Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1869-04-14
Washington City Gossip.

! On Sa urday at noon, Congress ADJOURN
| ed, in accordance with joint resolution
of both houses. Although the closing
OF the session was marked with some
confusion, yet the best of humor prevailed
throughout, and nothing unpleasant occur
red
! The President issued a proclamation on
! Saturday. canvening the Senate in special
session on Monday the l2th, to consider Ex-
ecutive nominations.
The appointment Of Governor Curtin as
/ Minister to Russia viii be among the irst
sent the Senate. There has at no time
since tha Inauguration been any doubt con
corning this appoutment,it it being one of the
first rendered by the President 1t is said
! that Mr. MoTLEY is booked for England an
/ Gen. SIcKLss for Mexico
The Indian Bureau Ring has been com
pleteIy broken up and the business placed
in the hands Of President GRANT, who in
tends TO call the Quakers to his aid The
/ poiicy.of humanity and civilization backed
with an appropriation Of 50. coo, coo, will be
substituted for the thjeving, demoralizing
/ policy of the past. The progress of the ex-
pertinent will be watched with deep inter
est .
/ The Cuban resolutions Of Mr.. Banks pass
ed the House on Saturday by vote of 9S
yeas to 35 nays, but failed in the Senate,
Mr.. Wilson preventing vote by talking
against time 1t is non improbable thst the
administra ton desired their failure. as not
calculated to improve the cause of Cuban
! Independence in this country and liable TO
embarrass the policy 90 which the President
and his advisers are understood to agree
Not Cuba alone must be taken into account
! We have relations with other countries, and
other questions present themselves in the
I management of the Government. 1t is not
10 be doubted that the administration will
, pursue the course of even handed Justice.
and at he same time evince all the sympa
thy which people struggling for independ-
ence have a right TO expect, consistent with
| our obligations member OF the family
OF nations
! new law relative to the tax on whiskey
was passed ear the close of the session. L
is of highly important character to those
dealing in the article.
In some instances the administration has
been sadly imposed upon in appointing men
| to office. In New York one proves to be a
reGu ar swindler. He was recommended bv
a distinguished millionaire who appears TO
not have known what was his real character
| Another is hung up in the Senate on the
charge Of having defrau1ed a widow and re-
/ duced her TO poverty. Other cases have
come to light-all Of which go to prove the
necessity of thorough reform in the civil
service Whereby not only deception like that
| here instduced will be prevented, but the
scarcely less Ieprehensibe practice of Con
gressnen using the patronage of the Gov
ernment to advance their own interest, pc
cuniarily and politically, will be broken mp
| Under the present system this Is next to i'm.
possible.
The Government Is preparing for vigor-
Gus policy with reference to Cuba and of
course Spain. A considerable number of
american citizens are held as prisoners by
the Cuban daspotism. Some have been muir
aered and Americans have but little securi-
! ty there. The naval force in the West In
dies is bein- rapidly augmented Orders for
| getting ready several iron clad monitors, in
Guiding the Djctator aud Caaoaicus were
given towards the close of last week The
country viii rest satisfied that every ques
ton growing out of the Cuban revolution
will be wisely and promptly treated.
We are getting on. We learn fast. We
yield TO what is inevitable with becoming
grace. Negro soldiers gave us a shock from
which we had scarcely recovered when eman.
cipaiion, wholly and at once, struck us with
death like chill. This was scarcely recov-
cred when negro suffrage was proposed and
accomplished, not, however, without giving
us the shakes, which had not entirely sub
sided when negro office holding became a
liked thing, and we are now in a state of re
lapse into which it threw us. We shall re
cover however. The Lieutenant Governor
OF the STATE of Louisiana, in the person of a
negro, named Dunn, has for weeks been re-
ceived on the floor of both branches of Con
gsess' where he has been treated as though
has skin was white. 4 gentleman Of wealth.
culture and elegant manners, color is the
only peg to hang an objection on; and that
Is 50 short and feeble that it is OF little ac-
count Should a negro make his appearance
with credentials emitting hlm to seat in
congress. it is probable we should survive.
In iact. there is nothing more likely, and
we shall yet live to wonder that we ever
made such fuss about the niger"