Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1873-12-18
Correspondence Of the HERALp.)
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
Washington RecOnstructed-The PanIc-Con-
gress-Back-Pay Biii-Cuba and War-Wis-
cOnsin Politics.

FRIEND COVER: The location of
the present capital Of this country
was question which once came near
dismembering the infant Republic,
the south demanding its location
within her borders, while the North
was equally anxious for the prize.
While the settlement of this question
was pending, n bill was introduced
into congress for the assumption by
the government of the debt of the
states, then amounting to $21 zoo, 900.
The North favored this measure. and
the South opposed the northern CAPT
tai and at this juncture Thomas JEFF.
terson and Mr.. Hamilton hit upon a
happy compromise, which was that
the North would vote for the southern
capital if the South would support the
assumption measure. The bargain
was struck, the money was paid, and
General Washington was commission.
ed to select site of tho future city
which was to bear his name. The
young surveyor having been struck
years before with the natural beauty
of this place Immediately selected it,
and by his advice a city was laid out
on scale never attempted in this
country before, and thanks 10 our
aboard of Public Works." the most
abused squad of men in the world, the
place is now receiving the finishing
touches, which make it jewel fit to
adorn the nations brow.
The Press of the country Liberal
and Democratic) for the last year or
two has raised cry about corlup.
ton and extravaganza in the govern
ment of this city, and have condemn
ed all congressional appropriations
for its improvement, and with how
much justice your readers may con.
clude when they are informed that
the government owns four tenths OF
the real estate in the city and pays
for ten per cent. of its improvements,
while the people own six tenths ofthe
property and pay for 90 per cent
Thanks, we say, to the powers that
broke the cold Fogy" shell in which
the place was bound under slavery's
reign, and gave us one lifted out OF
the mud, with its finely graded streets,
its wood and concrete pavements,
fine parks, beautiful trees, terraced
banks, fountains and statuary, a city
which is living expression of the
difference between the domination of
slavery, and the exaltation and glory
of the region of freedom.
THE PANIC.
While the financial pressure has
made itself felt in almost every house
in the land, while trade is dull, manu-
features suspended, produce sells at
ruinous rates yet there is perhaps no
city in the country 30 little affected
by these causes as this.
Here, an army Of government
workers draw their monthly stipend,
while uncle Samuel ont fail, and
the division of this among landlady's
and shopkeepers, keep the axles Of
trade and exchange fabricated, and
no one starves, and no dream is in
dulged in of ever being rich
Could the panic have been confined
to unprincipled stock gamblers Of
Wall Street, it would have been a
God.send to the country, would have
purified the financial atmosphere, and
have aided every legitimate business
enterprise, but instead of this, they
had the power to stop trade and
manufacture and to send the wolf OF
starvation into the very homes of the
laborlng class; and that such a pow,
err can be welded by a handful OF
men, when we have abundant har-
vests, good health, reign of peace,
and our thousand fields open for pros
porous industry shows our legislation
at fault, or that we have 100 limited
room in our state prisons
CONGRESS.
This body supposed to represent
the peoples will, is in session, and
did think it wondering down upon its
collected heads, the odium and right
eous indignation which was visited
upon retiring congress, should be
ashamed to mention it. God forbid
that it should do so.
For that body to have spent an al
most entire session in the investiga-
ton Of the moral status of its mem
bers, and then to crown the perfidy
which was unearthed, by perpetrating
a robbery which cast the "Credit
Mobilier" far in the shade, was a
spectacle sickening to the people who
had hoped for, and had been promised
better things, and it is no wonder
they lose faith in humanity, and ask,
is honor dead, and has truth fed the
earth!
In the whole history of legislation
in this country, do not call to mind
another enactment which has so out
ragged the moral sense of the mass of
the people as did the passage of the
nAEIr nav uTTr