The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-02-25
From nm osoa.ion.i Correspondent.

| EDITORS EHEN1x: An interval OF leisure
in the midst Of pressing business duties,
allows me to gossip with your readers q!
little while about mon and things in the
national metropolis. During the past tent
days, have from time to time been observ-s
| ing, with admiring eyes, the colossal pro-
portions and agile performances Of the
| great back elephant now on exhibition daily
at the Capitol, under tho special charge Of
Messrs. Sumner and Wilson, with their
assistant ring-masters. It is good show.l
| and cheap one, too, and no unfair dis!l
| examinations are made in it against the
Caucasian race, as in the shows before the
war, when colored persons were admitted
for halt price. Here, all are equal. Jonas
than and Cuffee, and Jonathan's lady and
Cuffee's lady, sit side by side in the samt
| gallery, and the. great American eagle
| (once said to be of the grey species. bu
! now, moulting his feathers and coming ou
black looks down and spreads his wing
as:Rproysngly over the happy display q
| in the Senate Chamber, few days since
| listening to the able and brilliant argumen
| OF Reverdy johnson against tho proposed
amendment of the Constitution, and cu
| rlosity led me to observe its effect upon thu
L1dHy hucTlCdH ClClZeuS OF african DE-
scent who thronged the galleries. Oven
come, either by the eloquent utterances q
| the speaker or the somnolent influences d
| the warm atmosphere and comfortable
! cushions which they were enjoying, they
| were, for the most part, profoundly asleep,
and dreaming probably of the past joys Of
the corn-shucking or the Saturday night
frolIc; for evidently most Of them were Of
recent importation fromAthe corn-field.
Bancroft's commemorative Grafton on the
| late President Lincoln was one of the great
events of the past week. Not having been
vitation, was ''outside in the cold" and
can give no description of the occasion
understand that the Representative Hall
| was densely crowded: indeed, many who
had tickets of admission, found that, like
the Southern members, they had only the
else that right The grafton was sold
through the streets, at ten cents per copy,
| before its delivery commenced, and many
thousands were reading it at their fire sides
whilst it was being delivered by the orator.
1t Is, OF course, an able and well-written
! Grafton, for it could not otherwise be the
! production of the pen Of Mr.. Bancroft; but
1T is very much like the play of Hamlet,
| with the character OF Hamlet left out It
has less of Mr.. Lincoln than Of anything
else in it. Several of the foreign Ministers
have taken offence at its disparaging allu-
II,
The English Minister left at its close with
out speaking to AIr. Bancroft, and subse-
quently withdrew al acceptance Of an in
vltation to dinner, when he learned that it
was to be given in honor Of Mr.. B. The
Austrian Minister called on Mr.. Seward
and expressed his dissatisfaction, but OBJ
tanning no concession, left in an i'll humor
And the Minister of the Mexican Republic,
having forgotten his card of invitation,
and being refused admittance without it,
got mad and went home. What muss!
1t IS very pretty quarrel as it stands, and
so will leave it.
Mi. bancroft's oratiol is conservative, so
far as he expresses himself relative to poll
tics, and l heard him say to Governor
Perry, at the Presidents reception, ON
Tuesday night, 'I want all the people in
South Carolina to understand, that whilst
have been in favor Of abolition, vet I am
utterly opposed to confiscation or any other
harsh measures against the South, and
desire earnestly the immediate admission
of the Southern Senators and members,
and the full restoration Of the Southern
States to the Union"
Governor Perry has been here for some
time, closing up the affairs of his Provi-
sional Governorship. He has placed his
credentials in the hands of Senator Rever-
dy johnson for presentation, He expects
to leave for home in few days, but I
learned from Judge Patterson to-day that
the Governor will be summoned to appear
before the Reconstruction Committee on
Monday, and will probably be kept here
for some days on that account. A most
able and we'll written article on reconstruc
ton appeared over his signature in this
mornings IntelL9ence,, and has been the
subject, to-day, OF many very compliment
airy remarks by conservative men, as well
from the North as the South.
General Robert E. Lee arrived here last
night, having been summoned to testify
prt, 1efIn II
presence creates quite sensation, and the
highest regard Is expressed for the great
and glorious man, who so well deserved
though he could not achieve, success.
Fred. Douglas lectured in one of the
Presbyterian Churches here on Tuesday
night, on assassination and its lessons -
to q crowded audience. Chief Justice
Chase, and Judges Kelly and W;lmot (he
OF the proviso) graced the occasion with
their presence, and assisted in the cere-
monies Of the evening-De gustibus non
y est, &c The affair is Understood to have
significance and endorsement to the late
impertinont visit of Fred. and some other
darkies to President Johnson. or to console
Fred. for the utter failure Of his attempt
to worry the President, and for the genteel
rebuff which he received at his hands
The President has been heard to say, that
- his patience and temper were never 20 Sc
yerely tried as upon this occasion. Those
present, speak in high terms Of the excel
lent command over himself which he mani
tested, and the ability with which he foiled
the purposes of those whose cats-paws the
delegation were. The lecture has had the
unfortunate effect of dividing, and may
destroy the church in whose house Of
worship, by consent of the pastor, but not
; of his people. it was delivered A gentle-
man told me that one member had already
left the church, whose annual contribu-
tions was over 81 900.