The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1878-09-06
WASHINGTON LETTER.
IFpom our SPECIAL Correspondent.

From our SPECIAL Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Aug 26, rs. /
There is no evidence that the National /
Capital has every suffered visitation !
from yellow-fever, though our little
neighbor Alexandria, seven miles below .
entertained it several seasons during the !
last, and as many during the present
century. 1t was then a city of consider |
able commerce, foreign and coastwise,
and arrivals from the West Indies and /
the ports down the coGst were frequent, .
1t is not over cleanly now; but its pres
ent hygienic condition may probably be
regard as exemplary contrasted with it |
L century ago. Getting little lower |
down and few miles South from where |
the Potomac, the Chesapeake, the James
and the Elizabeth merge and are lost in |
the ocean waters off Hampton Roads,
are Norfolk and Portsmouth of the last !
named river. They are practically one
town, the st Elizabeth dividing them !
Save that portion Of the latter under /
jurisdiction of Navy Yard officials, both
are said to be in that superhuously filthy
condition that is a standing invitation to
every form of epidemic. How many
sewers they have like that death trap
reported at Grenada, do not know, but
from casual observation it impresses one
that the fate of every inhabitant Ofmany |
localities is rs certain and hopeless as
that which has Overtaken those along the !
foul gutter forming the only sewer of
annihilated Grenada, should the fever
appear. About % years ago both COM
munities were terribly stricken by the
scourge. That visitation has had little
more, apparently, in inducing stricter
compliance with the sanitary suggestions
of experience and modern research, than
an earthquake has on South Americans
who rebuild their cities over the sites of
those just destroyed or an eruption of
Vesuvius has on the average Neapolitan |
who constructs him another hut over !
that just overwhelmed by the red hot
lava. Such are some of the influences
bordering Washing on's and Baltimore's
highway to the ocean. River quarantine
is practicable and viii be enforced should
the fever appear about Hampton Roads,
But railroad embargo would be impOssi
bic unless trains were prohibited from
entering town from any direction. There
is no truth in the several reports sent
hence of yellow fever. We have not had
a single case The city is unusually
healthy, very little malarial fever, even
prevailing. But We are in a condition
of nervous dread, aggravated ten fold by
reading the narrowing details sent us
every day from the stricken towns Of the
lower Mississippi. As this is the heart
of the great Federal machine that serves
for the Government of 100000 people
wholesale desertion could not be prac-
ticed; and many thousands of employees
who would have to take their chances of
remaining or losing their places outright
cannot be over matched anywhere in
the country in the sincerity Of their
prayers that Washington be spared.
The organized attempt Of the Israclites
at relief has been followed by Christian
and Heathsn alike. Masonic and other
societies are contributing literally. The
plan has been followed in some Of the
Departments of assessing each employe
25cts twice a month TO be continued
during the continuance Of the epidemic.
The feeling over the case OfGen Sher-
man VS. the Roman Catholic Church, in
stead Of dying out, appears to be extend
ing. 1t has got into the leading news
papers and threatens to intensity the
feeling of hostility against the very often
successful efforts of priests to crowd
themselves into the domestic affairs O.
families, estranging or wholly alternating
the members. Little is known about
this matter other than that the Generals
eldest son either through the influence
of the priests, the mother, or both COM
bined, was induced to quit the study of
law to become a priest without consult
ing the father. The General is repre-
sented as crushed under the blow and
to have written 4 very severe letter to
Cardinal McCloskey whoseems suspected
| Of connIvance.
Since Government settled down to lis
Mexican policy less has been heard Of
the threatening aspect Of affairs on the
Rio Grande, though matters remain
substantially as ,hcr were Il week ago 50
FAR as publicly known
Only the most languid interest Is taken
in Potter, Butler or Kearney. The latter
seems to have driven away all that at
first expressed sympathy for his rufiianly
Trades and by his evident lack Of even
good "horse sense MAXWELL
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