The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-03-29
SOMERSET, OHIO, MARCH 90, 1877.
WASHINGTON LETTER.

W
The public, all over the United States,
is interested in every bit Of gossip concern e
ing the affaiIs Of the White House and its
belongiDgs-even TO the stables and horses :
therein. The White House stables are in {
. bare lot just back Of the new State De-
partment and during the administration of
President Grant there was Away bustline
activity about the premies. He sometimes
had as many as ten or twelve horses there
and his hos'lers. like all his sevant., learn
ed to love the "Silent smoker" But now
the stables are dull and the hostlera. a.
well as the horses, have grow lazy. Presi-
dent Hayes has but two horses, both black,
not old and yet not spirited His carriages
have not yet come to Washington-will be
here Saturday. A party OF cOlored men
called upon the President yesterday to
thank him for the effective blow they con.
slider he has struck against race prejudice /
In the appointment of Fred Douglass TO the |
office Of United States Marshal for the
District OF Columbia. They told him that
they spake in behalf and in the name Of
tive millions Of American citizens (colored)
and that they considered this act (Mr.
Douglass, appointment) secondly to the
great, bene6cent and glorious one Of the
emancipation Of the slaves of our country. -
In reply, the President said that this
was but the beginning Of what he intended
during his administration and that he
meant to give practical effect to the thir-
teenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth amend
ments.
Within few days suit has been served up
on ex- President Grant by man quite lately
from an insane asylum who claims damages
to the amount of ten thousand dollars for
false imprisonment during the defendants
Administration. 1t is mystrious that law
yers could be found to prosecute such suit
but so it is and the notice has been served
The facts as known show only that this
man, Thomas Biggins, hung around the
White House and grounds for weeks. a
year or two ago, saying that be had parti.
cuIar business with the President. As he
was evidently one Of those poor harmless
demented creatures who are always wan
derins abou. the country, no notice was ia
ken Of him till one day when the Presi.
dent was walking in the grounds, the man
confronted him with a club, threatening
his life. Then he was taken 10 the station
BY policeman, examined by a physician
pronounced insane and placed in the Dis
trict Asylum. Mrs. Sartoris (nee Nellie
Grant) has son, born last Saturday. The
Southern question is the chief political in
terest just now. Yesterdays Graphic put,
tie case plainly. "The country may a.
we'll understand first as last that there is {
conflict in the Cabinet as to the propriet,
OF removing the troops from Louisiana
and South Carolina. The President is un
able to get his Cabinet to agree as TO wba
IS best to be done. Some of its members d,
not see their way clear to abandon Packard
and Chamberlain, while others, urge tha
some decisive step should be taken immed
lately. The difficulty is really serious, bu
the President is firm in his determination
to restore self-government to the people o
those two states. To settle the matter fin
ally, the good Offices of Vice Presidep
Wheeler, have been invoked. He is abou
topay formal visit to Charleston and Ne,
Orleans at the head of commission {
such high character as to give sanction
whatever meantime is proposed.
Nice-President Wheeler left for Ne
York this morning 20 make his prepar,
tions. and will return to Washington mel
week. Senator David Davis of Illinoi
will, 1t is understood accompany him, b.
the other members Of the commission ha,
not yet been decided upon.
While the President wishes TO act at on
and decidedly, the matter is SO complicat,
that he finds il best to make haste slowl
and Vice President Wheeler was so succes
fnl in the famous Louisiana compromi
that he seemed to the President the fittt
person to engage in this task of concili
hon. The Republican advisors of I
President of note want Democrats to
present those states in the Senate. But
Is understood that Vice. President WheeI
is not sent to make any bargain but to
wise settlement which will be permane
and which will restore these two states
their just relations with the general GC
ernment. In the meantime the troops "
not be removed, and the difficulty may
settled by the voluntary retirement Of
contesting Governors, upon guarntees bel
given that the black-race will be protec
and that law and order will be maintain
by the Governor and legislature VIII ich
present the whole people of the respect
state. NJ. NJ. w