The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-01-05
Our Washington Letter.
IrnoM OUR SPECIAL CONSEQUENTLY

WASHINGTON, MONDAY, December S1.-The last
day Of tho old year sixty-six hns mantled itself
with snow, and old Father Time has his retreat
sounded in q chorus Of sleigh bells. This is the
first snow of the season, and a most extraordinary
fall within the memory of half dozen seasons.
Washington woke up to-day and found the sleigh
ing primo but had no faith in remaining; henco
ha.f the day went by before the first horse and
cutter appeared upon the Avenue; but this after-
noon tho town is wild over runners and bells, and
everything available is brought out. Twenty dol
lars per hour is the moderate sum charged by the
hiring stables for tho use of their sleghing turn
outs-a sum SO considerable for young, spendthrlft
Department Clerks working at $1,000 per annum,
and OF whom many ore among the caValcade, That
it will be hard work keeping uider the twinges OF
conscience, even while they handle the reins most
deity.
You see that General Sherman is in no hurry
about getting to Washington to report on Mexican
mattors, and makes himself as comfortable at st.
Louis as though stationed there in retiracy. Tho
fact is Just what intimated in one Of my previ-
GUS letters to The NEWS, that the whrle mission
turnsd out such broad, indubitable s'sell" that
h projectors and executors are each IN tltt at
,c other for having had anything to do with it.
Tho President is mad, and Seward gr0Wls ntm-
ually to himself. Meantime Campbell, tho duly
accr edited United States Minister to the Republic
of Mexico, takes the brunt Of the general iu-hu-
patch from the State Department, which bids him
seek for the mythical republic to which he ls ac-
credited, until he finds some yestlge or lts lie or
undeniablo demise.
to the Capitol on the wings of the wind, as he is
the most aggravated OF them all. private letter,
written to hs brother, Senator Sherman, indicates
his ntonse disgust with: the whole affair ana nus
intention OF forever washing his hands OF Similar
service in future. The fiery temper OF the Gene
raj could not brook the system Of triflng and de-
ception that was practiced upon him In bus fruit
less chase after Juarez, and heis PreJudced to
All extent that causes him to regard the natives
as wholly irrecainablc and unit for sei.Sosern. & ,
at all to the Capitol on this business. Tho Coy
ernment has no wish to rouse Sherman's wrath,
and will, therefore, let things rest for bit The
only thing thHt can mar 30 peaceful solutlon Oh
the difficulty would be Congressional resoiuSion M
of inquiry into the mission Of Campbell and sher-
man, and the data Of tho expedition. The whole
affair is OF so delicate nature. and palpably embar-
rassing to the President and MIR. Seward, that the
Radicals will hardly lose mornon inlts Introduc-
ton immediately alter ehc resumption OF the ses-
sion In this event tterc will be very pretty ket-
tie of fish, which will got itself into very hot water
the moment Sherman throws In his report OF ope-
rations on The Rio Grandc.
1t appears that tho grand mass welcome to Con-
cress, which signaliZed tle proceedings OF the
first dny of the session. is destined TO live ana pc
come IN object OF litigation. The keeper OF
local restaurant had boon engaged by the mana
gers Of the welcome" to furnish banquet Tor
twenty-five hundred dollars, and under such con-
tracts wore tho edblcs produced to regae the cadl-
cal stomach. The caterer has since made every
effort to get the sum promised or discount, put
always with future. Now he goes TO the lew, put
able to extract twenty-five hundred dollars out of
score or two Of clerks to Congressional commit
tees, who have nothing but their four dollars per
diem during the session, and have 30 sum hola
on that, that they find itsneceasary to get up a
grand feed for their returning masters, ln order
that they may hold the clerkBhips mere securely.
Thoy have had some very sharp diplomatic play
over at Paris Our Minister and the french 10y
crn1n ent-A-if VIC may believe Mr!. Stewards "shad-
ows," and they are the only sources rom Whieh
news can be extracted in the State Department.
That famous dispatch of old Stewards, IN which ne
notified Louis n that ''next spring. wouldn't do
for the departure of the Franco-Mexiean army,
while his imperial promise remained ON record TO
French Government, which Immediately returned
it in a huff, with a complaint at its gross IAN
fuage" The French Minister Of Fo..lgn Affairs
finally did receive the dspntch in question, but the
moment ho ascertaincd that Mstan5ras mad Deeh
occupied by Gen. Sedgwick. up Won't Napoleons
minister's hands in rage, and back came the gross
and its parchment, to Minister BlgeloW,
who has had to retain the custody of it from that
time. This is the reason that the PARIS Monlteur,
and other Parisian journals swear that theT gov.
Indicated, because, in the theory Of diplomacy,
that which it refuses to entertain on paper ana
returns TO tho party or government 9snnR sucn
consideration, is wholly unknown to it, and may
be ignored, though every ine was conned previous
to its return.
With tho festivities of tomorrow, New Years,
will open the gay season in the capita-that Is 70
say, nionainaHy ,open the gay season. Inc In esgi.
Of not having gay or mirthtul seasons and outside
the stupid weekly receptions of the Cabinet Minis,
tcrs that will last nearly up to the beginning OF
Lent, and the regular fortmghtly crushes st tho
Presidential mansion, We are pretty tolerably Ger r.
social iolIty, such as used to ,comport with the
dignity Of The oden time In the way Syears Of sm"ss
starring Jo. Jefferson, and the other Frank Cham
frau, arc taking NIL tho spare change there is lott
in the town, which isn't much, since Ristorl and
her tremendous charges fitted mercifully from us.
In a few days more comes Max Maretzek with his
Italian opera. Washington has great attectatlon
for opera, and particularly italian: Tho impress
safio WIZ 'AN' ''A' 'o'' N.'''' ",' - yIDEX.