The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1878-09-07
Our Washington Letter.


, EDITOR CHIEF:
General Sherman having left Wash
ington for trip South, the rumo
was at once started and widel,
copied by the press to the effect tha
the General had determined upon tht
opening of war with Mexico ant
had gone thither to begin operation
in person. The War Department
however, ridicules this sensationa
report as the widest sort of non.
sense. Secretary McCrary says i
Gen. Sherman has any such inten.
tions he has kept the secret from
everybody, including the President
and Sherman's aides say that all he
took with was hand -satchel, and il
he means to stay and fight Mexico
they will have to send him fresh
linen.
1t will be remembered that previ-
GUS to the Inauguration of Mr.. Hayes,
1t was averred that a plot was ON
foot for his assassination should he
attempt to enter the Executive Man
sion as President the man who ere
ated that report was one Maxwell,
who said he had overheard party of
,conspirators plotting the above men,
toned deed, at hotel in this city.
Mr.. Hayes fully believed this story.
and was accompanied from Columbus
on his journey hither and all the time
till after the day of Inauguration by
party of detectives as a guard, Of
whom Maxwell was one. Directly
afterward Mr.. Hayes appointed him
as Lieutenant in the army, to which
General Sherman and the Secretary
of War both objected on the ground
that Maxwell was man of bad char
aeter. The Senate confirmed his ap-
pointment, however, and at once
Maxwell proceeded TO sell his paw
months in advance aud duplicate
vouchers, realizing from $1,000 to
$4,000 By the transactions. To make
a long story short this favorite of tile
President has been detected, court
martialed, dismissed from the service
and sentenced to the penitentiary for
two years.
Among the throng who daily enter
the Capitol is one whose form is bent
with. the cares of more than eighty
winters. Through the crowd he passes,
and on, and up the long and winding
stairs he slowly makes his way, till
reaching the rounded arch, inside of
the immense dome hundred feet
from its floor, he cautiously steps
down ladder to a platform where at
this dizzy height, this old man wears
away the day in busy toll. Within
the great dome, just below the spring
of the arch, panel encircles the wall,
and here this old italian artist Con
stantina JBrumidi with brush and
easel is bringing into life and beauty
a, series of historical pictures, that
will live and last for centuries to be
admired By other generations long,
long in the future. The task is d
great one, and we could wish that the
vigor of immortal youth might be
given this old painter, that this, his
last best tartconception, might be COM
plete, ere the brush falls from the
nerveless hand. .s.-
The proposals for land invited by
the distinguished commission to To-
cate the new Naval Observatory were
responded to by more than a score of
bids, which were opened at the Navy
Department in presence of large
The lands offered were
in various localities, surrounding the
city, prices varying according to ae-
feasibility, from $1,000 to $4,000 per
acre. 1t is hoped that this institution,
which is to be erected for tile use of
coming generations, and W hicll will
be visited by the scientists and schol-
ars of other lands, will be wisely To-
Gated on Washington Heights, Merid-
ian Hill on Kalorama. SENTINEL.