Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-12-20
WASHINGTON LETTER.

hurt somebody. his speech in support ol
his ''bloody shirt" resolutions was an ugly
weapon to be brandishing around among
the Democracy and in these days Of peace
and shaking hands over the bloody cbasm.
Mr.. BlaipeS helligereney might to some
appear perhaps, "a little out of season
Mr.. Thurman, as gallant soldier should,
threw himself into the breach and his lieu
rensnt, Mr.. Lamar, boldly followed, but
| their swords we're as weak as the rude arms
Ewtthwhieh theancient Britons encountered
fthe short sword of the Romans which con-
quered the world, and as a consequence
Mr.. Blalne's armor is intact and We score
him victory No. 1. On the day he made
his speech the galleries were jammed full
for hours before be began, with an eager,
expectant crowd, while hundreds were IN
able TO gain admittance and left the build
| ing. The floor OF the Senate was filed with
Members Of Congress and other privileged
persons and so far as audience is concerned
Mr.. Blaine had all he could ask, for there is
no man in the Capital who can make such a
draw as greeted him from first to last with
undivided attention. We must however
except Mr.. ConklIng, who busted himself
by reading a book, but whose leaves he
turned over so rapidly that no watcher
could suppose he was intensely occupied
with the contents. We fear Mr. Conkling's
head is little sore towards Blaine, and
as Immediately after the Cincinnati Con-
vention, he cannot take time to pay atten-
ton to anyone who stands in the way of his
ambition. Hence he refuses to ratify Mr..
Blaine just as he did Mr.. Hayes the first
week after his nomination. Mr.. Blaine
spoke with unusual vigor and his effort
ranks his best. That it had force is proven
BY the speeches of Senators Thurman and
Lamar. The latter speaker got much ex-
cited and but for the fortunate circum-
stance of the hour of adjournment ARRIVING,
he would undoubtedly have been guilty Of
indiscretiOn, for his warmth was getting
the better OF his judgment. His whole
sale denialS Of Democratic eOercions were
so hr ad that the longer he spoke the more
apparent became his special pleading. Ii
is fortunate thing indeed for the Demo-
cratic party that its buglemen in Congress
can say one thing at their desks to-day and
then have to-morrow's Congressional Rec
ord show a milk and water assertion
wholly different from the utterance. Much
of Mr.. Lamar's ferocity has been carefully
pruned out of his published speech. Mr..
Blaine is a manof singular power It is
not due to his intellectually or to his
learning for he is not the equal of Mr.. Ed
munds or Lamar in some respects. M.
EdmundS is a walking encyclopedias of legal
and political knowledge and surpasses all
his colleagues as a debator. Mr.. Lamar
far excels Mr.. Blaine On all matters of law,
but both he and Mr. Edmunds are wholly
destitute of that peculiar personal magneT-
ism BY which Mr.. Blaine, like Henry Clay
in old times. can draw the masses around
him and speak to men, not simply desks.
It is indeed a strong measure that can with
stand the onslaughts of Mr.. Edmuuds for
he is master of sarcasm, argument and tact.
But bis ablest efforts often have vacant
seats for auditory, for his manner is dry.
But when the word goes out over the city
that ''Blaine is going to talk" there is no
lack of listeners both on the floor and up
in the gallery.
Mr.. Window made an able speech on
''patent rights" in advocacy of some meas
ure looking TO protecting the people against
such infamous swindles as the "Drive welr'
patent. He showed the frauds by which
millions have been forced from the unsus-
pecting by this so-calIed invention, and
asked Congress to put a stop to the scoun-
drels who are operating it. Congress, $you
will perceive, is doing something beside in
PRODUCING bills and talking of adjournment.
The flood of bills continues in the House
and On Mondays the deluge amounts to
hundreds. The entire number introduced
into the House since Dec. 1, 1877 is over
!, 800, and many of the Members are not
half trying what they can do in tie bill !
line.
Dom Piatt, editor Of the Capitol has in |
his last paper a long defense, or explana- |
tion against the damaging dispatches Of |
Mr.. Mason, Minister to France in 1854; |
then Mason's Secretary Of Le-
cation. We accept Piatt's statement as
fact and regard the whole thing as bosb.
But the query arises, why could not Piatt
see those dispatches in the years past? We
have heard him speak Of his inability to
get access to them because confidential,
and yet they were given by order Of Gener-
al Grant to his enemies for publication.