The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1878-04-19
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

promises another disagreeing jury,
though her Identification Of him was
I perfect. Cephas and his brother bear
strong resemblance to each other, and
the defense put the two in the box ask
/ ing her to identify her assailant. This
she did unhesitatingly, though the dis
trict attorney himself was deceived and
/ believed she had erred. Her correct
ness Of judgment and clear straightfOr-
ward testimony is convincing to the
mass, but the trumped-up evidence,
which always appears at second trial
Of criminals, will override her state
ments oo..re tle jury. One most pain
ful feature in our criminal system ~
pears in this trial, and should be reme-
died. Why must a young girl, who
has suffered the foulest outrage and
narrowly escaped death through the in-
juries received at the time, be subjected
TO the insults and sneers of a brutal
cross examination in the presence Of a
courtroom crowded with loafers who
roll every taunt and filthy allusion as
sweet morsel under their tongues Rus
sia arrests every person found near the
spot where murder is committed, and
the world raises its hands in holy hOr-
rOr, and yet is it worse than our prac-
tice Of compelling a witness to give
bail for his appearance in court, a course
which has in New York City often in
carcerated the victim of robbery for
months in prison, while the thief gets
of scot free on straw-leg bail, aud which
subjects every witness to the ignominy
Of testifying in open court?
The interesting question before us
now is, who holds the title to Airing
ton ? The United States has held the
property since 1864, buying it then at
direct tax sale, under a bid of about
/ SIS, 900. The amount Of taxes assessed
upon the property was SOS 90, and the
excess Of the bid over this sum was
| turned into the United States Treasury
| for the former owners. a deed in due
form was given the United States by
the tax commissioners, and, as the prop
erty has been in possession Of the gov
ernment ever since that date, it would
seem its title was sound. But the courts
have, in every instance where suits of
| ejectment have been brought by the
original owners of other tracts sold un-
der the "district taxi sales, ousted the
/ purchasers the governments title is
thus narrowed down to the mere pos
sessory one Of might, not right. If the
citizen cannot retain his purchase, of
course the government must hold its
by exercise Of power alone. Judge
Hughes, Of the United States District
Court Of Virginia, decides adversely to
the government, and if the Supreme
Court affirms his decision under the
appeal which has been taken, Congress
must restore the estate to the Clusters
heirs, or repurchase. The heirs would
prefer the latter course-at least they so
express themselves-and as there are
80, 900 Union soldiers buried in its ceme-
terry, we presume the government will
buy rather than remove the dead. Ar
lington is naturally a grand old estate.
We have never seen one that seemed
more nearly a home for a king. 1t con-
tains ], 100 acres Of land of sufficient fer
tility to support a family in splendor,
while its natural beauty and contiguity
to the city will necessarily render it an
object Of interest and attraction as long
as Washington is the capital of our ma
tion. In the center of the tract is about
100 acres of woods, composed nearly of
original oak trees-the only grove left
standing in the county by our troops
during the war-and in this is the GEM
etery, which is enclosed with a high
stone wall. The old family mansion
stands in the center, and, with its huge
pillared portico, which is distinctly
seen from the river and city, is of course
noted by all visitors. Outside of the
cemetery the land lies in commons, OF
is worked in patches by the freedmen,
who still live in the score of houses re-
naming on the site of Mr.. Stanton's
freedman's village. OF course under
tue Hhlul LnluBf sulAllcSo laI luluB VI THESE
improvident ignorant freedmen, the
land has become impoverished and des-
olate in its appearance, yet, under
: proper care, the whole farm would soon
be, as it was before the war, one of the
grandest rural homes ever seen. II
Congress retains it, as it undoubtedly
! will, then the whole tract should be
laid out in a great national park.
Secretary Thompson rules again that
: the navy yard employees must work ten
> hours for a days labor, at which there
is much grumbling, though no strike as
] yet. Times are too hard here to permit
r any sensible man to stop work because
| of this two hours exaction, but we an.
i tieipate trouble in the future. Expert.
enee under the eight and ten hours Ia.
Dor regulation in our navy yard here
: shows conelusively that its lsborers &C.
! complish as much in one hour of the
/ longer day as of the shorter, thus en-
failing two hours absolute loss in re-
suits under the eight-hour system. Il
! is no wonder Secretary Thompson ad
, heres to his ten-hour rule.
The number Of cities applying to hav,
mints for coinage Of silver established il
e them is rather surprising. Indianapoli
: has had delegation before the Senat,
finance committee urging its peculiar ad