Wilmington journal., 1876-02-25

History and Gossip-Mr. Kerr's Iii-
ness MIR. Cox as Sp<aker-Why
LeglsiAaIoa e. aansseass SiOWiy''-
Romaace in the Senase Ch nm ber-

WASHINGTON, Feb. l9, 1875.
In the old hall of Representa-
tives in Washington, where such ob-
soletc statesmen as Webster, Cay and
Calhoun, used 30 Discourse upon the
Constitution, feder Il relations and
Missouri compromise, there is a curious
clock, the di.l of which repre-
sents the wheel of q chariot upon
which the muse of history stands. re-
porting. for the newspapers, perhaps,
as the chariot rolls and time flies. She
is rHthar more classic in appearance
than the average has been that fre-
quents the gelleries of the House and
| Senate, and goes to all the recep-
tione; but, although she writes with
the clock, she is scarceiy more indus
triOus than they have been this season,
| writing gossip and society matter as 1t
| is called.
There are many antithesis between
Clio aud the conventional females re-
porter, bus [ will not trouble you with
| them moe than to say, that one is sup
posed TO write chronicles for posterity,
| while the other scribbles for the mo-
| ment. But let us not despise the
work OF the newspaper correspondent.
| Clio has written tones and hecatOmbs
VI hio'oiy Duo Ao' 0ul'o on"o Hu"oh
| truth. Our correspond Mt has spun
much thln, almost impalpable, gossip,
| but [ sometimes think it is bout as
reliable rs history, aud about as use-
full. She endeavors in her imperfect
way to hold mirror up to her time,
and that small portion of the world
that represents her horizon. The
most that Clio can do, is to select
from the debris of Babel the material
for her splendid historical monuments.
which, after all, furnish but little
guidance. only subject FOR disputation
to the Shermans and Boyntons the
Blaires aud the Hills. The boy may
have commenced his historical course
with Herudatus and he may have con
Guided with Bancroft's last edition, he
| will SIMPLY know much that has been
| written, much of the distorted fiction
called history, very little of the ueedily
truth.
One cause of the defects of history
is plain. Clio gets her infor mat o u
second hand from gossip, and the
artist of the future viii abandon the
classic modes, and, with a deeper in :
| sight, paint the muse of history in a
purely natural and feminine situation
with her ear at the kay-hole of the
apartment of gossip. 1t is our privi-
| legcs, thanks TO steam, electricity and
the nineteenth century. to see history,
to observe the events IN their lncep-
ton and to study them ere they set
below the horizon of our time. He
who does this will have truer and
more helpful chart of the present (the
only time, by the way. in which he has
much interest) than the crammed
anachronism who has read everything
from Herodstus to Bancroft. Moral:
read the papers.
In writing the above, I have, all
along, been embarrassed by the vision
of Rhadamsthine editor who wishes
to know what all this twaddle has to
do with the fresh, spicy aud interest
ing letter on Washington matters, that
l agreed to write each week; and why
such stnff could not AS we'll be written
from "Goose Greek" as from the ma
tional capital.
My apology must be a dearth of
news Since Mr. Biaine's awkward
compilation from what Senators Thur
man and Schurz had long ago much
better said. on The financial question,
thereEhas occurred nothing of much
il terest in either the Senate or the
House
MR.. KERR's TEMPORARY RESIGNATION OF
THE SPEAKERS CHAIR
has occasiOned some alarm among bis
friends Ii re, and, although but little.
ls said abont it, there are grave
whispers that his delicate health is
even more delicate than has been sup
posed, and that his absence may be
prolonged much beysnd the time, one
week. which he asked for rest.
MR.. COX IN THE SPEAKERS CHAIR
fl uri.hes the R-vei with more dignity
than was expec. ed, [ had almost said
hoped, by his Democratic friends. His
oug experience in thn House, his
familiarity with parliamentary rulc>.
his wide acqu.intanc" with members,
together with his a,ertness and uni
versal popularity have made his selec-
tion as speake- pro tenn. highly salts
factory to both Dem Gratis and Repub-
licans; but the wisdom of para!yz ng
him. as it were, by placing him
in the chair, is dsnbted by
those who have appreciated his
ability and eternal vigilance on the
floor.
| DILATORY LEGIsLATION.
There is much complaint in tie ranks
of the opposition about the slowness
of legislation. There is evident fear
that unless the Democrats crush
things" and bluDder, the great party
of ''moral ideas" will be ruined.
Conservative deliberation is bitter to
them, and in disagreeable contrast
with the radical clap trap that has
ruled in Legislation for the last ten
or fifteen years, and which found it's
climax in the force bill. The Demo
cratic majority. like all mora forces,
is working slowly, but it is working
surely. The Augean stables were not
cleaned in day, yet they had been
fouled by only three thousand oxen.
| There are S5, 900 in the administration
stall now, fed rom the public crib.
There will not be SO many when the
present Congress completes it's work.
The numerous Investigations that
were organized are working quietly.
One of them has discovered that the
immaculate jewell has been paying as
| q government clerk a man from Ar
| kansas who did not work one day
in the Postofice department., but
| spent his time, by order of the Post
| speeches in Connecticut. This is onlv
| one of hundreds of such frauds as
| have been perpetrated for years almost
without protest. aud it is Impossible
m stop them, except by cutting down
| the appropriations till cabinet miriis-
| ters are left without a cent to spend
| for the party.
CUPID IN THE SENATE CHAMBER.
Society has not yet recovered from the
| sensation of the recent senatorial mis-
salliance. This is what they call the
marriage of a nineteen year old maiden
with a widower and a 1ooterJa'faitias of
s'xty-four. Our gossips have been
| gate severe upon the young lady and
her schemiug moths r. who, it seems,
were a. the same boarding house and
played sunshine and angel TO tho
rnl ged old Michigan Senator during a
ori' illness. Bur ais d! for the rar1ery
| If charity, would not these same
gossip have done tn" erm" .hin& If
hey ha1 had the oppOrtt!uly .;r enter