, 1870-06-03
WASHiNeroA.
~
Matters in Congress and: theyb-
+ partments.,
Spring On the Chesapeake.
IN More About Norfolk.
The Home OF Monroe,
[HRo2 oCR OWN co1RIsFoNpxm,]

| [RRoA oCR OWN CORRESPONDENT
WAsHuaroa, May H.
| broke OF my }ettez abruptly, yesterday, md
now I an prepared to answeE your question
| Viii Norfolk become great city,
T. NORFOLK AND CHICAGO.
answer yea, Il position signifies anything.
Norfolk has the best harbur in tbs South, and
| some think the best in the country. Every
vessel that goes to ssa from Baltimore, Wash
mgton, Frede1icksburgh, and Richmond, e1-
cept those which can pass the-narrow canal At
the head Of the Chesapeake, must go near
Norfolk. The Chesapeake, nowhere less than
five miles wide, slips it's deep head up to the
latitude Of Springfield, Indianapolis, and Co
lumbus-1so miles from Norfolk which is it.
| self on the line Of Cairo. Across this bay no
1aiiway bridge viii reach for perhaps q CEN
| tuty. Measuring By straight lines. Norfolk is
twenty miles nearer Chicago than ia New York.
New York Is further from Cairo than Norfolk
from Cairo by $50 miles; further from ST.
| Louis Than Norfolk by 30 miles further from
1 Louisville, 12o miles, further from Atlanta,
$50 miles, and further from Memphis, 200miles.
In straight line Cairo is twenty miles further
from Norfolk than Chicago from Norfolk
Hampton Roads is to Norfolk what tho low
er bay is to Now York. The city has back
way to tho sca-ike Long Island sound-the
Diemsl Canal. It's Hudson River is the James,
I reaching toward Richmond, its Albany. The
Chesapeake makes it to the Cult States md
the Carcinas what Chicago is to the North
| west, up point to which their roads must
come. Kut Norfolk Is merely the drawing on
flat surface Of what New York is in high re-
lief. The capes OF the Chesapeake are low
spitn upon the ocean, and not the soaring
highlands OF Neve1sink. In place Of the rocky
cliffs of Staten Island, between the port and
the roadstead, wo haTo here the fat cape OF
Old Point Comfort. The ''NarrowB" of Nor-
folk is an u1intetesting channel between tho
Rip Raps and Old Point, and the city itself
docs not stand, like Now York, II if upon the
stony spine Of a sturgeon, but upon the semi
submerged back Of basking turtle. The
landscapes around New York fit rsce Of
mountaineers, who are also seamen, like the
I.igurians and Cata1onians, but the smooth
beaches and level fields round Norfolk sug-
eest fishermen and ahepherds- This is the
real difference, IL men stand at present. II
there is anything in the nature around them
to mould men, the future rich merchants Of
Norfolk may be what those Of Amsterdam and
Stockholm we're but not what those OF Bristol
and New York hare become. The commercial
life Of Norfolk, hitherto, has been Of no more
bo, Of Para, except by the incidental
asHocistions Of a navy yard and q roa<tstead-a
planters port to ship pork, -four, tobacco, and
fruit, and to receive rum, clothing, aud books.
Neither whaling ships nor privateers hare
been built OF manned here, and other ports
make the wharves Of the Elizabeth busy.
Prior to the wa1, in Maaison's administration.
Norfolk dealt good deal with the West Indics-
AS naval station, Norfolk las been famous
from the earliest time. Il was the birth place
of Richard Dale, First Lieutenant with Paul
Jones' on the Bon. Homme Richard; and there
hns never been time when tho poorest girl in
the town could not hare a naval officer for q
beau. The flint notable settlers here, "a Of
almost every town in the State after Jarnes-
town, we're Scotch, Scotch-IEish. and North Eng
leh merchants, who Kept purchasing and COM
mission warehouses;. aid maintained lines Of
packets to Europe. Norfolk might have beaten
baltimore in the rnce for commercial proni-
nence had her merchants been cnterprising,
and had tho State OF Virginia not encouraged
Richmond to the prejudice Of Norfolk. It
was not til nreo years before tho rebellion
that this best Of Chesapeake seaports was
connected With tho West by rail. II
has, therefore, had no opportunity.
compared with New York and Baltimore, 10
dc1iye advantage from tho grain, sugar, live
stock aud cotton trade Of the West. The Eric
Canal, now al old work, Vas the Chief channel
Of the growth OF Now York; the New York
Central Road was fully opened TO the lakes ia
1842, and in the same year to Boston; tho
Enc Road VAS fully opened in 1851, and in
1928 The railroads reached to Chicago and
the aliasissippi River. But Norfolk had 70 wait
until 1858 before she could reath to the West.
She has, therefore, had no history worth
tpt aking OF as q seaport for tie continent.
Tho people Of Norfolk Claim to have better
average health than their rivals IN any ATLANTIC
city. But ths supelstitious look at the poor
drainage, at tue swampa, pools and vegetable
odore, taste The bad water, and hear the tales
Of fever and sgue with misgiving. That 1t is
. wouaroue good port, and more healthy and
lsl itablt than either Wilmington, Charleston
or Savannah, may be believed; but Northern
men will not admit that it is as good place OF
residence as New York. There is next to no
money and little public spirit here. The whites
never had much enterprise, aud the negroes
haSo not acquired any. Quite 3 number Of
Germans IfElle here; but complain that they
cannot make lager beer ont Of tho Norfolk
water, and this gTieyes them to the heart
The people At present get their beer from Bal
tinore and their politics from Richmond; their
aniablc laziness comes BY canal-boat from Dir
tna Swamp, and their notion Of future punish
laent from Weldon, North Carotiua- Only
hopes and alellGsh seem indigenous to the
place. The nary yard at Portsmouth IL re-
ENAt H1ole HaslusUmeIy tnAn before tne WAT.
nluci money vas made here during the con-
iiict, aud uenly 100 new dwellings, have
keecn erected since the peace, many OF them
handsome No Confederate Generals reside
here. Malone, tho coming railway man, resides
at Lynchtirg- During the tTaz only one e1--
ecution took |lace,--t!at Of a malignant Fobel
etreet in cool murder. No yest,ge Of the Nor
rlmac remsins Tho city s1umbers, dreaming
OF the past that was never worth living, much
less dreaming. After all this said, have the
full confidence that. in the next thirty years
OIL this site will be made some Of the greatest
fortunes OF ON period in corner lots and water
fronts.
WASHINGTON SUBJECTS,
III Ibis city yotiug money for various aiYairB
il the chef butiness, but ne are to haye no
more Congress- for three days, to permit An
tended b{ Cou5rcssmen,-most Of whom will
Hhed their tears Of sympathy in Now York.
On F0xS altar drop the tear,
Twill Tickle In hs nyal's bcer.r
The Democrats have been counting chickens
10 a1Fnnce Of Tue arrival Of any meal to feed
the lien that lays the eggs.
.c ~ Las been my privilege 10 admire, in : quail
ihctl way, several men on the Democratic side
Of Congress. Marshall, kerr Beck, and Cox
arc Eone Of theBo, As an instance, on the
other hand Of man who is = perpetual an
noyrnce, and never Al amusement to anybody
the litf1est nj 1;oi1's crostnree ,s ,,11;, 1,.n
whether considered m Tersn1 ~ r. f,. fhraadth % 81
MUD or cleye,uoss of sneecb. CertainIvl NJ.
body on the Democratic side talks 10 11uch in
vet + fsit No littIs v n;.her ns.ty Pot 4u
4 particle Of hnmor, m nnarpe,;sm nnd rat Ds l."
leans m by little f}.s a; 3hrnnch ~ d,E ~
inject Tito debate such aueries, ecboeas Gn;J.
dts, and fat bits Of small na2tisan s.ncs s M
those On the outside OF crowd toss at an nI,.
roxioua stumn-snaaker. EliIdra does noTa
10 detract from the 5irn;tV of h;e ,,srtv m ~
foo. fEan ali the ntheT men ia Il .ni th;a 80 IL