Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-05-06
Washington correspondence.
WASHINGTON, d. c., May 1, 1869.

w ~ w., NAY L, lCUJ.
To tie Editor of the Herald Doubt
less most of your readers have heard the
story of the man who was skinning live
cells by the roadside, when passer-by
accosted him, sharply reprimanding him
for his cruelty and asking him if he did
not consider it cruel and wrong to skin
the cells before they were dead. sob, no.
replied the former, with the air of one
who was conscious of doing no wrong.
they get used to it, | had this old
story in mind when wrote, in my last,
that the unfortunate clerks here who are
dismissed from their places, though now
bewailing their hard lot, and smarting
under their harsh treatment, would get
used to it (as the cells got used to being
skinned) and Washington and the world
would jog on as usual
| do not claim this to be n very apt or
happy illustration. | suppose it was used
for the want of u better. The excite
inent and commotion on account of dis
missals, though not wholly subsidized,
seems to have diminished considerably.
Among the lady clerks the tears shed are
less copious, and a. To the masculines,
they do not have 50 heavy and dark blues
as formerly And there are fewer elon-
gated countenances to be seen on the
street corners STILL removals are going
on and as new victims for official decapi-
tation are selected and prepared for the
block they look wo-begone and doleful
enough to be sure But the guillotine
does not inspire the general dread that it
did when first set in motion. These things
are come to be regarded much more calm
w. and as matters of course, just as the
soldier becomes accustomed 10 the bullets
living about him, after sufficient expert
cnce in action, and regards the danger
with less fear and trembling than at first.
1t is told Of gentlemen employed in
one Of the departments here that he
the other day accosted an acquaintance
on the street who belont ed in anoth-
or department, asking how matters
stood with him. 81 have escaped
40 far" was the reply, land so have those
in my immediate neighborhood, but
there is no knowing how soon the deluge
will come, or whose house will be able to
stand, or who will be struck by lightning
when il does come What's the news
over your way z" 80, nothing in particu-
lar" replied the other, "only if things
continue on for week longer in the way
they are at present going, there will not
be enough left of our division to tell the
tale"
And thus many make light of that
which is, after all, serious matter tc
them. They seem disposed to make the
best Of calamity which they cannot
turn aside. They would feel greatly re.
lieved though if the storm were "well
over and gone," and themselves safe il
the big black cloud, still hanging there
in the political sky, threatening official
destruction to-no one knows who next
were broken up and dispersed. One wave
of the wand by Secretary -, or by The
President, would do it. And Just thinl
of the rainbow and the sunshine which
would follow! It is strange what fasci
nations there are in these Washington
clerkships and offices for many. Did tn
young men employed here but know il
their dismissal from clerkships in thi
city is the best thing for them that coult
happen. It would be difficult, however
to make them believe il.
the proprietors of cigar and billiard "a
looms, amusemept halls and boardin,
houses, Of the propriety Of these exteu
sive dismiasals of young men, lfor al q
moro or less - some largely -a6scts,
thereby. Sqeps Of the former WIN =