The Portland daily press., 1866-03-20
Letter from the Federal Capital.
WASHINGTON. March IA 1oaf

To the Editor NJ the Press:
The week has nearly reached its close, bring
ing few remarkable or exciting events That
most nearly connected with the great question
now filling the public mind with an anxiety
painfully intense was the passage in the House
March 18th of the Civil Rights bill. The bill
passed the Senate on the second of February,
and during the long time it was pending in
the House, was the subject of patient, able
and earnest discussion. Some apprehensions
have of late been felt by its friends, which,
though very natural in the present state of at
fairs, have proved to be unnecessary. The
anne ldments made in the House do not seem
to affect the principle of the bill or to diminish
its efficiency. The first section, as amended
by the House provides as follows: 1T
"That all persons born in the United States
and not subject to any foreign power, exclud-
ing Indians, not taxed, are hereby declared tn
be citizens of the United States and such citi-
zens OF every race and color, without regard
to any previous condition Of slavery or inyol-
untary servltude, except as a punishment for
crime whereof the party shall have been duly
convicted, shall have the same right in every
state and Territory in the United States to
make anu enforce contracts, to sue, be parties,
ana give evidence, to inherit, purchase, lease,
sell, mold, and convey real and personal prop
erty, and to Iull and equal benefit of all laws
ana proceedings tor the security of person and
property, as is enjoyed by white citizens and
shan be subject to like punishment, pains, and
penalties, and to none other, any law, statute.
ordinance, regulation, Or custom, to the con-
trary Notwithstanding" e1i is ~s J. v.- 8
| This indicates clearly the spirit and scope OF
the bill A final section was added granting
an appeal in cases arising under the bill to the
Supreme Court of the United States,-section
five, being inconsistent with it, was stricken
out. The vote upon this bill, 100 to So, gives
evidence of firm and resolute purpose in the
minds of the Union majority of the House to
stand faithfully by those in their time ofneed,
who stood so nobly by us in ours. 1io7o1l
The bill came up in the Senate on Thursday
the 10th inst, when the House amendments
were promptly concurred in, without divi-
sion. 1t is most earnestly hoped-perhaps I
should rather say desired-that this act SO
just and right in principle, SO bene6cent and
salutary in its intended operation, may be-
come a law. % sge1y 1o 3'ii ri 7gW II
The army bill passed by the Senate on
the l4th inst. proposes to give US in time of
peace standing army of five. artillery, twelve
cavalry and fifty infantry regiments, the last
TO consist, exclusive of officers, of from five
hundred to one thousand men at the discretion
of the President, two OF the cavalry and eight
of the infantry regiments to consist of colored
troops. The aggregate of our peace establish
ment will be, according to this bill, from 35,-
600 to 10000 men. The House bin introduce
ed by Gen. Schenck, provides for an army of
seyenty-two regiments, FIVE artillery, twelve
cavalry and fifty-fve infantry, eight of which
are to be colored. Thus 1t seems likely that
in future we are to enjoy the expensive, and
somewhat monarchical luxury of consider
able standing army. a5 7i.i Hi'' 57sl- .''a
/. An act Of considerable interest to Maine.
people passed the Senate on the 18th inst, and
went to the President for approval this morn
ing. 1t provides: % ali59s i91i1F aidt 500!
@That The produce of the forests of the State
OF Maine upon the Saint John river and is
tributaries, owned by American citizens, and
sawed or hewed in the Province of New Brnus-
wick by American citizens, 1.-THE same being
unmanufactured in whole or in part) which
is now admitted into the ports of the United
states free OF duty, shall continue to be SO adj
'nIitted under such regulations as the Secretary
OF the Treasury shall from time to time pre-
scrlpe'1h 9AatH ,Goiiieol lei2iiio sia Gaa1 as9l
If approved it takes effect tomorrow. o5in
The mass oftestimony respecting the actual
condition of the rebellious States, taken by
".4N
the Committee of Fifteen and now being laid
before the country, must not only exonerate
that Committee from the charge Of unneces-
sary delay, but win go far toward shaping pub
Lie opinion upon the whole question of recon-
struction. No part of this evidence is more
interesting than the testimony of Hon. John
Covode. In his message of December IS, '65,
the President says: "Noreports from the hon
orabte John COUode haze been received by the
PRESIDENT Yet Mr.. Covode not only testi-
iies that he prepared a written report entitled
Louisiana politically considered" that he pre-
seated it to the President, together with doc
ulnents belonging to it, that he read part of it
to him, that at bis suggestion he filed the report
with its accompanying papers in the War Of
ice, from which it has mysteriously disappear
ed, but he gives in the course of his testimony
50 much OF the substance of the report as
makes us greatly regret its suppression
Speaking of the rebels at the close of the war
he 81 was surprised 10 find how docile
and submissive they were; !" they chad not the
remotest expectation ofbeing again entrusted
with political power and privileges, at least for
some time" When we contrast with this, the
state of feeling generally prevailing amongre-
constructed rebels to day, and reflect how and
why and by whom this change has come, can
we avoid feeling of profound humiliation in
view of the past, or of apprehension for the
future? ti.1 ~ t.l'sno51-i % hAa ah sedj
Il-I FL u3si bfH hnB .sEBl3 El51if sTt al
An acquaintance of mine, Doctor of Div
unity by the way, with quick powers of observ-
alton and a cool clelr judgement, who has
been travelling extensively in the South upon
business connected with his 1.-THE Baptist) de-
nomination writes from Selma, Ala, under
date Feb. Path: C. he hatred of Yankees in all
the South is intense. / have no trouble-keep
quiet-but Ihear you all id at Washing
ton forty times day." = l1-I3 ..is
We are just now enjoying reprieve from
rumors of Cabinet changes. or all Washing
ton rumors these are the most unreliable
No changes are now considered imminent, so
far as can learn, though what is in the flu
ture no man can predict with any certainty
The developments of the next few DAYS are
looked for anxiously. If they correspond po-
liticaily with those at the North, we shall then
look forward to brighter days. u.s. ID
The Fenian movement has not, affected this
city in any considerable degree, until quite re-
Gently. OF late there have been some demon
STATIONS here At one of them Senator Nc
Dousall spoke. Ii he addressed the gallant
sons OF the green isle in the same physical and
spiritual condition in which he frequently ha-