Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-12-11

washington, Dec. Jtn, 1858. W."
special Correspondence of the Baltimoro n
The Democratic Members OF Conur,.
give the Radicals ROpe-A BIun,s"
PropCsition-An Illustrative Eng
Washburnc thrown overheard bv '-.
Fort Lafayette-A Prison Inciden,
Brutal Commandant.
WAsHNToN, Dec. IL have great -.
faction in announcing the fact tho, t". ~
members of the Democratic and Gone Tue
tive party in Congress have resolved ~
they will not make fools of themseIHoH- A
the coming session of Congress. The No
bers generally argue thus The great Zen "l
pie of this great country have by a so, peo
vote invested certain men with the n"u
to do as they please. Very well, LET ~ poSeF
what they will do. Give them wide ron wee
Whenever called upon we shall conscaSS.s
ously vote upon propositions as tbsv r ~.
come up. Beyond this no RESPONSIVE nay
rests upon us, and we shall take care 81
20 impeachment is placed in the way Of ' wa;
trial of the policy of our opponents Cc :a5
save the mark y The word seems ~ 'Tu
$50 ahead who's afeard ?" ~
In the midst of this passive proprarr,.
hear threats of what would.be Lea,
intends to do. He proposes ostepsihly -
throw q notable firebrand into the RAD
party by cajoling Grant. He purposes .,
introduce bill repeating the Tenure
Office act. This, pleads he, will be nasso3
by the House, and rejected by the Sepata
We shall, thereby, get Grant, and witbor,
loss, and my paper will be placed in a "a
sition whereby profits will ensue, 4.
the same time, by creating feud between
Grant and Congress, the Democratic partv
will rend the Radicals asunder.
Jhls Is O very adroit movement. Bu
being trumpeted beforehand, is not likeIy
to succeed, as l have reason to believe tbs
leading Radicals are not downright fonls
to the extent OF refusing to avail them
selves of the plumbers OF their opponents
What if the motion of the honorable mem.
Der from New York should be not ONLY on.
tertained by the House, but acceded to Ly
the Senate, under the pressure of Demo.
cratic influences ? Would not the member
be in the condition of the cat under tba
mesmeric influence of the monkey which
drew out the chestnuts, unmindful of its
own claws
In the meantime, | think it necessary
to apprise your readers, as legitimate re.
suit of "non-intervention in things
which don't concern us, that most int.
mate radical relationship has been burst
asunder by means entirely outside of toady-
ism on the part of Democratic statesmen.
Contrary to all expectation, the Man Fri
day of Grant has suddenly been thrown
overheard. Mr.. Washburne, rotwith.
standing what Yates may say, is now
scarcely upon speaking terms with the
looming man." Some attribute this dire
catastrophe primarily to Donnelly's in.
fuence, derived indirectly from the Fe.
man Brotherhood, others to the excessive
egotism and domineering demeanor OF
this second Warwick. Be all this as i,
may, Schenck has had sufficient power
to utterly demolish the pretentious de,
mands of the Illinois member.
Speaking of the catastrophe at Fort La.
fayette to-day, it was remarked by q sui
ferer that this was not the only memora-
BILE fire at that locality. The whole struc-
ture is, and has been for years, covered
with a shingle roof. When, in 1861, this
bastile was peopled by many honorable
gentlemen, confined there in violation Of
all law. human and divine, fire took
place near the magazine, which contained
tons of powder. 1t had become the custom
of the keepers to permit the prisoners for
certain hours during the day to go OUTSIDE
of their casemated quarters. Upon the Oc.
casion of the alarm of fire / refer to, they
were driven back at the point of the bay.
onet, and the keys of their cells turned
upon them by order Of Wood, who had
temporary command. I doubt if any act
of equal villainy can be found in all his
tory.