The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-12-22
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

In view of the charges Ofdeliberate,
premeditated murder that have fol-
lowed Hamburg Butler into the
United States Senate, his intense So
licitude to be investigated concerning
the relatively unimportant matter of
a corrupt bargain between himself
and Patterson whereby the latter
bound himself to vote and work for
his tButle r's) admission, is certainly
very suggestive of the gastronomic
inconsistency of straining at gnat,
whereas any number of camels of the
most astonishing bulk were previ-
ously swallowed at one gulp without
the suspicion ola grimace to indicate
that deglutition in that instance was
either painful or unpleasant. The
resolution looking to an investigation
was introduced Saturday but the
request of Thurman and other apollo
gists for an immediate consideration
in the few moments left the Senate
before the holiday adjournment, was
objected to and it goes over as unfin-
ished business. Whatever doubt eX-
listed as to the truth of the alleged
bargain, has been dispelled in the
minds of many by the action of the
''reform" Democratic South Carolina
Legislature in ordering the discontin-
uance ofall prosecutions against Pat
terson, thus condoning his alleged
crimes.
So far as can be learned, the tilt be-
tween Senators Conkling and Gordon
last Friday in executive session,
came about in this way. Gordon had
urged taking up nomination out Of
its order, and its rejection, because it
was not approved by the two Sena-
tors from Georgia Gordon and Hill. J
Without addressing any one in par
ticular Mr.. Conkling remarked, "Oh
let us go on with the calendar"
GordOn's "honor" was atonce WOun.
ded, and in an insulting tone he ac-
cused the NRg Yorker officiating to
the Vice President. Mr.. Conkling
then addressed the chair, and point
ing to the man with lacerated honor,
affirmed the statement to be false
The Southern heart was at once fired
and the Senate was appalled, to hear
his words of deadly import that Mr..
C0nkling might as well attend at
once to those mundane matters re
curing his personal supervision, in
Guiding, as supposed, his last will
and testament; as he had got to be
settled with for his i'll advised utter
ances. Flying directly in the face of
Providence, C0nkling declared his
readiness to pass the trying ordeal
then and there; but Georgia, in an
ominously sepulchral tone, intimated
that the process would be Of such a
shocking character that the Senate
chamber was no place for the enact
ment ofsuch tragedy as was certain
to come off. Now Mr.. Gordon's
language was susceptible Of only one
construction, namely duck If that
was not its purport, then it must be
accepted as the frothy vapOrings of Il
bully. The matter furnised topic
for much excited conversation and
speculation for the next twenty four
hours but mutual friends have found
way Of promoting cicatrization of
the wounded honor" by entering at
large on the Legislative Journal Of
the Senate statement to the effect
that the heat evolved was wholly
due to a misunderstanding which
was subsequently explained, satisfac-
torily to all concerned. 1t will be
regarded by many as pretty small
hole for letting Mr.. Gordon out of a
very ugly predicament into which
his staggering plantation manners
had betrayed him. 1t is too late by
fully 20 years to attempt to revive
the ruffian regime here at the Nation
al Capital. After the civllizing and
outstanding influences which SUI
perceded it at the beginning of the
war, such retrograde movement
would be abhorrent to all but the
comparatively few who still refer to
that period, anterior to the war,
when mel, women and children were
marched, manacled, through the
streets to the slave pen and auction
block, like so many cattle on their
way to the shambles. as "the good
old times" of Democratic rule.
The victory Ex-senator Conkling in
the matter of Arthur and Cornell as
Collector and Naval Officer at New
York, and the rejection of Roosevelt
and Prince by whom it was sought
to supercede them, is regarded in the
light of "a personal triumph of the
Senator over Evarts, George William
Curtis and others of that faction who
have sought to wound him, and in