The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1874-05-09
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, D. c., May End, 1874.
EDITOR CHIEF:

| EDITOR CHIEF
Monday was the day assigned for
the eulogies upon Sumner IN ooth
houses. AS could not be In both
places selected the Senate as likely
to be of most interest and, by going
early, secured comfortable seat on
one of the steps of the gallery and
stayed through the proceedings.
There was considerable sameness of
thought in the several discourses, but
the tributes, while just and eompli-
mentary and eulogistic, were want
ing in warmth and depth of feeling.
They sounded too much like 3 sort of
owning up to Summers greatness,
with mental reservations of consider
able size. Thurman and Anthony
delivered the most symetrical ora
lions and the. most sympathetic, ex-
cept in the latter quality, perhaps
Mr.. Pratt's was equal. Thurman
endeavored to be just to Summers
opinions, but evidently regarded him
as o very unsound constitutional
lawyer, and an unsafe guide in law
or politics. For ability, purity, to-
nacity, kindness and all gentlemanly
qualities, he was generous in praise,
candid in statement and did himself
honor as he usually does.
Boutwell, was sepulchral, and some
what bitter upon the enemies of the
dead Senator. Morrill, of Vermont
was ornate, lengthy and tiresome,
Sargent poetical, Spencer very good.
The new Senator from NewHampshire,
Wadleigh, made a brief speech but he
is by no means to be compared with
the late Senator Patterson in oIatorical
ability. Anthony of Rhode Island was
the only Senator who spoke without
notices.
There were present on the floor
Minister Sehenck, Ben Wade and Vice
President Wilson, and in the members
families gallery, was the Senatorial
form and dignifed presence of Fred.
Douglass, as Senatorial in bearing as
the best of them, ard more truly an
orator than any man who brought his
eloquence to trial on this occasion.
The liberal party which received
such an impetus at the hands of Mr..
Sumner did not take part in the
exercises. Schurz had gone to Boston
and Fenton and Upton sat and list
ened; Conkling and Morton were not
present. On the whole, the scene was
not so grandly impressive as it would
have been had the Senate still re-
tanned to or three men of tho Sumner
pattern, or had Sehurz and Conklin
been there to do. their part in what
was intended to be an august occasion.
During the exercises the marble
bust of Sumner stood on q pedestal
near the door to the right of the chair,
draped in mourning. 1t is an excellent
representation of the features of
Charles Sumner.
In the House, the principal speech
was made by E. R. Hoar, and was a
finer effort than any made in the
Senate tits said, due partly no doubt
to tho fact that Mr.. Hoar was more
nearly and more persistently in SYM
pathy with the ideas of the dead
statesman. Mr. NesInith of Oregon, and
Mr.. Lamer of Miss, spoke of Mr..
Sumner as could hardly have been
expected from such intense opponents,
giving him credit for courage, and
moral principle of the highest order.
The House speeches ::seem to be bet
ter as q whole than the Senate.
The horse and carriage question
has been up again on proposition of
the committee on appropriations to
allow Baker of the Pension Office one
hundred dollars per month for keep
ing one horse. By polite fiction, such
as committees understand, the car
riage was called wagon" as
though the reformatory Baker and
his family were ever seen riding about
Washington in a wagon. Killinger
of Penn, was under the impression
that horse could he boarded for
twenty-five dollars per month, and
made motion to allow that sum.
Then Garfield announced that last
year it cost more than 800 per
a u