow-
sy enough here, inSeed, 10 give . Frcncllman
commit snicide. Even the liIe,brious, mo.
no;onous, Rubbing noise Of the professions
Of Amy wagons tLat nsed to form staud-
1HE O.. -uther IN overriding feature of MI
the Eaajn streets Of Washington, would seem
preferable 10 tlis all but aiso!utc des.rtion.
relieved orly by tie hocse cars, d,lrin. the
AAo"7 lA%C 4JSieNAtAEN Ql 1L& DuSv
populat!tn-tLe t;ovcsIment olllc;als-a.e foi-
loving the daily routine of their lnties.
Alas not ertn Tie solitary korseme,,, tlro,E-
ti.y sealed on wos1, out Kosinantcs, that, in
iEc DAYS Of yorc served MS scarecsoWs to i'm
t11ly hacam=n and Government tcanstcrs at
1tt corners along The avenue, no (ocacr serve
a resting points To The wandering eye.
DREAMS nssrELLED.
During t5c continuance Of the war, and cs-
pcciauy during Its frst two years, tLcre WAS
general bclief that Washing ION hal entered
upon an era cf lasting material prosperity.
Dreams Of It's development not only into tic
great political and governmental centre Of
the nation. bnt also into a ynst scat OF indts-
try and grand emporium Of domestic and for
tisn commerce, were Freely fndulgcd In. They
have so lar proved but the etecrest flights Of
fancy The confidently expected intlnx of
Nosl bern capita! came In sean1y drib.ets. OF
improvements, thc total Of buildings erected
since 1861 will not compare favoraUly with
the slow growth Of The slowest Of Northern
second class cities. The Government under
took most Of tic building, but few Of lie
structures erected by II were intended for per-
mancnt use; and now that Its vast aud press
lrg necessities for housing men and things
hnve Passed away, many Of these temporary
n1akcshtfts will no doubt be tom down.
Where are the factories, the foundsics, the
machine shops, the ship yards, the store
houses, the Wholesale and retail palaces, that
Nr4E ~ clEuN up UQu make washington q
rival Of Baltimore and Philadelphia: The
population. to be sure, increased many tens
OF thousands hy the increased hosts or Gov
el nment employees gathcred here under the
c1Igcnctes Of the war. But the largest por-
ton oI these Aaye been discharged during the
last few months and !eft for other parts IN
search Of new employment. The material
greatness Of Washington, indeed, Is to come
Yet. if it ever will come It is true That tbs
periodical dangers the capital was exposed to
Curing the war by The successive 1nyn<ions Of
rebel armies, kept away much Of tie Northern
means and enterprise that might hare come
to The Capital for lncratiyc Investments
But It Is also true, that 10 make the place a
more pepuaons, thriving, go-ahcaa, business
W Of the adjacent districts OF Maryland and
Virginia with more energetic, Intelligent,
lhIiftT people Will first have to be fulfilled.
Whether this ever will bs, Is a que 5tton that
can hardly be answered at this tl1ne.
Finding The former attractions Of Washing
tcs-tlc marching battalions and martha! mu.
SIC IN the streets, and stunning arrays Of mill
tary cminences ia The lotcl-lobbies, crowds OF |
individuals OF more or less elegant leisure, |
ever ready to hear and tell some new thing, !
the countless editors of the Washington ani |
NorthcIn dailies, In short, nll tie p0mp md I
{. Of glorious war, passed away
i vas not easy for inc to hit upon any objects
Of interest, the contemplation OF which might
absorb some OF my idle time. I found bnt
!,so green spots in this desert Of tlullncss, one
,clcg the WeFz Military Commission and the
'tleF The Presidents ante-rooms.
wERz AND DAVIS.
updu the former the whole news-monscrtne
ilbe Of The Capital (and I discovered that,
lespite Of dots-tays and desperate dcartl OF
aluabie intelligence, II IL quite fully repre-
nth the voncity Of pack OF starving
solves. They spicd most savorr and plea.
ishl feast promising to last them for the rest
! the dry seastu. Their appetite, stimulated
y protracted fasting since the last scene ai
,ie y. Arsenal In The assassination tragedy, has
hey live in the blfssiul anticipation Of most
srceable surprise to them on the part of the
government. They indulge in nothing less |
han the joyful hope Of seeing the place OF the
snte of Andersonvil1e before the Commission
AIKEN by the arcai-traitor now Illuminating
rer the mutabiIity OF human affairs in hIs
nngeon at Fortress Monroe. Of course, they
aye no foundation for this eellpleasins sen.
alton, other than their own sur1niscs aad In
,fenees from certain supposed or seeming in
scauons. They have been accustomed 10 I
! Ithniny surprises BY the Independent mind
qualiy scosns their. Aattcry and deties Their
atrea. . req They deem him quite capable Of such
2 astounding corp, and consider it the pat
! WISDOM to be prepared for II. Ny real
nowlccsc OF the task Of the Commission |
,aora.s nnm ns 10. 10 On absolute nothing. What
ay morning In q most nncomlortably narrow
'canty opposite Wizards Hotel, On -Four
tent9 street. II Its tittings were 10 be retru- 4
NY heid N u, predict that the members Of
ne ne commission y, aud tho Professional attend.
orors Of Andersonvf!lc, If tic heated term
10 continue IN It's present intensity. !
TIE PRESIDENTS AyrE-Roou
A New York City friend, Of tho pl,iiosoplic /
'ntemplative order, once demonstrated 10
'e, 1hat in NIL this world there were no richer ]
eias lor the study Of human physioenomy
"a natnrc thAn the business rendezvous in |
ell street, and thc othe. tccn1ng channels | I
trade in money, and trade generally, IN tue ,
'nplre city. But there tstLc mirrors Of the
ul the faces Of the trading, speculatiu., I
'culating, lying and cheating multitude re-
ict only one Of the many human passions.
,servation and studies Of this kind in this
~ 1t ~ open to NIL that care to improve ! y
II Is offered in the Presidential nntc-foons q
the Willie House. :
remember well the fcasts of huu1or had I
gularly enjoyed in the executive lobby In i
e. spring OF 1861, when the rush or oillcc- s
cEers WIS at It's height, in the contemplation i
iheprotracted trials Of patience, hopes and | i
1rs, Joy or N1atl OF The claimants oI Presi. q
utlal tavors. Hence could not resist The | +
ulplat1on, On passing the White House yes n
ranv forenoon, Of looking once mort upoa II
e scene where then SOW human assurance i
II ambition; se1dshness and corruption; a
rhfstc1,ee and fmpadence flourish to such a b
ondeffn! degree And What did sec. The b
ctafe Of old, reproduced in its general fea-
Re res, hut varying strikfnglv cnoug gh in its de- +
!is. There were present about one hundred I,
1lvfduaIs Of both sexes, o: MI agea, ofevery c
NJ and station, In public and private lie. II
ICY hlled uncomtortahly not only the waiting
eM proper, out a!l The halls, and even the b
oms o. tue pr1vate sccrctaries- Tley stood o
sat u groups anu sins1y. There Werc Gen g.
us, Se5aiofs, Gosern"fs, and other dis nj
rulsQcu pcTeO12Ite, around WLQm the | C.