Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1876-12-07
Our Washington Letter


6 Special Correspondence of the OBSERVER
WASHINGTON, DC, Dec. l, &c
Thanksgiving day has passe,
, and for various reasons was a
! little like the Thanksgiving
! days Of old as can we'll be i'm
agined. In the first place, th'
weather was anything but ell.
, joyable, and the general stagna.
ton of business owing to The
unhappy condition of politica
affairs made a marked change
in the style OF celebration. The
custom Of naming a certain day
as a national holiday to be de-
voted to thanksgiving and pray
er, was inagurated by Mr.. Lin
coin during the war; previous
to which time it had been Gus
tomary for the Governors of the
States to designate day, and
the same day was seldom sclec-
ted by two States; consequent
tly the observance was not sim
lultaneOus throughout the I'm
ion. Now the proclamation of
the President calls upon the ma
ton TO rejoice and be glad when
ever he feels there is occasion.
| will not shock the picty of
my readers by saying that as Il
nation we, in the present status
of affairs, have little TO be
thankful for, but | must say that
in comparing our country's
condition to-day with what it
was twenty years ago, the Ian
guage Of the Jewish captivcs
will become our mouths: "By
the rivers Of Babylon, there we
sat down-yea, we wcpt when
we remembered Zion. We
hanged our Aarps upon the will
lows in the midst thereof. For
they that carried us away cap
tive required of us IL song; and
they that wasted us required of
us mirth.' That we cannot
give so full and hearty thanks,
as otherwise We might, is the
fault Of President Grant. If
he had done his simple duty, if
his aets had carried out his fine
phrases about justice and hon
esty, if he had simply withheld
his hand from mcddling with
matters forbidden to him, this
Thanksgiving Day would have
been celebrated as cordially and
dcvoutly as any other. But
that he has interfcred, in the
most unwarrantable manner, a
single glance at affairs in the
States of South Carolina, Flor
ida and Louisiana will be suf-
ficicnt to convince the most
skeptical observer. TWAS cur
rcntly reported here last night,
that in spite of Grants bayo-
nets, i'll fact through the con-
niVancc of the commanding Of
ficcr, the Democratic branch of
The Legislature of South Caro-
lima, who have the majority, had
taken possession of the State
House and, having organized,
would proceed to declare Wade
Hampton Governor. 1t is sta
ted upon excellent authority
that prominent officer Of Gen.
Sherman's staff arrived here on
Thursday night and reported to
the General yesterday. He
says that he was stationed in
the counties Of Edgefeld and
Laurens and had every oppor-
tunity to observe the condition
Of affairs upon election day.
lie saw no disturbance of any
kind, and as far as any force or
intimidation being used, it eX-
listed only i'll the brain of those
who asserted it. He states that
not only the members Of the
Legislature, but also the Presi-
Dental electors from those two
counties, are fairly entitled to
their seats.
In New Orleans the serio
comico farce Of "Mrs. Pinkston"
before the canvassing board
has completely broken down;
there is little doubt that John
Ray, ex-Congressman Frank
Morcy and 0. II. Brewster fixed
the thing up for political effect.
Their past career proves them
to be capable of just such n ,
scheme. The woman has been
fairly proven to be of most in
famous character and has con-
tradictcd herself in almost eve
ry statement, and in others her
falsity has been established by
irrcfutable evidence. Gov. !
Biglcr, Gov. Palmer, Mr.. Smith,
and Mr.. Julian, all northern
men, concur in pronouncing it
base and groundless frand,
Mr. Julian saving. "Thcy ulaycd