The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-02-28
Letter from Washington.
WASHINGTON d. c., Feb. Path, 1870.
To the Editor Of the Press. ........-asa.--

The past week has been an exciting one in
the House and an amusing one in the Senate
The sale of cadetship has been the sensation
OF the period-ratber the being found out is
do not doubt that the general verdict is else.
where as here, that Mr.. Whittemore deserved
TO be turned out, if only for doing the Job SO
clumsily and being caught SO easily. I need
not undertake tc describe the history of the
affair, and shall only say that there is being
expended good deal of virtuous zeal by per-
sons who are not what Caesars wife or Amer
lean congressman should be-"above suspic-
ion", and their enesy in denouncing White
more is at least suspicious. The South Caro-
lima representatives. fall has been broken con.
siderably by the almost brutal manner in which
Gen. Logan has managed the case before the
House. On the Iacts there could be no doubt
of the result, and Tor that very reason there
should have been fair and lenient manage.
ment OF details, before the vote was taken
Instead OF that Gen. Logan acted, lot as If he
bad sad but necessary duty to perform, al.
together unconnectrd with personal or parti,
IAN reasons and motives, but as if the fact of
some important measure was dependant up
on the use OF every parliamentary advantage
bis position gave. On Monday he attemp: ed
to force the resolution of expulsion through
under the previous whip and spur In no
way did be indicate desiie that the accused
member should have chance to lie heard on
The floor, to offer any defence or paliialion of
his act. He was shamed at last out OF that
position, but both yesterday and to-day ex-
nbi.ed the same spirit-sO apparently vindc-
tive and bitter was his manner tow ards Mr.
Whittemore, that St. anger might we'll ask,
as heard some do, if Logan was personally
hostile to Whitlemore. There was no such
feeling, but undoubtedly the General, who is
two things were 10 be gained by the example
he SO balshly pressed: First, a good cry Tor
the palty-that OF purity; second, the stop
ping OF the inuendoes and suspicious now so
prevalent against members OF both Houses,
The speaker leaned strongly to Looan-at
least his rulings were all in the Generals ia
vtr. Some seemed to me very hardly strain
ed. do not hesitate 10 say that if bad
been member, my vote would have cast for
expulsion, but all the more would I have
voted for reasonable delay and giving of every
opportunity to defence-the exact reverse of
which Gen. Logan seemed to have striven to
do.
Personally, Mr.. Whittemore is probably the
best member sent from The South. OF the IL
legality Of bis act there can be no doubt, but
of the criminality OF either motives or results
there are. Mr.. Whittemore had a right to
give utterance to any extenuatng circum-
stance he could have uttered.
1t is expected that Butler of Tennessee will
come next. He makes no secret OF his &C.
ton, and it is quite evident regards it as not
very dishonorable. Deweese of North Carroll
ma is on the docket. Report is busy With the
hnr of 1,n
mlttee itself, Col. Asper Of Missouri. and Mr..
noge OF South Carolina. The latter has been
mentioned 10 the papers as having sold his
cauetships; Common deceDcy ought to have
prevented bis signing the commiltee's report.
REvELs IN THE SENATE.
40 not mean that the grave and reverend
seienors" OF thai body ale engagep in anv of
the acts which usually define that term. snch
as ito pluck" pull" ito re.ractn or even to
''feast in riotous and lawless manner" hut
that they are discussing the claims Of 60.
date and gentlemanly-lU man who Quiet
ly occupies settee against the wall, to seat
in the magic semi-rircle which is filled by the
Senatorial curules and desks. The pother
.aised over this Revel is that it hath flesh and
blood and carries skin tinged with a hue
bout one shade darker than Salisbury of
Delaware.
Mr. Revels is quadro0n, and has clear,
healthy, ruddy, reddish-brown color. He is
quite well dressed, quiet and modest, Tut per-
eclly self-possessed in manner, about fifty |
ears of age, with shrewd, kindly counte- |
ance, and really SPACIOUS look on his face. |
lie bears the reputation, among those who |
now him, of being man of firm but mod |
rate judgment, who will be sure to wear
,ell. His looks do not belle this idea
Gen. Ames, the new Senator, is, / believe,
ne of the Pine Tree boys. He will do you
o discredit, of that be assured, but honor
ather as in the field. BE has face of won
erful attractiveness from the fresh purity of
n, complexion ard expression therein visible.
n ne spec ches made in opposition to their ad-
'na on, have been amusingIy melanchelic
chastity Listening to Salisbury to-day,
often old n hired Scott and all the rest of the
Use than Wa,,sgg' ! could think OF nothing
snsbar dslefa soand garrett IRON noyis
erts seem to n" ma and the rest Of the per-