Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-08-01
Our Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON ,Tnlv %

ing here last week, has yielded to one
of unqualified condemnation, quite as
general, at the excuses of and the
wanton destruction Of property, aggre-
eating many millions, by mobs at many
different points throughout the country,
during the past seventy-two hours,
particularly in Pittsburgh and Balti-
more. The demand for their suppress
sion everywhere, grows more imperative
as the first duty demanded by every
interest, few hours Of mob violence
having made it obvious to every reflect
ing mind that the very foundations of
society are imperiled by its continuance
and that the whole structure of civili-
zatiou is tottering above the black abyss
of communism and absolute anarchy.
There has been 40 distur bance here and
very little evidence of disaffection.
The moderate crowd of Saturday about
the Baltimore & Ohio depot was some
what increased yesterday. A few ruff
fan stragglers from Baltimore have
made their appearance from time to
time, and when not directly under the
surveillance Of the police, they have
mace some attempts to intimidate the
employees Of the road who remained on
duty about the depot, usually without
success. Excited groups were plenty
upon the street corners all day yester-
day, and others were collected at the
telegraph Offices and at the hotels.
| Nothing was talked of but the strike
and its probable consequences. Oppo-
nents to every Shade Of opposition to
the resumption policy were heard expos
tulating against it as the parent of all
the evils from which we are suffering;
and the prediction was often heard that
an immediate session Of Congress would
| be called and that the Administratio
would change front relative to It's fnan-
! cial programme. Departmental ofhci-
ais took tic alarm Saturday night and
it was determined to put the Treasury
t building Ia a defensive condition. Sec
retary Sherman being represented as
particularly nervous over the situation,
having imbibed exaggerated notions Of
the danger from passing through Bal
timore, not without some difficulty,
during the height Of the excitement,
on his return from his tour up the
coast. The appreheLsiors Of the dis
asterous results Of an attack upon the
Treasury under ordinary circumstances
by determined mob, are amply justi-
| fed in the minds of those most familiar
with its dcfenceless condition. The
President came in from the Soldiers
Home, attended church, and two
meetings Of the Cabinet, and portion
Of the clerical force ofthe Departments
were on duty as were some Of the Sec
retaries most of the day. The arrival
of two companies of troops by boat
early in tko morning from Fortress
Monroe and Ft. Foote, had reassur-
| ing effect; but the order commanding
the presence OF two national vessels,
in addition to those now here, was
countermanded and they proceeded to
Baltimore instead. The President is
represented as very earnest in bis
expressions of deter mination to sup
press the rioters by the employment of
ali force lawfully at his disposal, but is
said not to have encouraged the belief
of an early call for the meeting of
Congress. But underlying the uni
form approval Of the authorities to
stamp out the insurrection at whatever
cost, there remains a conviction that
the railroad magnates have provoked
the present outbreak by their greed
and disregard of the rights of their
employees, in their anxiety 10 declare
large dividends and to add to their
own superabundant means; and at the
proper time they may prepare them
selves for such a storm otreproach ard
criticism as they have never before
encountered, judging from the temper
displayed here; and the Democratic
members of the late Congress may ex-
pect more nerciless and scathing re.
view of their work during the last two
sessions OF Congress that resulted in
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