The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1878-06-21
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

ana so great IS the expression OF ulsap-
probation that we regard it as probable
the time will be extended at least two
weeks, under a reconsideration Of the
adjourning resolutions; otherwise, the
five-miuute rule must certainly be ap-
piled to all discussion upon the business
under consideration, for few measures
will be acted upon should free debate be
permitted, no matter if sixteen-hOur
sessions be held instead of the customary
hours from eleven to four. The real
business accomplished thus far is COW
cred by very few bills, hence, If any
attempt is made to adjourn on the 18th
Of June, much Of material Importance
will be neglected or passed in that hasty,
careless manner which invariably opens
the door to loose or impolitic legisla-
tion. The last days Of Congress are usu-
ally shame aud disgrace to the coun-
try, for in them are concentrated that
| legislation which should have been
spread over the entire session under
fullest deliberation.
I
pretty generally. Congress adjourned
over, by order Of the President all the
executive departments were closed, and
our people fairly poured out of the city
in excursion parties and to decorate the
graves at the various cemeteries in our
suburbs. Arlington is usually the great
resort, though the cemetery at Soldiers
Home contains nearly as many graves.
But the storm marred and brought the
/ ceremonies to an abrupt close. On the
/ Seventh-street road, near the Soldiers
Home, is the monument erected to the
memory of the ninety men who fell at
that point while resisting Early's at
tack on the city in 1864. It was deco
rated with some few flowers, but really,
as a matter Of fitness, it should have
been the most highly hOnored, for, but
for these brave men and their gallant
comrades who escaped injury, Early
would have entered Washington, and
by destroying and laying waste to it,
the ruin of the government might have
been accomplished. We would have
been a nation without a capital, and
Early's success, perhaps, the end of the
opposition to the confederacy. We, at
) the time, saw many of the dead heroes,
} who sleep under this shaft, with their
ghastly wounds speaking their devotion
to their country, and cannot now resist
the thought that Washington should
put them and their lovely monument
in the place Of highest honor, ard give
them ever the holiest reverence. The
soldiers burial place is upon the battle
field, where be gave up his life, and the
proudest monument Of Washington
should be the one covering the handful
Of patriots.
Our papers have published interesting
letters from Alexander II. Stephens and
] Postmaster General Key, giving their
|, views upon Mr.. Potter's Presidential
resolutions, and both handle these
measures with no gingerly words. Both
declare them revolutionary in their ten
I dency and productive only Of evil, il
pushed to fullest extent. The reader Of
! their letters would hardly conclude that
! the writers had been identified with the
confederacy when noting their devotion
to Mr.. Hayes and their solicitude for
undistuTbed peace throughout the coun-
try. The opinion seemingly grows
: stronger here daily that the whole mat
ter will prove a silly farce in the end,
because the people will not permit that
! Mexieanization Of our government
r which Messrs. Stephens and Key so
freely charge upon the supporters Of the
] resolutions as a consequence Of their
= acts.
t The Senate licked our District govern
ment bill into pretty good shape, and it
: is likely the House will accept the ma
] jority Of the amendments made by the
Senate. The differences between the
two Houses upon this bill will doubtless
be speedily harmopized by a committee
e. OF conference, and then we will be in a
position where we can feel we have a
definite city government. The clause
5 requiring the United States to pay one
r half the cost Of governing the District
, has not been disturbed. The debate in
, the Senate showed couclusively that
= the District should not bear greater bur
D dens Of taxation than the nation. Mr.
Bayard, of Delaware, went so far as ia
say that the government should pay
! even more than half, because it received
more than half the benefits following
/. expenditures made here for public pur-
! poses, and yet, in the past, our citizens
have expended one-half more than Con-
. gressional appropriations for District
,, , purposes.
D 1t now seems settled that Congres.
= will erect a separate building for the
national bureau Of engraving and print.
/ ing. Senator Thurman has Withdrawn
his objections, he having heretofore op
e posed, on the grounds that it cost th,
government more to do its own PRINTING
than 10 have it done under contract
e aud that one impression printed by pri
e vate parties operated as a check agains
fraud and loss. He frankly stated, how
ever, in Tuesdays debate, that investi
: CATION had caused him to reach differ
4 ent conclusions, hence he would favo
i 'he experiment. FELIX.
Washington, D. c., May 81, 1878.
The way to glory is through the pal
4 To .rfr u