Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-06-13
our Washington Letter.
The NALcoSTEST =. cH1TAIKY" OF THE CAP
ITAL.-LEE AND MCCLELLAN TRIB-
UNE REPORTS OF SOUTHERN OPINION.



ed they stare at you out of eyes that al
furtive and dull, until their anger is excite
T. by Union sentiments. when their optics lgf
? up with the fixed, sheeny glare Of q freshl
cut segment of lead pipe, and then they q
g mutter. scowl and Mss hatefully. These al
, the seedy scions Of the - la.e lamented
e chivairy. the loafng .plebeia an element Of II
- old-time rebel population the small broker
backed limping politician breed, VINO wer
e stay al home rangers during the wa
praying and plotting Tor the success Of arm
they dared not WELD, yelling with deligh
over victory, gnashing their lantern Jaw
IN rage at defeat, cursing the government
In the closet and claiming its protection
the market place, daring everything TO de-
troy it that perilled neither life. nor lin
nor pocket
60 to q higher grade Of hostelries
and places Of other public entertainment
and YOU IND the decayed politician class o
older malcontents, patricians when SLAYER,
reirned supreme, now bewaiiing wit
r whisky wisdom and theatrical eloquen INT
Gegeneracy Of the TINES Born IN Wash
Ingt0n or the contiguous country Of Mary
land and Virginia, they cackle away shriliy
pridInC themselves on their traditiona
81 blood and family. and vet some Of then
hang around tipping places and free lunches
furnishing the ludicrous spectacle Of the
boosted representatives Of q" the blood Of a.
the Towards sucking their alcoholic sustsn-
ance out OF that portion Of mankind who
Away nave q deal more SIMPLE taifi
than " Norman blood They mutually
pour out upon one another an amount Of
stay defamation that would cause a man
20 be stunned asa common bore IN any New
England town Of 900 inhabitants II You
listen You will hear one pompous old strut
Numbering away as follows &c gu and
{ sir. we all, SIP. can remember that great
/ galaxy. great galaxy. SIP. Of GRAD men that
! used TO control affairs II this city, then ne
/ names O lot of dead rebe. politicians of .
/ OF 30 year ago. who never were heard of
! outside OF the District. Then another tedious
Z old relic of Southern centlemanhOod iakes
ID the wondr0us tale. brushes away the
cO1webs from l0t more face IN their
/ ne7er-endiug gallery OF iliustriou- OF
scuriues. croak~ away about the duels
fought 10 me nice quiet DAYS Of their
voutl drools and babble- about Bladen-
burg. and the fine. high-r0ne1 time when
Barron shot Decatur. and O. lot Of lesser
lights went out there TO he eztlnEuishel
then The mary literary gun of the group
opens a SLOW. regular nre of 0racuiar crit
cisms- such as were IN style htty wears ago.
delivering them with p0r1enr0us sound
emphasis and Importance. as fine was feed
INC s.; arriving world of letter. They all
remind ,7ou Of those traditional old gentle
men. So often satirizei ID New York ami
Boston papers. who once II i've OF ten YEAR
visit the theatre or opera. tempted on. OF
their arsJOcratic retirement ny the fame OF
some new '' star '', tney lister Eraveiy aud
critically. and when y0u praise aiway-
smile compassionatelv anl reply denrecs-
unE'y. " An. my dear SIT. TINS Tor YOU is
all very vel, but 1t Is nothing TO ne you
should have heard the elder aul Younger
hean. have heard Mis- Ellen ire On the
continent. SIT. I'D ny Doyho0d ] heard
Catalin.. In ny manhood applauded
LablGche. my middle wears were gladdenei
IN listening o. Gris. 81 al ;heso old
chaps teeter about 10 andlfr1. talking in the .
same spirit. solemniy declaring with inc
nrIatel gravity that the statesmen are all .
dead. THAT there are no honest men IN Con-
gress outside of The '' niEh-soulel ex-
rebels. whom the clemency OF the Rep1bl.- .
can party mas given chance 10 SIT again
10 the councils of that nation they broke
their swords 10 struggling 10 uphea7e.
They denounce the Republican party a.
rotten from scalp 90 sole. its few honest
men are fools. the President Is O fool. he
was 40 soldier. be is dishonest. and MS
aolne, band Of robDers The druuke-
hey get the more certain they arc that the
' n-n-a-a-shu 'sroin % the d-de7i " the
. p-pubic virshoo is -stinct." But il Won
would see the dull ewes of these old dorards
-l0w with baleful hight, wait until they
commence 20 talk about the late --r--
'ellIou- They dwei. with delight upon
eminiseenoes of Early Washington cam
laigu. nov easily he could nave taken the
ny Cd had It been IL the plan. ana cloa.
yer q certain mythical parting vollev 90
bat they have been taught TO believe
eclmatel a brigade Of the 9th Corps. that {
ursned too rapidly the retreatinc Jubal.
rec is always that '- grand old man.
rant that '' 0unrlInc butcher whose +
brute force " proved &c TOO many &c fo- the v
grand old man %. then they stand no In
row and murmur away that even the better
lrtIon Of the Union men North hsaved d e
On Of regret. and dropped on Lee grave q
nat they are pleased 10 POLITICALLY tern T.
pcariy tea- Of magnanimity. or p,
tear of peariy magnanimity. '' Z
An not certain which. as South v
o the rhetOriclans would fearlessly N
e either expression as very pretty incar- ~
.Il0n 81 tins very pretty sentiment ] d
mot neip thinking that the only EXPIRE
ln OF regret that ever heard North
IS regret that Lee had died so peacefully
ter all ms deTIlment. after causing
iamity enough 10 satisfy century. or. as
e Of the dry-witted boys Of Burlington
&c remarked 70 friend soliciting MS r. II
cts Tor Lee, the only regret Is that ne Sc
On bless the country. and honor himself -o
rfv- 1-~s- =
grave Of Lee mas been whiskied and an
tered into o condition of satisfactory IA
'cure and h0rescenco. these fellows nave so
ched the gloomy stage of the vicissitudes
lnehrlety- and every man Of them feels 81
Il the posture and the port ascribei bv an
tory 10 Marlus modify DrOOdIng on ms the
en fortunes md the ruins Of Carthage. Is
81 becoming 70 their state of peculiar
ea7ement. By and by MARCUS taxes it
,tner cOnsOIIng cocktail ana straight no
: changes TO maudlin Perieles. beruiiinr
interval between drinks with another NC
era Grafton over THE bes 'sblood of spe
gina, then the grave of Lee Is again T
gated The grand old man" isexhumed oo+
'conu time and another wake held over -
remains with endless and tiresome irers-
OF praise then comes close upon this -
theOsis Of Lee. the ''vicissitude" or
ID OF affected cand0r and marnanimitv a..
n they praise Mcclellan. who. while -
course plgmy 10 the giant Lee Is de-
ed 10 nave made a very respectable
I, 10 nave been worthy of a better n
sc, OF better tate than trying to make seyf
dIIaTy cOngiOmerate Of 'mudsills' van in {
AZ Inc mig h-souled Valor Of the South. dan
le-e would seem to be q logical sense h
-opTlety IN tins sequence of Lee and Me He
IAN for if Lee was the Gblesf general or a lo
'eoei slae, Mcclellan succeeded IN secur- a sv
the title OF unwittingiy having been the mon
Gbfesf on mar SIDE He belonged TO Firs
class Of Union commanders upon whom rula
JOnteoeraey learned to rely with con ruin
Ice Tor supplies of arms. food and trans q DIR
alton, cold, diiatory fighters who SIDE
AIMED laurels over the brows of Confed- witt
: generals determinedly, and despite of rarp
lie often shocking Incompetence and I'M wen
Ience of these rebel captains that wonld thro
made them early victims instead Of ance
rs. mao me pluncerlng been committed first
re as EEllful an eve and &c hold d, hoo-- -. :.