The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-17
LATEST WASHINGTON NEWS.
ATTEMPTED SUICIDE OF A NAVY
YARD OFFICER.
A Pretty Waiter Girl in the Business.
LETTER FROM GEN. POPE.
His Opinion of PardOned Rebels.
Etc, Etc, Etc, Etc, Etc, Etc.
A Pretty Waiter Girl in the Business.
LETTER FROM GEN. POPE.
His Opinion of PardOned Rebels.
Etc. Etc, Eto., Etc, Etc, Etc.

IsPECIAL DBsPAToH TO EVENING TELEGRAPH.
WASHINGTON, August IL.
Colonel Witherow, OF the COmmodore's office
at the Navy Yard, attempted to commit suicide
at the Howard House last night by taking
laudansum, in consequence of having been
Tilted by pretty waiter girl at the Metropolitan
Hall Concert Saloon.
General Grant this morning received letter
from General Pope, enclosing speech made at
Atlanta Georgia, by B. H. Hill, of Georgia, late
Senator in the Rebel Congress. Hill, only a
few weeks since, was pardoned by the Pres-
dent, and, in common with almost every par
doned Rebel, this is the use he makes of the
clemency of the Government.
General Pope says it can be readily seen from
the speech itself, the character of the man, who
is the representative of a large class, and the
hopelessness of any satisfactory reconstruction
of the Southern States while such men retain
influence. General Pope says 1t would not be
difficult to find in the violent speeches of such
men abundant cause for silencing them, but re-
construction accomplished in that manner would
be no index OF the public sentiment, and might,
and probably would, result after a year or
two, in relapse of the people into the same
condition of bondage to these leaders, which
would lead necessarily to reproduction of the
same condition of things which demanded the
passage of the Reconstruction acts 1t is better
that the battle should be fought out now, and
openly. In consequence of the distTanChise-
ment of the leading Rebels the people are
relieved from the incubus of the old political
leaders, and forced to think for themselves.
These disfranchised persons include generally
the whole army of those who now hold or have
hitherto held Office With few exceptions, all these
persons were active Rebels, and are bitterly
opposed to reconstruction under the acts OF
Congress: opposed, in fact, to any reconstruction
whatever except such as would leave them in
precisely the same political condition as if
there had been no rebellion and no war. Even
such reconstruction as this they would only
accept as a necessity of the situation, with the
purpose to renew in Congress, and per-
petuate among themselves as nearly as
possible, the same conditions which existed
before the war. General Pope is confident that
reconstruction will be satisfactorily accom-
plished in this district, in spite of the open and
active opposition of the disloyal reactionlsts.
Alabama will give not less than ten thousand
majority OF white votes for reconstruction, and
Georgia will give white majority in the same di-
recton. Not less than three-fourths ofthe colored
vote in each of these States will be cast for re-
construction. The same remarks are substan.
tally true OF Florida. 1t is, however, his duty
to state, in his judgment, the condition of affairs
in the Southern States, even should reconstruc.
ton be satisfactorily accomplished will of
necessity DE reproduction, IN a more or less
modified degree Of what now exists in
Tennessee, unless some measures are adopted to
free the country of the turbulent and disloyal
leaders of the reactionary party. Whilst these
persons remain in the country to exercise the
Danelul influence 'ney unuouoteuly possess,
there can be no peace He believes that in
Florida and Alabama the dancer from
this cause is less than in Georgia. but
in all these States there is so much danger
OF the disorder and violence which mark
the daily history of Tennessee, that it would
seem wise to adopt whatever measures are prac-
ticable to remove from the States in process of
| reconstruction the causes which now endanger
| loyal government in Tennessee.
+. d. Plumb, Secretary of the Mexican Lega-
| ton, will leave Washington next week for his
destination. He will act as Charge d'Affaires as
well as Secretary of Legation at Mexico.
President johnson will visit the Schutzenfest
| in Baltimore on Thursday next.