Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1866-03-14
Sights About the Capitol.
from DE Lynehburg Yirginian


Having a few leisure hours in Washington, one
day last week, we devoted them to a stroll through
the Capitol now of the most magnificent build
ings in the world.
One of the first gentlemen we met in the rOtnnda
was Mr. Douglass" who was making his accus-
toned visit TO the halls of legislation. We had
never seen - Fred" nor ever read description OF
his person. but felt sure that it was no /" common
Niger" we saw, and must be MIR. Douglass. "
He is "A stout well built man, with long grey hair
combed behind his ears; dresses in neat suit Of
black, with silver shoe buckles sports handsome
cane-gold- headed doubtless; wears a high cloth
cap with heavy roll of fur about six inches broad
around it, and seems TO have, the lriShman would
say, "a good cOHyGte of himself" Fred Is not a
"nigger," but, Judging from his complexion, we
should say that he Is about twothlrdS white. Fred
has Inherited his ambition from the AnglOSaAon-
not the negro race. He comes by it lawfully. and
is, intellectually, much above the race OF which he
is paraded as a fan type. The admiNture OF blood,
with good natural endOwments, has made him what
he is. Fred is not a full-blOOded negro. Let that
be remembered.
We stepped into the Supreme Court room, (the old
Senate Chamber few moments. where all was Or
DERBY aud quiet of yOre. Within the bar sat
Judge" Underwood, of Virginia, "a spectator OF
counsel William 4. Graham of North Carolina, and
the great bottled of Fort Fisher nOtOrety. We
took a good look at old Ben and felt that nature
had depicted his character in his face. 1t Is the
most villainous we ever behed. Such a compound
of meanness and malignity was never more accu'
rately portrayed in physiognomy that has not one
redeeming feature about it. Blear-eyed, hook
nosed. and with great fabby jaws, he sat the i'm
personation OF all that is vile. No man sat neal
him. for the instincts of honor and true mannes;
forbade IT, ,
We passed through the splendid corridors leading
10 the Senate-the magnificent room OF the Presl
dent-the marble chamber on the same tioor-and
assembled to the gallery of the Senate Chamber
Mr. Salisbury of Delaware, speaking, anu IN
the course of his remarks referred to the " sable
friends" of the Vice-Presdent, whose shadow:
darken this chamber every day." We turned invol
unfairly in the direction to which he pointed, and
sure enough. there were hundreds of American
citizens of African descent" lazily loungng about
in seats where we had never them before. Some
of them were genteely dressed, but many otheE
presented a very unseemly appearance, and sug'
gested the thought that they might have been much
better employed in useful labor to enable them 10
procure habliments suited to the place and to the
new positiOn as freedmen"
Vending our way to the Hall of the Representa-
tives and ascending TO the gallery, we looked down
upon the busy crowd below. They seemed to be doing
something but we could not tell what We saw,
but heard nothing save confused murmur of hoarse
discordant notes proceeding from the many voices
below How the reporters manage to find out what
is going on the Lord only knows. They pust exer-
else their Imagination and guess at great deal,