New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-07-02
Notes from the Capital.


running eastwardly the other morning, CO.
silly thinking upon some favorite topic, was
suddenly brought to a stand-still in both
mind and body, and bodily turned in direc-
ton to that which was tending.
On reaching the depot, the point where
the human tide here flows in and out of the
Capital, the spacious saloons and reception
rooms and cars were found to be packed and
running over with well-attired and we'll
looking, and evidently well-kept muscular
old gentlemen, with large bald heads, and
sngularly shrewd and prying eyes and self
satisfied faces.
What, with his oddly-stuffed carpet-bag,
linen buster and shabby hat, each looked the
plethOric country lawyer with pockets lined
with golden eagles of the last coinage of
Uncle Sans mint.
Who were these strong-minded men, SO
many of whom We're seldom out of doors in
any place:
One ancient friend, himself evidently just
arrived, suggested that they were Board of
Aldermen on rampage. Another, his COM
panion, thought they were the Board of Pub
lie Works or the Board of Public Health, Oh
a picnic; to all of which was forced to re-
ply that the Board of Aldermen being among
the things of the past, and the other good
Boards being now on a rest from their labOrs
and had gone to refreshment, none of these
grave bodies were to be found in the weghty
looking gentlemen before us.
AT this moment a long line of baggage
wagons laden with trunks, packs, sacks, and
bags, more curious than the emptyings of
Noah's Ark, came dashing up, and soon told
the ignorant loaker-on that it was congress
who was present IN this place, and at this
information the said lOokers-on, said to each
other, did not our hearts burn within us as
Congress looked at us?
But it was Congress, sure enough - Con-
gress Of the United States departing this
town in the June Of 1874.
Every face of Congressman it had many
faces-was looking out in every direction Of
the country doubtless for the main chance !;
and every back-for it had many backs
was turned upon the deserted Capital upon
the hill.
A whistle, shrill whistle, and Congress
departed the Capitol and this Capital, to be
mourned over by both, and both wondered
whether Congress had done good or i'll not
in departing this life, but in agtatng, inves-
tigating, legislating and appropriating, in all
of which they had engaged much.
One cOlored friend said emphatcally Con-
gress had done nothing, in that it had failed
=" give him civil rights.
To this another retOrted that he had not
ushed hard his claim, had not. used all
possible means himself to obtain these rights
he had not deserved them at the hands of
Congress that work and vigilance was the
price Of merit and the true measure of appre-
citation.
These two men were honest in their views
and each represented a class who desire
earnestly these rights, one feeling keenly
the disappointment Congress had occasiOned
in not granting these rights, and the other
feeling as keenly the failure of his people,
under false leaders, to do all that was in
their power for the securement of these
rights.
these very false leadcrs-for the various Sec
tons were representative engaged in con-
versation, and it was soon manifest that this
one was leader for money and that one for
office; that the one in this group was for
what he could make and the one in that group
was for what he could grab. One here
shouted for the dear people, and another
there hurrahed for the dear people. All
these were each a representative of a class of
false and vile leaders Of an honest mass they
had and were deceiving; and were ready like
the Kilkenny cats to eat, for the dear people,
each other up.
These men are smoulderng volcanoes
within the great colored masses. But let
these beware! Let all beware! For, my
dear Townsfolks Afar, as l sit here in the
vacant Capitol of the nation, l see more
clearly than in the vision John saw, silent,
grand, and to the political eye, almost i'm
movable, living human mountain, noun
tain composed of four millions Of people-of
black people-of my people-n the midst
Of the nation, casting its sober but certain
shadow over all.
Like the coral reefs which for centuries
have been upbuilding, SO this human noun
tain, over three hundred years in attaining
its present magnitude, now more solid than
granite, broader than the continent and high
er than Mount Blanc, looks earnestly down
upon every national act, and every individu-
al act concerning it; come they from within
or from without.
Strong and powerful opponents may labor
for the removal of this gigantic human noun
tain mass from its place; men of low degree
end limited information may predict and de-
sire its upheaval; professional politicians and
small statesmen may peck at and girdle it,
and its own pigmy offspring. such as l have
instanced, may burrow far within, and steal
out with their plumber; still there it stands,
and there il will stand, unless these--its own
internal fires, famed by combined Opposings
become consuming volcanoes which alone
can undermine and destroyit.
And should it ever come to this, may
these fires, the lit up and consuming carcass
ses Of these pigmy leaders, burst out on
every side, and in their intensity Overrun
with human lava the entire land, leaving
nothing animate or inanimate to tell the
story of its consummation.
Mere anon.
a.