The national Republican., 1869-01-08

Inc COmUluNNlOu UOulu not nave advertised
its prospective remarkable value so effectusiiy
In any other way than az they have done. That
is, by evincing suohluervous anxiety to strsnglc
the projects ere they are fairly born.
sHxRNAs's aRRAr sPREoH.
Senator Shermsn's great speech on the sub
ject, delivered yesterday, will go far to open
the eyes OF the country to the authority OF
Congress TO grant charters, and to the neces.
sity Tor the prompt construction OF these roads,
for he demonstrates with conclusive force that
nowhere In settled and developed portions oil
the country are the railroad facilities OF the
past decade sufficient for the legitimate de.
mands OF the travel sud business Of the coming
decade,
The whisky ring are around the lobbies to
DAY In even greater force than the railroad
ring. That is, the number Of its represents
tives around them is greateri though In intel.
lectual force, business influence, and power of
combustion to Influence memb ers and Sena-
tors, except through direct bribery, (if It dares
essay that expedient,) 1t 10 a far weaker com.
bination.
THEIR CURRENT scHRNR-wHAr nIri
can hardly realize that, as alleged, II 10
engaged In urging the restoration Of the tax
on whisky to t2 per gallon, as the current duty
OF 90 cents IL producing so much more net rev.
enue. and as It 10 clear that when Grant turns
out the thieves from internal revenue ofices
the amount Of revenue collected from whisky a.
the present 90 cents tax will be doubled In q
single year. They have possibly some honey.
Juggling scheme on foot designed to defeat the
collection Of the tax and raise its price In the
market without nominslly raising the tax;
the nature and operation Of which no outsider
will know unless they succeed In fastening II
on this sessions legiSlstion, which Is not prob
able. It 10 stated by not few that they are
urging Individual members Of Congress AM
| the chronic Congressional drummers around
Washington to buy whisky now aud go In TO-
restoring the "a per gallon duty, and the ex
emption from the tax OF all whisky now o.
hand. This they are said to term a "legiti
mate transaction" by way of overcoming the
seruples of members. l think can safely
assure your readers that they are destined to
| be defeated on all the points they make this
winter, unless more than half Congress are
open 10 brides. Being no believer In that fac
! judge their day has passed and gone.
BOGUS OPINIONS OF GRANT ON MEN.
Among the men Of the press In Washington.
the revelations OF Grants alleged views Of
men and things, printed In the New York
Worlds Washington correspondence, are re-
garded as the best joke OF the season; 1t being
pretty clearly asoertained here that they are
written In New York, and printed as Wash.
ingtou correspondence merely by way OF Al.
tracting attention to and getting public ere
dence for them.
Your readers may rely on 1t there 10 nU
foundation for them whatever. On the a.
pearance of the Arst OF these bogus revelA
tions, General Grant took occasion to de-
nounce their lack Of foundNtion, and to ex.
press any other than = complimentary opinion
"fthe Worlds integrity In publishing them.
SENATE CAUCUS.
The Republicans NJ the Senate were In eau
Gus this forenoon upon the subject Of the orhe
OF business TO be disposed Of learn that no
dehnite conclusion was arrived at. The trutl
Is each Senator Is probably anxious to hav,
the business to come before the body so Al
ranged as surely to embrace the considerable.
Of bills and resolutions of which he himsel
has charge, or about which he Is particular
solicitous. Hence difficulties arise in Undue
ing a caucus to give precedence even to tn
most urgent public bills.
JOHN MINOR BoTTs.
I learn from the vicinity of the residence q
Mr.. John Minor Boots, of Virginia, that he
so extremely III as that those surrounding hit
entertain no hope OF his recovery. He h.
been "bresking up" at rapid rate for yes
past His principal affection for the past fou
months Is understood to have been gout.