Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-06-08
Our Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON, June 5tl


Editor Rutland Herald The rapidity
with which the Senate disposed of the
Washington treaty demonstrates that at
times that body possesses particular quail
ifications for dispatch of business. Il a
session of less than twenty days the rati-
fcation of that all important, and other
treaties, and much general executive bus.
mess was transacted, to say nothing Of
much time and effort devoted to the pur-
suit of the Allegorical Sparrow in ye YER
liable "Cock Robin" inquisition. Whether
the almost universal expressions of appro-
baton by the public press of the country,
which followed the PRONUNCIATION of the
"Stolen Treaty." assisted the Senate in
coming to its early conclusion of the mat
ter does not appear. Public opinion-one
motive power--would doubtless have its
influence upon the Senate as a body, and
with some a matter 80 generally accepted
| by the people might not seem to require
so technical and critical an examination
as the same matter would if the parties
interested-thr populaoe-had not ex-
pressed their approval or dissent. There
are men in the Senate who we fear would
show this Difference to the thinking of
the american herd" "the vulgar mind,
"the lower ten millions" who read the
doings of Congress in the papers, and
whose sentiments find their way through
the same medium back before Congress.
If the apparent haste, harmony and, was
about to say, unanimity with which the
Senate dispatched the matter, be at all
due to the popular acceptance of the
treaty. then we have another misfor-
tune ~ resulting from its getting before
the vulgar mind, But the country has
one hope left yet. A portion of the Sem
ate may be thus Influenced by public
opinion upon such questions, but there
are others who, it is evident, will not.
They not only possess the ability and
willingness to save the country on all
occasions, but area thousand times blessed
in self.satisfying evidence of their own
supreme power. A plebeian like ourseT
finds it amazing difficult to comprehend
this manifest power. Is it delegated
power ? Impossible; that would imply a
greater power, and higher authority
somewhere, which is out of the question.
The kingly, power of divine right,
would seem more in keeping with the in
dications, but we reflect that free press
and Republican Government renders that
out of the question, so we give it up.
| From whatever source their authority
may be derived, whether delegated or in
herent, it is evident that the voice of the
people falls lightly upon their ears-if in
deed low sound like that can be sup
posed to attain to such altitude as their
lofty organs of hear:ng-and none of their
deliberations are to be Influenced by
whatever any forty millions of the rabble
may think. The closing scenes of the
past session gave some apt illustrations OF
this.
The two contumaoious Spdrr0oos could
not be implored, threatened or entertained
into producing the categorical "bOw and
arrow with which they killed this in
ternational Cock Robin, and so the Sen
ate after calling them hard names, and
having ascertsined that the expense Of
their keeping had not only detraoted
from certain individual glory, but also
from next years reduction of the national
debt, turned them loose. Doubtless, the
Investigation will end here, as there ap-
pears no disposition to press the matter In
other directions. The committee were
empowered to cit during the summer and
to send for pers sons and papers. This prob
ably also implies power to travel, and tC
90 themselves for persons and papers, and
in short anything else necessary to thor
ough investigation. We judge it to have
been so regarded by nearly all Senators
and the implied right to travel SO gener
ally acted upon by individual Senators
that long before the contumacious spar
rows in question were disposed of, hardly
a quorum of Senators were to be found
50 WSLo yOu oCO' 1AOAS
bids fair to be perpetrated a practica,
ioke,-if few more of the tenderly- footed
should travel, the rest would be in linn
bo., The Senate could not adjourn promi
nently, and would be forced to stay here
and the prisoners who were faring stump
tuously every day and fast eating thei
heads If, IS the saying goes, could not b.
let go for want of enough to do it. Such
a state of things was averted by releasing
them at the eleventh hour. We saw them
next day at their tfice in Newspaper
Row, apparently as glum as owls over The
prospect of regular instead of double pay
common fare, and work again, and W,
thought How are the mighty fallen"
, EXIT.
; The city is no longer inviting, and al
who can are seeking more inviting homes
t We remember with sigh your delicious
, ,roupta;p rafraata apd rpiat impatjepo,