The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-01-31

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power in Europe. That power may lin
ger for time in Asia, but its destruction
is certain So.
AFFAIRS in WASHINGTON.
FROM Our Regular Correspondents.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 1875,
This has been in some respects an
eyentful week in Washington, awith
mirth in funeral and dirge in marriage" !"
we have beheld the imposing obsequies
of one Catholic king, and the celebration
of the nuptials of another; while in the
Senate there has been the always inter-
:esting entertainment of Senator Blaine in
his great role of Hercules furens, pitching
into Boston, Plymoth Rock and every
thing else that is sacred, stirring up the
enerYatsd .conceit Of the old Bay State to
something like resistance. 1t had been
supposed that the most popular of Re
publican leaders, broken by disappoint-
ments, failures and i'll health, had lost
his prestige and his fire, but those who
know him best, with the many who wit
messed his attack on Massachusetts,, are
convinced that there is much of the
Phoenix blood in him yet. Certainly, no
man of cur times succeeds in keeping
himself SO continually alive in public
interest as the favorite at the Cincinnati
Convention. His antagonists in the re-
cent joust were not Ben Hill and Ben
Butler, a fact not much in their favor.
Massachusetts in the Senate is not that
heavy mental force that the high pres
sure culture of Boston might be supposed
to evolve. Senator Davis, from being a
leader in the House, has becomes minus
quantity in the Senate, hidden in the
un,b, ae cast by Conkling, Blaine, Thur
man, Bayard, Matthews, VOORHEES, and
others. Senator Hoar gives the impress
sion Of safe lawyer, with village rep
utation, having an instinct for minute,
but not for the comprehension of general
principles. Shades of Sumner and Web
ster, can it be that these are all that
remain Of thee7 49,
The entertainment given by the Span
ish Minister in celebration of the mar
riage of the King of Spain has been the
social event of the season. 1t was atten-
ded by brilliant throng of diplomats in
full court dress; army and naval officers
in uniform, and many Senators, Represen-
tatiyes and distinguished personages OF
the Cabinet, bench, bar, politics and
lobby. 1t is a significant fact, and one
that will be considered soon by the press
and people, that the old legitimate occu-
patton of the diplomatist is gone, and
that now instead of being up to their
eyes in intrigues, involving frontiers and
thrones, they have become mere masters
of ceremony-calling and receiving calls,
giving and eating dinners, while the e1.
quisite attaches Of legation devote their
time to Irritation on Pennsylvania Ave-
nue., wearing exquisite gloves and eye
glasses, but i'll fitting coats over corsets,
all imported duty free.
Mr.. Hewitt will soon introduce bill
in the House for the consolidation of our
entire foreign service. It will be quite
feasible with one foreign minister in
Paris or London, and with branch Off
ces at the more important capitals OF
Europe to transact all necessary business
and keep posted ss to all the secret ma
| chinations of our enemies, if we, have
any. But the fact is the day of machi-
nations is passed. In modern govern
ments of respectable power all foreign
relations and measures are disguised in
the journals, and debated publicly in
Houses of Commons, Corps Legislatif,
and Diets, in full time for other peoples
to take cognizance of them. The most
accomplished diplomatist would never be
able to compete with the modern news.
paper in knowing and making public the
councils of Kings and Cabinets. The
press has usurped the place of diploma
cy, and any man who can buy paper
may be better posted in his day than
were Tallerand and Matternich in their
time.
There were two other entertainments
that I must not omit in history of the
week. I refer to the lectures of Bob
Ingersoll and Senator VOORHEES,. The
lecture of the former was an attack upon
hell, heaven, the past and future. In
deed, he denounced pretty much every
thing except the present and tangible.
Mr.. Ingersoll, unlike Shakespeare, re-
peats. His last lecture was, in SOME
parts, the hash of lecture delivered
here few. weeks since. He presented
nothing new under the sun on either oc-
casion, but for those who care to study
the tendencies of contemporary thought,
it is worth while to observe the effect OF
the ideas of Voltaire and Paine, rehabili-
tated in the skepticism of modern science,
upon an epitome of q nations intelligence
as seen in its representative men,, His
audience was the largest that ever filled
the hall. Many ladies were compelled
to stand, for every seat had been pre-
engaged. A reference to Tom Paine was
the occasion for prolonged cheers. The
remark that he would not drink skim
milk in this world that he might have
butter in the next, brought down the
house; and every attack upon the church
and clergy was loudly applauded.