Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-12-08
Letter from Washington.
lrRoM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT. |
WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. 5, 1871.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. 5, 1871.
THE SESSION so FAR.
It seemed well to wait and see which way the
currents turned, before commenting on merely
speculative basis. Congress has been in session
two days. l must here say emphatically that,
since being here, occupying an observers post,
have never witnessed the opening of long
congress session, in which there seemed so
much accepted, and yet so little taken for grant
ed. That statement is paradoxical, l grant;
but l nope TO make it clear. The strength of
the administration is acknowledged to be great,
yet all the dissatisfied are unwilling to grant a
continuance Of this feeling. How they can help
themselves is beyond my comprehension.
The message is Grant all oyer-pain, straight
forward, simple, without attempt at rhetorical
or constitutional fustian. A leading democratic
journalist, whose judgment of men and meas
ures is sagacious and accurate, declares that
it is both adroit and strong, and will prove
popular document. | have really found no
republican who will acknowledge dissatisfac-
ton. Even the World has to take refuge in
simple abusive epithets. When one gets down
to the calling Of names, the level to which
descent is made, is that OF the com
mon gossip and scold. OF course there
arc points to be criticized. Butler finds fault
with the treaty Of Washington. Banks hardly
thinks the paragraphs on Cuba are explicit
enough. Both, however, talk with dated
breath" The Kuklux paragraphs o course find
No favor with the democracy, who are how
ever, more than surprised at the amnesty rec
concentrations. TO me Grant shows himself
both shrewd and practical When congress so
lar repealed the "iron-elad" oath as to compel
the citizen who fought for the Union to take if,
and allow the traitor who did his utmost to de.
stroy it, to escape its limitations, it left thorn
for the loyal man and removed
probe from his antagonists breast. That
was reducing disabilities to an absurdity,
which Grant sees clearly now, as he did at the
time of the passage Of the bungling half-repeal.
Another thing the president reaches, both as
statesman and politician, by this amnesty
recommendation. That is, the taking away of
an important hindrance to the clear apprehen-
sion Of this atocious kuklux business, and the
spiking Of the chief ammunition of such per-
sonal guns as that turned on him by Mr. Gree
~ 2 HNNNl1A Niit'iiifAb4Ss AltiG are GOOD peD-
pie in the north,-by far too many. TOO
who really believe that the disabilities
imposed by the constitution arc the inn
mediate and active cause of kuklux-
ism. One can hardly ever expect to see day
when the fools will all be dead, still there may
be a reasonable hope Of seeing them lessened in
numbers. II the removal of disabilities will
only lessen the number of purblind people, it
will be all that can be anticipated, for certainly
it will not decrease the danger arising from the
new secret and armed conspiracy.
PRACTICAL TENDENCIES.
To return 10 congress, however. In neither sem
ate nor house has there been much developed
| beyond a strong desire manifested in the latter
body 10 have a genuine business session. From
the moment that the speakers gavel fell at noon
yesterday, this idea of business activity seems
to have been the prevailing one.
EQUITABLE Distribution OF COMMITTEES.
The speaker had a difficult task with his
committees, and has, on the whole, per
formed it with not only considerable tact.
but more than usual fairness. One thing
is noticeable to me, and that is the re-
cognition Of many of the younger men by
their appointment TO important chairmanships