Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1871-01-24
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENTS
WASHINGTON. January On IN

columns of the '.ISpirft'p i can ONLY attempt
70 note such items % general importance or Of
personal observation as may promise 70 inter.
est its readers, without following the course Of
national legislation or entering the tumultuous
arena OF partisan politics.
The session Of the present Congress expires
by limitation on the 4th Of March, aud with
ats Slose We part cOmpany-fOreyer let US hope
with some who have figured so discredit-
ably in the Infamous legislation Of latter years,
aud With many who rose through that lSyisla.
tIon to temporary prominence and power
The change will be greatest in the lower House,
but the Senate will be measurably improved
and ii West Virginia does herself the honor
to place upon the shoulders of Mr.. TRAyERs
the Senatorial mantle, which Wiley has 40
tOng tTailed in the dirt, that gentleman will
nnd himself, u not IN rs good company as he
facets at home, certainly in much better than
the same surroundings could hitherto furnish.
Let US also record the hope that this lustration
| OF tue capitol may in due time extend to the
White House aud drive thence an occupant
! whose administration has been marked by liz.
tie personal ability and u servile concession to
the most corrupt and intOlerant demands of
| party. Indeed, the exciting struggle on the
/ San Domingo question, which has been the
ehIet subject OF dispute in the present session
| - SSS6'SoSp Nd0 Gun ~ NNSual Oele0t the
administration. need not refer to the rejec.
tiOn by the Senate, in june last, of treaty
secretly negotiated by President Grant with
the sO'caiIed executive of that republic for its
annexation, or TO the grave aud elaborate ar
| guments with which the subject was revived
| III the Pres'dentS last message to Congress
| Let US understand, however, that San Domingo
includes two republics, Hayti aud Dominica,
and that 1t IS not the entire island but only
the latter State which is recommended for
annexation. Aud what, pray, is this country,
whose possession is indispensable for military
and economic reasons q region blessed from
its position with aflueDce of natures
oountes but with climate SO pestileutial aud
enervatIng that the white race has hitherto
found its occupancy almost impossible, aud the
people who are TO be added to the voting citizens
OF this country are about two hundred thou
sand Spanish negroes sunk in superstition.
! ignorance and Incidence beyond any Of their
own race in the Southern States Such is the
contemplate prize the executive is moving
heaven aud earth to secure, whose acquisition
he solemnly assures US is demanded by sound
economy, military caution aud Intelligent
craftsmanship.
The corruption of the original negotiation.
has been thoroughly exposed aud the whole
scheme proved TO originate with certain spec
uiatOrs who, having gotten all the franchise
OF that rotten republic into their possession,
| desire to have them guaranteed aud secured
oy the United States Government, aud the
PRESIDENT, anxiousIy intriguing for a re cleo
ton, has readily adopted their project aud On.
rades it before the public as u proof of his
own astute and wonderful state craft! The
scheme IS resisted not only by the opponents
| OF the administration, but BY many Influential
republicans, aud the Senate resolution calling
| tor the appointment Of q commission to visit
that island, had to accept M amendment in the
House, which declared that such action is not
to be construed as committing Congress TO the
annexation.
Unjust add to this already prolix letter n straw
Leaf from my own experience. Perhaps mere
curiosity would excuse n single attendance at
n WOmau's Rights meeting at any rate gal.
iantry might prevent an abrupt departure it
one happened to be thrown accidentally into
one, and It was purely accidental that found
myself few evenings since in Lincoln Hall -
one OF a vast audience that had gathered from
every conceivable motive to witness the pro.
ceedIngs OF the WOmau's Suffrage convention
AS It will be some time, perhaps, before sueh
an assembly is seen in Charles.oWn, | will
! briefly relate what there saw. On the stage
! were some dozen women, including most Of
these whose names have become known in the
public advocacy Of w"man's rights, two men,
one white and the other dark mulattO with
bushy gray hair. heard remarks from REV I"
! Olympia Brown aud Mrs Susan b. Anthem 2
! delivered with due feminine volubiIity and
very unieminino energy of expression aud
language. The substance was that renouncing
the slow method of working on tho State
legislatures, or asking Tor 10th Amendment
to the constitution, they had discovered that
the l4th Amendment already gave them the
right of suffrage and were here to urge Con-
gress to pass resolution TO that elect II
Congress complied the millennium would at
! once begin, but If not then-woc to Congress.
When Mrs. Anthony concluded, ''Mrs. Presi
dent turned to the cOlorcd gentleman and
urged him TO speak. lie yielded with reluc.
lance, and for the first time | saw and heard
the notorious Fred. Douglas.
This remarks, Of course, were in the shirt
OF the meeting, but trying TO forget the man
and his theme, l listened with curiosity and
interest to him n mere speaker, aud candor
eompels me to say that he seems fully to de-.
serve his reputation as such. His manner
was dignihed, his elOcuticn correct, aud his
| style energetic, at times vehement. Indeed |
venture TO affirm that there is not an orator
among the radicals Of West Virginia, whose
eloqueuce would be more than the piping of
penny whistle compared with the blaze Of
Fred's ringing aud sonorous trumpet
JEFFERSON.
I