The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-11-20
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.

MOORE long ago called this tho City OF Mag
nifcent Distances If ho woro to revisit our
National Capital he would call it q city of mag
nifeent jobbing. ! do not know that there iB
more lobbying here than at other seats Of National
Governments, though it is fair to assume it, as
tho word itself is of natiyo American growth.
There may bc, doubtless ia, jobbing in other capi-
tails, but it is less matter Of public notorioty.
Washington is. q nero village as compared with
tho great Capitals Of Europe; and everybody soon
knows everybody's business
Before tho war oven there was much jobbing in
Congress. The public printing for years has boon
considered STAT" thing Building forts and ships,
getting contracts for furnishing rations, &c.. al-
ways attracted money-lovipg citizons from every
section Of tho Unicn. But oil is was mere chlds
play to the jobs arising out Of the war. Innumer-
able fortunes wore made out of oil sorts of con-
tracts. The nero Disturbing of so much grecn-
backs attracts vast numbors of cormorants to this
point. The public lands tho bounties, the Patent
Office, tho vast amount Of Government property of
every description, accumulated through tho four
years Of war, and now to bo disposed of, as we'll
as hundred othor considerations, al1 offer so
many Inducements for adventurous, speculators
and harpios of every sort to congrogato within tho
charmed precincts of tho capital.
The several departments employ armies of clerks,
and aspiring ladies, of STRONG minds and indiffer-
ent morals, crowd hither from for and wide, smil-
ing their sweetest, and bcsicging their s'inluen-
tinr' friends, till they overcome tho obduracy of
che most stolid N. c., and vacancy must DO cro-
ated, thoro bo none. It is said that this state of
things is not thom most conducive to healthy state
of morals. have not boon hero yet long enough
myself to be entitled to IN opinion, but if there is
any truth in old IAVATons facial theories, fully
endorse tho current opinion on this subject.
Everybody is on tho qui uiue for the approaching
session of Congress-. It is tho one great epoch of
Washington life. Remove the capital to morrow,
and the place will soon rovert to it's pristine con-
dition Of miasmatic desolation. Although tho
CITY has grown to very respectable aize in little
over half century, still tho wonder to mo is that
it has not made moro progress. Indians and buf-
faloes roamed over tho sites Of some of tho NAM
moth cities Of the West whom President MONROE
was holding his leyees here, and now they are
great centres Of population, commerce, manufac-
ture and oven Of culture, while Washington still
depends for it's very life on tho presence of the
Government and it's expensive machinery. The
population here still consists only Of tho various
attaches of Uncle Sans office, and the crowd of
proletarians. boarding and lodging house keepers,
and all the various other minister's to tho wants of
these officials. Government pap alone Keeps
Washington alive.
There is great anxiety here at present as to what
Congress- will do, and scarcely less as to what the
President. will do. There are numerous pro-
grammes laid down by tho partisans of tho rival
powers, and you cannot go my where without
hearing this momontous topic. s'Will the Presi-
dent back DOWN." "Will Congress impeach him?"
"Win tho Senate confirm tho Preshlent's appoint
ments2" "If there is radical President pro tenn
will all tho Department clerks be turned out2" etc.,
etc. I need not toll you that many wager is
pending On these issues.
Thore arc fow, if any, Members of Congress-
hero yet, but they have nearly all secured their
places of abode, and some Of them will soon be
coming in, particularly such as have Committee
work.
But will closo now. This is preliminary lot
ter. In my next shall try to give you somo news.
M. II. =.