New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-11-30
An na.Hand Picture of the National Gap.
iras.


| That Cuba's rebels may shudder o ef.
An On.Hand Picture of the NatiOSai Vap
itag.
BY WALT WHITMAN.
Room for the Forty third Congress! AI
nroacbing land many already nerej' tIl
makers OF the national laws and OF the al
mnortant rules of finance and commerc
and taxation will soon formally convene II
their GREAT rooms of lilac and gold. IN
close hand session of 1884 is being pre-
pared. and there are fresh carpets ne" an
more numerous desks, and an actlve arm.
of painters, carpenters ana upnolstereiie
raising dust and noise, and making ready
or rather finishing up, in every part Vi LII
grand editice. u.,
The spectacle is significant one. FROM
busy New Engl and, with its factories, nsh
cries. teeming villages and towns from l!i'
wealthy and populous Empire State; from
Pennsylvania, region of iron and coal ano
oil: from Ohio and the prairie States, ant
tue States that the large lakes lave; IRON
Missouri and Kansas; from California anC
the broad lands toward the western shore
and from Virginia, Tennessee and texas
and the regions of cotton and sugar; IRON
all the far and separate parts and localities
Atlantic Pacific, Mississippi valley, ana sc
down to the Mexican Gulf, come vending
their way to Capitol Hill the Representa-
tives of the people, and the Senators OF TINS
peerless republic of ours, now approaching
in all majesty and prosperity, the centen
NAL of its birth and growth.
And while interest and attention are Sc
generally directed to the forthcoming SEES
sion of Congress intensified by the Cuban
news and the financial problems), and while
there are SO many readers to whom an OFT
hand description of the current scenes OF
the national edihce would be new and OPP
perfume, we feel sure the following por-
trature of some of these scenes. and OF the
great hall of the Capitol, and character
istic debate in it, will be acceptable to all.
Our object is to take the reader. as it were,
personally with us never minding the wet
night, ascend the steps, and, out of the
Infinite and varied shows which are always
to be offered by longer or shorter session
of the houses, select one occupying from
two to three hours, the view OF which, as
we present it, will give a fair inkling both
of the building and the methods of legisla
ton.
OF all who visit Washington probably
nine -tenths go away without ever getting at
the real character and points OF the public
buildings. The Capitol must be seen at
night, well lit up. He or she who has not
seen it has not fully seen it at all. 1t may
a.so be said that the most characteristic
session OF the Representatives is one OF those
meetings which occur toward the END of
the session, continued after dark. on some
important, well-c0ntested topic. Very diff
ferent are they from the dull and prosy day
sessions. Then everything jumps: the
speeches are short and sharp; every eye is
on the watch, and the place is full of nerve
and magnetism. It is. therefore. to such a
night session and such debate in the past
that We invite the reader to accompany us.
All parts of the Capitol-rotunda, cor
ridors. stairways, with the House and SEN
below-look superbly when brilliantly Lit
ap-very different from their dim appear
ance by day. They all need good deal of
minute study. By day the largest proper
ton OF the interior work is lost being in
places where it is too dark to see its fine
design and finish and surprising beauty of
color. Indeed, it is in this latter particular
Of color that the interiors of the Capitol
get their best effects. Plentiful Gas light
has a magical result upon all. Think of the
Inference IN theatre and ali its scenery
whether you view it by night or by day
only here everything is perfect and genuine
work and material, and no sham
Passing down Pennsylvania avenue and
entering the Capitol grounds, the first thing
hat strikes one is the fiag, beautiful and
spiritual, UP aloft there, out of the dark
less, floating lovely as dream, translucent
he red stripes, with the spangled blue and
he white stars Illuminated, delicate, very
singular and clear while all below is mass
If shade. Our flag looks well anywhere.
)ut is never seen to more advantage than
)eamlng in the darkness, as if emanating
is own light above the great dusky out
ines of the architecture Of the Capitol.
We ascend the steps. Take it ie;surelv.
or there are several long tights. The ro.
unda makes fine show to night. There |
ire groups OF people around the old pic !
ures in the panels. The dome towers in |
Is unsurpassedly perfect proportions, and |
,gy frescoed on the ceiling
You pass along through the old hall of |
he House of Representatiyes-nov begin |
.ing to be peopled with statues, surrounded |
~ the heavy columns OF notified marble |
md overlooked by colossal and halmeted |
entering the new south wing |
II the building another generation makes !
tself at once apparent. You first notice |
he pavements you are sreadins Oh, en- /!
austic tiles; pottery, AZ 'oIors burnt i'll
ream. gray, duns blue yellow. etc, with |
gures, expanding leaves, centre pieces. |
essellaoions-very beautiful-aH through |
he passages. You scan the great window
nd door frames OF bronze, and stair railinps
aading below, and chandeliers, and broad |
marble balustrades, either white or fecked
With salmon hues or chocolate OF pale bIue
Iou stand a long while 70 look at the su
erb and massive staircase that ascends tn
he gallery OF the House Of Representatives.
nd 4 longer while ac Emanuel Lentz's
reat painting IN fresso up there on the
Tall, intended to illustrate che idea. West
YARD the star of empire takes its way an |
immigrant train on the ridges Of the Rocky
l0asltalns. You view both staircase and
icture from many points, and feel that Won
III have come again to really absorb Them
on look up and you look down and realize
hat here is real grandeur, real architecture
cal art, and that altogether it is about a.
luch as Sou can hold for the nonce. Take
\ well this spot-the marble, the fresco.
ne mass of coloSs, the great balustrade, the
cilsh the SpacIOuSness and finish tIa |
Jrms so free, the imperial lines and curves
]r yol will never meet their superors,
AS before said. we can not better give
hat specimen sample which probably hes+
lustrates life in the huge v bite palace on I
apitoi Hill than by furnishing our readers.
5 we now proceed to do, with a runnin,.
en- and ink sketch taken on the spotl 81
busy night session in the House Of Rem.
esentatlVes, toward the close of a late Con
ress, comprising hot debate on the nro.
osed internal revenue tax bill. The Housa
as resolved itself into committee of the
hole on amendments, to get the bill into
lape. OF course, the friends of the varions
lterests and products represented ia diff,
,rent sections are all on the alert, as great
ecunlary values are at stake. (All comes
ack at last to products and taxes,
ne speeches are strictly limited to
n minutes-or perhaps five-and the
ang OF the gavelhammer, a. the
7f9e OF the instant, comes down some.
lne5 with ludlcrous effect. Honorable
70. Copies of the bill. its Vita ny u, "a
ages spread wide open. are to he ss an",so
e desks of all the members, and are oft oa
ID anxlously scanned. la the gallarias
80 many OF the visitors have these Err";'
as, the leaves of rrhiAL - ."ooo tsef0t- |