The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-04-04
Letter from Wnshington.
WASHINGTON, D. c., March 30, 1870
OUR PROGRESSIVE PRESIDENT.

OUR PROGRESSIVE PRESIDENT.
After all, time nearly always justifies the
popular confidence and the populara spirations.
Ignorance alone chokes true instincts, and
Just in proportion that the masses are edu-
Gated politically, they will in Congress 90
right The reason is clear putting it on the
selfish basis alone, guiding motives of the null
titude must be above the lower personal
range. When the opinions of all have to be
weighed and each man knows that his will lie
neutralized by the next man, if necessary,
one is apt to consider in some degree that
mans interest as well as his own. So it comes
about, by the very necessity of the case, that
average just judgment of or confidence in any
man does in the end obtain justification.
Certainly this is the case with President
Grant. Each month that his administration
lives, is fresh vindication. Yet no man
probably entered the White House in whom
the active members of the party that elected him
had less confidence. lido not mean to say that
there was any doubt of integrity or fidelity, but
he was wholly untrammelled and his polit;-
cal bias, beyond that of loyalty, was utterly
unknown. That all might well be excused
if we were afraid to trust the future. Listen
ing to-day to his brief but noble message for
warding the proclamation of ratification of
the 18th amendment, 1 could not but be CRATE
full for the fact that he was and is wholly I'M
trammeled by those lawyer-like subtilties of
| Interpretation and precedent which has held
-, IL
which destroys the usefulness of so many public
| men, who if they were less of lawyers would
BE- far more of Statesmen than is Low. the
case.
President Grant goes direct to the issue be-
fore us still in the case of the South. He
pleads for the education of the people, and
urges Congress to do all that is needed unto
that end-interpreting constitutional prerog-
atives in the most liberal spirit. Education
and emigration, properly advanced and pro
NOTED, are twin giants to guard our new do
| main,-for such is the South. The real prob.
lem there is that of the New England town
meeting which resolved: LIST, To build new
Jail; I'd, to build of the materials of the old
| 81, to- use the old while the new one was
building, and 4th, to build on the old site. A
problem such as that involves at least two
conditions necessary for its solution. They
are Jail not quite full, and ingenuity IN tax.
ing the structure to pieces and rebuilding diff
ierently. The President points out one way
to do this, and his commercial policy suggests
aid to another-emigration. =:
This morning met leisHrely going up the
Avenue, while I was briskly going down, &
gentleman of stout frame, moderate height
remarkable only for the vitality and power o
endurance of which his person gave evidence
He carried his head forward and little t.
one side, one hand was in his pantaloon
pocket, the other swinging loosely by tn
side, a half smoked cigar was in the mouth
and the expression 10 casually sharp obser
yer was that of business man thinkin,
steadily and closely while going to his ofic,
for the days work. That's exactly wba
have described the man was doing
His pace was leisurey one, mos
persons gave way before he neare,
them, and few looked round curious;y after
he passed. 1t was the President of the Uni
ted States. He'looke like well-to-do citi
zen and is the beau ideal of the trusty an,
trusted man Of. the people. For. one an
glad to believe that the day of the imposin;
looking fellows has passed. They were gen
orally impositions. The common-people ar
coming in. - :; =.
THE FREEDMEN's BUREAU. @
| As if to take advantage of the message
bill was introduced to-day which is sure t.
create an interesting discussion, though it i
to be hoped not a long one. l refer to BIZ
transferring the educational works and fund
of the Freedmen's Bureau to the Bureau q
Education. By the first section the fund:
&C., are transferred; the I'd gives the Com
missioner of Education the powers necessar
to accomplish the work demanded; the thir
transfers the buildings; the fourth that tn
agency for collection of pay, &C., be transfe,
red to War Department, and the others cove
matters of detail. The following statemen
| was maze as 10 tine Iunds, &C., Tor tnIs Dur
pose:
Balance on hand February 1, 1870, of an
| preparations made for the support of thii.
bureau, aud which is now devoted to educa
tional purposes, as per section three, publ,
act No. g. (June "a, 1861 $6O4, 7O4.
Balance of appropriation for collection ant
payment of bounties, prize-moneys, &c., mad
March Sd, 1863, in miscellaneous appropriation
pill, for the fiscal year ending June 80, 1870
lynly 25, 1861 and public act. No. rs
march %, 1857 $144, 7O5 40.
Balance of school fund $50 called) arising
from rent and sale of confederate property, un
der authority OF section u, act tH. R. No. 613.
L nj To-
This bureau also holds in trust, under au-
thority Of section eight, act III. r. No. 613,
| July 16, 1866, fve-twenty bonds of the United
States to the amount of $51 600; the interest
Is devoted to schools, as therein directed.
|. Also, the following property:
At Washington, District of Columbia, frame
buildings l. street, between Twenty-third aud
| rwenty.fourth streets; frame building, Nine.
teenth and r streets; Wisewell barracks, Sew.
enth and streets; building (Freedmen's Or.
pnan Asyium) Eighth street, beyond Bounda.
ry.
At Augusta, Georgia, confederate property
powder works, advertised for sale March Ii,
1870; At Macon, Georgia. confederate proper.
| ty. laboratory. -l
School buildings and school furniture in the
district OF Columbia, Maryland, Alabama
mississippi, Louisiana, Texas; Georgia. Ar.
Kansas, Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina,
Kentucky, North Carolina, Cairo, Illinois
Tone building); hospital stores, clothing, and
| 1uPpi'oS oo w dSuluStOu, DISCrlCC OF COlum Dla.
Office furniture and small amount of trans.
portation, District of Columbia, and at the
offices of the Superintendent of education Ia
the various Southern States,
School-buildings District Of Columbia 1
Arkansas y; Alabama 8; Florida 49, Missis.
sippi 3; Maryland 5; Louisiana 10; Tennessee
l; Texas Z; South Carolina % and dwelling
houses; Georgia IA; Kentucky II; North Car.
Dina 10; Virginia 8; Illinois, Cairo, 1, Ion
Colonel Seely's papers); not including build.
| lngs. IN process of construction.
SPECTATOR.