Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-12-18
Our Washlngton letter.

which commenced one week ago to-day, prom
Uses To be one of unusual activity The House,
whose committees are appointed for the Con
gr,ss, aud not for each session, was Of course
in position 70 enter promptly upon the business
Of legislation. The senate, whose custom it
is to rcarranqc its c5mmittco,a the commence
n,ent of cnch session. was DELAYED several days
while the important matter was being attended
n.
ASIAN earnest Of their intention 10 waste no
time during the few precious days Of this short
session. the Senate last week adopted rcsolu-
ton that at one o clock to-day, and at the same
hour each succeeding day, IL would proceed to
the business on the calendar: that all bills
not Objected to be taken IN in thor regular
order that Senator's be restricted to speaking
but once. and then onl, for five minutes. on
any amendment and that this order be pro-
ceeded with until the end of the calendar is
reached. This means bus ness an under the
opcrati,n of the rnle many important mems.
ures will be reached and acted on that would
otherwise be buried in the calendar at the close
of the session.
n n
mittees the late Liberal leaders were entirely
iyp,re,l d, u.ir c,rmsr rendition associate.
Ne..rs Summer. S,burz Trnmbull Fenton
and linton were not invited 10 attend the re-
pnblican c,pcns Arc,rdi,glv tho names or
euch of these gentlemen appear in every case
at the 6ot of the various committees upon
which they are repre.ont,d Senator Tr,m.
bull WAS lopo.ed from his old position of lead
ersbip as chairman Of the judiciary Commit.
tee. and that honorod and coveted position as
signed by unanimous consent 10 senator ia
munds This distinction. go complimentary to
the Senator. and to the state s, ably represent.
eli by him, gives universal satisfaction here. not
only among his Senatorial assorntes. but
throughout Off .inl circles generally.
In the House. General Ranks had the rrace
u tender his resignation As chairman Of the
Committee ON foreign relations. that the place
might more properly be filed by some one fully
in accord wieh the administration. Asamep-
unanimous expression of their sympatby with
their old associate in his present humiliation
and selfwrouaht political ruin. the Republi.
can majority refused to accept his resignation.
and he will thus continue u nominally occupy
his old position in the House during the few
DAYS of publielile that remain to him. Poor
Banks " i, the alm,stuniycr.al EXPRESSION with
which reference % him i. made. Twenty wears
NJ, beentered the House of Representatives not
only asa representative from Massachusetts
but ms representative Of tie seiCmale and
selceleyated men of the nation. Al the com
Increment of his second term he WAS made
Sneaker of the House. and il is said he * the
only Speaker not one Of whose decisions were
ever oycrrulsd. For twonty wears his district.
his state and tle nation have united and alter
mated in beapinr bonors upon him. Had he
remained true to himself and to the great party
in whose ranks he had always marched and
whose columns he had often led. he would
have remained honored for the past and trus-
ted for the future. But he deserted tho party
at s,,cb "a time and in s,cb a manner a. to for.
,-,,--...-,.-
Oii Ms in's' '""l i'lo'o ''ie'us "o'0'ins !" w
political honesty. kepudiated by his people
at home and having forfeited the confidence
and respeet nf Lie nnlitirol and official ,ss,ci.
-,u -.
H'es neie' no "l'i' vi 'no 'n'Iu OIL Marcn next
/ be compelled to accept q forced retirement
! from public life, bankrupt alike in purse and
not,t;.si rr,s,oc,.
/
senator oulnue'' " 'n'uEn nc hau s'uu'eu
how he could best starte and astonsh those
who once DELIGHTED To honor him os the en-
h,4;,,.,., ~ ,risl,o, ;,.s,i,o o.t u.,.;..;.,,
IN,
'n''''u.'u d O,'i !" 'ie ,'nS" 'uiuieaiA'e'S
upon its assembling on Monday, which will
shock the natr;otic sense or tho c,untrv bsvond
49,, r. ~. 80. -. y.
Wy V''''O ~
pfoNll es lvF inc omission yoi me mention oil
the various Union Victories during the rebel
/ lion in the army rooister and tho erasnra of
A.. -, g ~ - ~ ..,'s.t =. -.
'"' ''''N'' VI '''' '"''''s 'niousn ""'en 'ley
hnu een oorne' from the United states and
regimentil flags. The reason assigned for this
1 singular rroposi,ion il that the national pnitv
- IN -. -. -.
a'u soo1 wa "'"I"s ''''O" ''''4'us gu" oniS
Nc aSsuIeu through pnil'loh oi PAST oiuerences'
aud consequently that everything calculated
to.perpetuate the remembrance of those differ
euces should be oblitemted. The delicate ref.
erence 70 tie terrible and bloody scenes Of the
rebellion rs " diBrmccs," is only equalled BY
Nasty's reference 10 the same as a. the late
onPleasantness. The erasure Of the names
81 ththt N1oul ana glorious victories, through
which not only the unity, but the life Of the
nation was preserved, from the public records
and the days under which the yictors rallied
because sight thereof may unpleasantly re
mind some unrepentant rebel Of the lost cause
will not fully answer the purpose Of Mr.. sum
ner. Volumes OF our history must be erased (;
the literature OF the past ten Years must be
rewritten, and authors hereafter prohibited
from mentioning in song or in story the val
orous deeds or the incredible suherngs Of
the boys IN blue. National cemeteries
must be obliteratcd, and Soldiers monuments
must he demolished, lest they prevent the
past differences from passing into oblivion.
Our crippled veterans must be gathered into
obscure and wei guarded nsylums, or otherwise
removed from the public sight, lest their empty
sleeves and their unsightly scars perpetuate
the memory " OF the struggle in which they
were sacrificed Tor the national unity and ex-
istenoe. Ndmfs must he changed, or their
mention prohibited for the very name OF
Sherman cannot fail to recall the circumstances
OF his grand march to the sea, and the name
OF Grant must ever be unpleasantly sugges
tive in the Southern mind, Of Nicksburg, Port
Hudson and Appomatox.
Ii is reported that MIR. Sumner il preparing
a speech in defence Of his proposition, which
he will deliver before the Senate at an early
day. The introduction and advocacy Of such
a resolution would have been sufficient to ex-
cite the indignant dcnunciation of tho whole