The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1868-04-16
Letter from Washington.
WASHINGTON, D. G., March, 1868.

history Of the nation was the need ol
wise and experienced Legislators in
Congress, more earnestly felt by all
classes than now. The question OF
the hour is impeachment, and every
loyal man must be proud and graft
fed that in the House of Represents
tives we're found men who in point Of
ability and legal learning could cope
with the ablest jurists of the land
and who if they shall not equal the
forensic displays Of Burke and Sheri-
dan which tradition has handed down
to us as models of eloquence, will sur.
pass all the celebrated counsel in pre-,
vious impeachment trials in their
sturdy resistance to executive usurpa,
tion, and their manly vindication oi
the peoples rights. There is no doubt
in the minds of sensible men that the
past intellectual and moral superiority
of the Republican party in Congress
is due to the good sense Of the people,
who, during our last years Of trial
have, with unerring instinct, retained
in their seats those good and faithful
servants who by their patriotism, their
Industry, and their experience, have
proved themselves competent to fill
their positions and honest in the dis
charge Of their duties. Before the
war the political preponderance Of the
South was chiefly due to the fact that
a man who had proved himself capa-
bic and faithful in public Office was
generally retained while in the
North the pernicious system of rota-
tiOn in Office almost universally pre-
vailed. Where would the Republican
party and the country be were it not
for such wise and experienced men as
Stevens, Bingham, Boutwell,, Wilson,
Kelly, Schenek and others Of that
ealibre2 Such men know "by heart
all the legislation of Congress for the
past ten years. During the rebellion
they were actuated by one common
impulse of patriotism and love Of free.
dom, whatever might have been their
differences Of opinion on minor points.
They have felt during all that time
the pulse of the people; and they
knew instinctively what course of
conduct their constituents desired.
Thousands of letters passing to and
fro keep them in constant communica-
tion with their constituents, with
tried, trusted friends, with the thought
ful, earnest farmer, with the devout
Christian, with the excitable and busy
merchant, and with the widows and
orphans of our fallen heroes. They
are truly the representatives of the
people. They represent their eonstit-
uents politically in all their Interests,
passions and aspirations. Men Of
this character are too valuable to be
lost, and none know their usefulness
so we'll as we who are daily witnesses
of their acts and doings in Washing
ton. None but those who have been
concerned with business in the De-
partments know what a positive luxu-
ry it is to have to do with q member
Of Congress who knows what he is
about, and who has some idea from
personal recollection of what logisla-
ton has taken place, and what policy
has been pursued by the Government
during the last seven years. But
there is a higher and better reason
why men learned and experienced in
the legislation of Congress should be
retained in places which they have
honOrably and usefulIy filed. We are
passing through the momentous crisis
of the life of the nation. We are at
the turning point Of our destiny.
Since the firing Of the first rebel gun
on Sumpter, the loyal men Of the ma
tion have beon actuated by one i'm
pulse-the love of freedom and their
country. Through all the terrible
sacrifices and hardships Of the rebel
lion the people have steadily advanced
in their education in political princi-
pies, and now they stand foremost in
the van of Liberty's guard. Their
representative men have gathered in
spiration and courage from the hearts
of the people, and in turn have glad
dened their constituents by their firm
and unhinching devotion to the prin-
ciples which they knew were dear
and sacred to their friends and neigh
bors at home. A nobIer band in no.
bier cause the world never saw gath
cred together. The action of the
present is inspired by the memories
and the experience Of the past. Mu-
tually encouraged and always conf
ding in each other, the people and
their trusted leaders have presented |
an unbroken front in their majestic
march toward the grand destiny of !
the American Republic. Prominent
among tho leading men in the House
has been the representative from the
9Th district Of Ohio, Hon. R. W..
Clarke. Ineed say nothing to you Of
his many valuable qualities both of !
head and heart, which have won for !
him the affection and esteem Of his
friends at home; but I may state
somewhat that know of his eficien-
cy as a member of the House. It is |
generally said that it takes at least
two terms for a new man, however
able he may be, to get the chang" of
the House. so that he can manage his