New-York tribune., 1866-12-06
table by vote Of as Yea. to SO Nays The caucus thoa
WELCOME TO CONGRESS.

From Our Special Correspondent
WASHINGTON d. c., Dee 4, 1856
NewYork is distant from here about threequaters Of
day by mall three-quarters Of second by telegraph.
The question which have been considering, and have not
yet settled TO my satisfaction is whether my aggard pen
can send through the laggard mall far asem Of the
lightning any word that win be worth printing when 1t
reaches your Office Yesterdays daily is unsayoy as
last weeks pancakes and newspaper letter IN these high
pressure times q glass of champagne; doubt If mne
carries its " bead" 10 NewYork. But yesterday was
day full Of national significance and the open sieve OF the
telegraph, which aSpires only TO catch the most bulky
facts, has perhaps left some morses that VIII pay Tor
cleaning.
The "grand welcome" to Congress came nearer being
entire than many of the friends of Congress
anticipated Some felt that such demonstration would
be rather thearca many more saw that 1t was entirely
superAuous. The thought was patriotic one, OF
course but the attempt to emphasize the enthusiastic
verdict Of twenty millions Of people, IN city where two
thirds are Rebel mourDers and nnetcnths Johnsonans,
considered sublimely absurd Several of the most
prominent and judieous embers Of both Houses dePe-
Gated the movement and declined 10 participate In H..
But the young who had IL in hand were not to be
talked down. 80 the demonstration came on-and went
oyesteray with much real interest 10 those who f0i-
lowed it from first to last-excepng, possibly the pro
jectors who wake up this morning to md themselves
81 900 behindi
Before II o'clock the avenues and streets leading City
IIawarl thronged with companies Of whites and
countless crowds Of blacks eager take their places IN
the procession II soon formed, 5000 strong com
posed chiefly fourfths, should say, of negroes They
marched and countermaTcbed, by snuous and angular
ways, through all parts of the city, or whites IN line
there the southern Republican Association composed
Of loyal and refugees from every Southern State; the
Soldiers and Sailors Union, bearing appropriate banners
the Baltimore Republican City Council and the German
Radical Lincoln Club OF blacks there we're the Colored
Soldiers and Sailors Union, bearing aoft their tatteed
aags inscribed with Petersburg Fort Wagner, Fort Phi
low, Port Hudson, &c; the C0Ored Union Leagues oi
Washington making aine appearance the Colored Lncoll
Association; the Sumner Councils the Lincoln Zouayei
DAfnque of Baltimore, IN very picturesque uniform
bearing arms and ags and many hundred civilians. lht
negroes Of the capital seemed, by common consent, 70
make holiday Of il, they DO Of their Emancipation
Anniversary. They crowded the sidewalks, invaded the
streets and swarmed like ocks Of noisy baCkbirds upOa
all The balconies and fences. IL was gaia day ne
men conducted themseyes with studied eircumspecion.
the dressed their gaudost the children were OF
m an the glory Of yellow frocks and red feathers.
The Marine Band-thc Dodworh Band OF Washington
had contemptuonsy refused 10 lead the procession be-
cause there we're "nggcTs" In H. vhefeupon the "nir
gcr turned out three fall brass bands Of their ouf,
whose performance highly crediiable They played
all the patriotic and anti-SaYey ans gih excellent taste
large party had assembled Ia front Of the White House
thinking that perhaps the Gcdulous and obsequiou5
darkeys would again pay Their respects 70 Ills Accdenc
but they we're mistaken. The freedmen gave Pharaoh 10
opportunity 20 tell them how he loved them, and how le
desired 10 play the r6, Of Noses They we're doubtless
watched however nom an upper WIDOW as they swgis
around the circle by that great and good man who has
been Alderman, aud Asscmbyman, and Congressman,
and Tailor and President and the cup Of whose anbiuo
is alleged 10 be fun
that Col Hinton President Of he Republican Assocatt
here sudscousy madca wntien request on OIL the hch
of Departments for permission for tLer clerks Ia JON
the demonstration He was somevbat surprised At secro
tary McCulochs giving bis clerks haih0lday for the
purpose. Seward also responded myumby-aficr the pro-
had reached The Capitol BrOw ming refused BE
siration. About forty Treasury clerks TUNED out, u
only eleven had the courage 10 accompany the process
back.
Al the East front Of the Capitol 200 people had assa.
blcd-mosty negroes. IL was sight 10 see Every bluh
face was Iadiant and every voice eloquent With Joy s
choefsl The negroes never Fro tHrcf checfs thel e.
pIcfs their approval IN Wild broken ~ IN flsft 70
Dc ioiioWcd NJ an indcnntcTunirr a. uaes from tss
Ten. according 10 the fretng Aausf -srfy ftA
tence Of thcsbcechcs0f Mcr faI Cartier Kelley and
Yates greeted with aA enthusiastic shout Perhaps
tie shouts not always discriminating but - TO be
remarked that Instead OF being intended ior definite AZ
Ifoval of particular sentiments those cheers might be
pretty accurately translated thns You have made us
Tec; Y0u have given us our wives and children; You
Tor your The occasion was thoroughly dm-
matte and found that could stand Il 10 Dee eboged and
10 have my tender toes oddcn on by pouderos ncgos
with eomp0surc yesterday than ycTbcioc Perhaps
they we're rather ottusiyc and then, ~ crOgdilg
into the very best places along the maT5e porico' but
they have been Toddcn on so long and ~ recently
that IL surprising that they should instiuctvey
assert their new privileges with something like Osiena-
ton. Perhaps tie black marsAa AID their aids, on their
gaily capansOucd milk white hoes, did put airs 30
a slightly percepiihc extent but good saddle on hand
hOTse always makes Wh4tc man Yainand thls vas
afsuredy a meeting Of the friends Of "cqual nghtsw
What q contrast 10 those VINO knew Warrington hebue
the war How could standing there fail 20 remember
the shackes and whips; the infants sold under the
shadows Of the capitol; the dIcary, dismal wrctched
slayepen Of Washington now turned into conservatory,
and aboom with all the goncs OF the nora hngdomi the
filthy slayeauctOn corral Of Alexandria, nov renewed ald
become busy school for freedmen the bright Autumn
morning Of 1863 when Burnsdes black corps filed down
FouTeenthstthousands Of negro soldiers with banngs
and bayOneis flashing u the SUD going eagerly forth %
battle for nation that had done nothing but OPprcs
them and that even then declined 10 pay them, and r.
ffsft a.
due 20 prisoners Of waT. "Mhat hath God wrought
Tie speeches were Of high order. Judge Cauc-s
address Of welcome though bnc was appropriate earnest
and eloquent aud Speaker CoiaXs response was dlfv
and uucOmpTOmlsng These you have published but you
cannot convey to your readers an idea OF the enthusiasm
with which they received, and which tho hopet
blacks bore back up the avenue with them.
THE BANQUET
The supper 10 Congress ~ the evening given IN le
ba.ke structure a. the foot Of scyenth.s erected br
tie Sanitary Fair long ago. You have published most Of
tho specches aud need not repeat them. The immense
building elaboTately and tasteiuy dec0rated SIs
pended from the roof were the flags Of the United States
Mexico Chill and Switzerland the German flag OF lbcry,
the tr-cOloT and magnificent Fenan ag. The last
the conspicuous being Of heavy green silk, borderd
with gold fringe, and having one side the sunbunrt
and on the other the harp Of Elm, gOrgeOusly en-
blaZOncd. EyeTgreens we're icstOOned about tie
hall Back Of the spacious platform was arranged
table describing an are, back Of which, and on he
cOucave side sat the Chairman and assistants In fTpt
Of the platform a straight abe-a chord 10 the
assigned 10 the reporter, and from this extended fire
tables down the hall, capable 0f seating bDj guests
Tho most cOnspIcuo1s OF thcdecOaors nn arrange
mcnt of staucttes, representing Emancipation dspard
back e and above the Chairman. This VS. Tie plaster
OfpHns model Of muTbo cOup relieved upon uilll-
tuTc eHabauTe and icze, dcsig,d the pedmc Of dc
Senate wing Of the Capitol, companion piece 10 tue P0
gres Of Civilization, which already adorns the south wig
The central figure is the Genius OF America represented
by winged female figure clad in ETHEREAL garment AID
robed in the revolutionary flag Under her advanced ot
is a crushed crown the emblem Of her birth. swords
suspended from her waist, and heT brow is wroat
al
state are sreWn cmblems Of the aud sciences In
her left hand she holds the broken shAckles She stAs
amid the graves Of the martyrs and is directly tie
side Of tomb cenotaphic TO Mr.. Lincoln the guardanof
the slain loyaiss. Her attention is directed to tbs bOd
men at her right as though in Proclamation Of free
dom. In this direction young athletic negro and |