The national Republican., 1869-02-19
oar wa.hi.sse. Correspondence.
Pss.yAsr 10. iss.

rHE DEPARTMENTAL STATIONERY CONTRACTS |
BILL. |
An effort Is being nassto form > coubi>a-
ton TO defeat the In n Mr. Ella Of Nv
Hampshire, 10 chassc nc Astho1 Of A.
ing out and execusipg eout1kcts for Sep-
plying the Executive DEPARTMENT With
stationery, &c. The country known, through
the late report Of the House Printing Com
mittee and the debate on MT. Elias bill, what
the present system is. lido not think the bill Of
Mr.. Ria can be beaten before the Senate. Ger.
tainly not eIcep, through adrolt management,
by which II may be stunned out Of the way
long enough TO prevent NJ due confederation
In the Senate chamber In time to get back to
the House for ts concurrence az amended)
ere the session ends.
TIE cABrNEr PUZZLE.
Men here talk Of little else to-day save the
probable construction Of the cabinet, con-
cernlng which no one actually knoss more
than on yesterday or the day beforcs While
all admit the force Of Granite reasons for
Withholding from all information concern
ing tho details Of his views on the subject,
most persons In public life seem ncttied be.
cause not being able to ascertain anything
definite on the subject. This state OF uncer-
tainty is deemed to foreshadow great linds-
pendenee on Grants part In tho matter OF
making all his appointments.
MANY TO BE DIsoRuNTIAp.
mr. nauran kh.t ltns nf crS-aunt L. prosi
dent will prove distastefui topnblic men who
may wish appointments made at their sug-
gostion for their own and their immediate
friends benefit. As little as Is yet said
openly upon the subject, ID Is clear that
large number OF gentlemen feel not little
sore upon Il.
THE COUNTRY WILL ENDORSE oRAsfs
POLICY OF APPOINTMENTS.
The country at large, however, will have
little sympathy with them. II has seen the
public service become gradually more aud
more corrupted, IL matters not what party
might be in power; and II has credited the
practice Of making appointments to gratify
those who would thus pay of debts for po-
litlcal services rendered to themselves with
the responsibility of this growing evil. Il is
not too much to say that when II becomes
apparent TO all that appointments are being
made by the President wholly In the interest
Of honesty, capacity and fidelity in the dis
charge Of public trusts, the public will breathe
frcer than heretofore. None would cry over
the change but those who seek appointments
for others to pay what they individually owe
those whom they press on the Executive for
office.
WHAT IT Is EXPECTED TO BE.
While there can be little doubt that Grant
will listen attentIvely to Misrepresentation
OF the representatives Of the people In such
matters, it is equally clear that their recon-
mendntions will be weighed in the balance
Of the interest Of the public service In com.
mon with the recommendations Of everybody
else; the preference being given In all cases
to the applicants most likely to discharge tn,
duties of the places they seek to most adyar
tage OF the several trusts they aspire to dis
charge.
THE MILITARY OFFICERS TO ne DIsCHAR0BD
II Congress passes the pending bill to de
crease the army, which proposes to throw
out of the service many officers who enlisted
under an implied contract with the Govern
ment that their connections with the service
was to be for life, II faithfully discharging
their duties, 1t strikes me that General Grant
will be likely to provide for every man oi
them In the Governments g civil service before
he appoints politicians to such places. He Ia
emphatically in favor of having the Govern
ment discharge its every obligation, implied
as we'll as expressed, and there can be nc
clearer obligation than that Of keeping such
persons in the public service, so long as they
remain competent and faithful. Grant can
not prevent their discharge from the army, but
he can do much toward keeping the Govern
ment's implied obligation to them and,
hear, declares his intention to do so.
AN ERRONEOUS STATEMENT.
The statement that the New York stock
holders In the Washington and Georgetown
railroad are opposing the project before Con-
gress to re-paye Pennsylvania avenue, turns
out to be mistake. They have done nc
such thing. They a,lcge to the committees
that 1t is necessary that the spaces betweei
the rails shall continue to be paved, Us a
present, with cobble stones, TO enable tn
horses to draw the cars in winter. The
offer to repair or renew and keep up tina
description Of pavement between the rails
and to repave the rest Of their share Of tn
avenue (as per the bill to that end now b
a fore Congress) precisely as may be deteI
mined on. They present facts In the histor
Of street payements and street railroads
New York, to prove that car horses cannC
!, draw properly on wooden payements betwee
i rails. If they make good that allegation,
;, feel sure that no Washingtonian will desi
q to see them ordered to lay pavement b
n tween the rails that will interfere with th
=, iraught Of their cars In winter by hor
a power.
TIE SUFFRAGE AMENDMENT QUESTION.
u The action Of the Senate last night upc
the proposed manhood suffrage amendmel
to the Constitution narrows the disagree
n ment Of the two Houses over the bill to
o single point. The House proposition is
e make manhood suffrage universal, and to
e that only, In this amendment.
C The Senate now propose to add to tn
i only clause declaring that the right to ho
d office shall not be abridged by any State c
lie account OF race or color.
g A committee Of conference will sure
lie harmonize the Republicans Of the House al
1t Senate upon the question In Issue II 4
At House should fall previously to accede to 4
o senate's proposition.
IT 1t is not possible that the party in Co
st gress will permit so important measure
d Its own, as well as the country's future,
: fail on account OF what Is becoming lit
G more than a clash of temper between a doz
t gentlemen on both sides Of the question
8 issue.
THE CROWD CHANGES.
= Last week there was large gathering
: men here interested in legislation. Most
y them have gone home disappointed. II
week we have among us almost as large
gathering Of politicians, pure and slmpl
+ who are looking after the formation Of Il
> Cabinet, and arranging their cards to pli
hands In the game of the distribution Of G
fee. None OF them appear much elated wi
A the prospect before them. These are en-