The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-03-12
Correspondence CoIumbia Phoenix.
WASHINGTON, D. c., March 8, 1870.

WASHINGTON, II. T., March y, 1870.
Ben. Butler has appointed negro to
a cadetship at West Point. This will be
the first of his race to enter that time
honored institution. Ben. did not do
this for any love he has for the negro,
(it may be for his sister, but because he
has love for the diabolical. Helikes to
be the meanest of his kind, (he is, natu-
rally,) but then he feels that he must
give some outward manifestation of it.
What but spirit of depraved malignity
can prompt these men to be constantly
pushing aside their own race and thrust
ing forward an inferior one into places
of emolument and honor? Negroes in
the Senate of the United States; in our
counsels; in our public departments; in
the academy at West Point. Nothing
equality will ever satisfy them. Whether
this will ever be brought about, is
problem which only time can solve.
The Investigation by the Military
Committee of the sale of cadetships, is
making quite stir among GLASS of
fellows hanging about Washington, who
make it their business to get acquainted
with each new member of Congress as
soon as he arrives in town. When once
introduced they aim to, and, very often,
succeed in ingratiating themselves in the
members favor. The object of this in
PRODUCTION is to get Congressional influ-
ence to aid them in lobbying bills
through Congress, obtaining clerkships
in the departments, influencing domestic
and foreign Presidential appointments,
and securing Government contracts, &C.,
sc. An effort is Of course made to i'm
press each member with the belief that
these fellows are philanthropic, and are
acting in good faith and for particular
friend.
Pomeroy pressing bill in the Senate
for curtailing the privileges of the peo-
pie of the District in the sale of liquor.
While he is an advocate of temperance,
he has been engaged in so many little
money making schemes that we natu-
rally think money has more to do with
this bill than solicitude for the welfare
of the people. The effect of the bill
will be to cut off all small dealers and
throw their trade into the hands of the
monied monopolists. The large dealers
can we'll afford to pay to have the small
ones closed up. We do not mean to soy
that the honorable Senator has absolutely
sold out to the large men of the whiskey
ring, but that his past history is not 80
spotless as to vindicate him entirely from
suspicion.
Lent has for time practically closed
the gay season here, and each day may
be seen many of those who have engaged
and been thoroughly engrossed for the
past three months in MI the frivolities
and extravaganza of Washington society,
vending their way to church with prayer
book in hand to ask forgiveness for the
past, and for grace to do better next win
ter. Fashionable people have fashiona-
BILE places Of resort, according to the
season OF the year. Summer time brings
the sea-shore with its coquetting; winter
time, the city with its operas, and its
elaborate entertainments and receptions
spring time brings lent, and the church
with its long faces its contrite hearts, and
its spirits of devotion. These places of
resort are very necessary, each in its
way. The sea-shore to bring health, and
build up the constitution which has been
pulled down by dissipation; the city to
parade beauty, accomplishments and
wealth, to make political combinations
and to aggregate power; the church to
atone for the shortcomings Of the past,
and to ask for better success in the fu.
| ture.
The season here just ended has been
remarkable for one feature, a perfect
monomania of the people to havo their
names paraded before the public in the
newspapers. Every entertainment had
to be thronged with reporters, and they
were expected to have local in the
morning papers column and half long.
There was a time when refined feelings
revolted at such publicity and shrunk
from public gaze, but those times have
departed.
The cadetship Committee are now in
vestigating the following cases: Coyode,
of Penn; Pettis, of Penn. Edwards, of
Ga; Calls of Ala. Blackburn, of La. !;
Sypher, of La. NewshanI, of La. Vidal,
of La; Coffroth, of Penn. Whaley, of
West Va; Good, of Arizona, and Nc
Lane, of Montana, the most of whom
were in the 39th and 10th Congresses. 1t
appears that although money was paid
in many cases, it was not received by the
member, but by some personal friend.
Washington has had more hotel room
during the past winter by nearly Ono-