Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-12-18
Washington Letter
WASHINGTON, Dec. oath. 1878.

WASHINGTON, Dec. oath, 1878.
OF course all the talk here, at present
is about Mr.. Blaine's great speech The
Senate Chamber, from floor to ceiling,
was crowded as it never had been before,
to hear him. The speech had been anticl-
pated and the subject of conversation
among politicians. and every man and
woman in Washington is politician for
days before. For the moment, Grant pres
idential stock is quoted at a discount, and
Senator Blaine appears 10 have all the
vantage that he held before the Cincinnati
convention. His speech was prepared with
great care, and he did not trust himself to
extemporaneous delivery, as had been his
custom in the House, where be accom-
plished as much by his ad captandum style
of speaking. as he did by the force of ar
gument. The styles of oratory in the
House and Senate are very different, and
it is evident that Mr.. Blaine has profited
by criticism of the rampant elocution that
that is totally powerless TO move the dig
nifed heavy weights of the Senate. Sem
ators Thurman and Lamar made brief I'M
promptu replies to Mr.. Blaine. and each
sgnifiel his intention to reply at greater
length during the course of the debate.
The political friends of Mr.. Blaine insist
that it will be impossible to confute his
facts and arguments, while the friends of
Thurman and Lamar believe that he has
been already conclusively answered, and
since the result has been only to confirm
both republicans and democrats in their
previous convictions, it is difficult for those
who affect an aerial judicial position To-
cum in arb0re to see what has been ac-
complished by all this sensational oratory,
further than to bring Mr.. Blaine and Mr..
Thurman into more conspicuous leader
ship, and promote their candidacy for the
presidency of the United States in 1880.
Next to Mr.. Blaine's orarory the sensa-
ton in political circles has been the pro-
spective retirement from the cabinet of At
torney General Devens, and now it is re-
ported that Senator Mathews Of Ohio will
be his successor. The term of Mr.. Mat
hews will expire on the 4th of March. and
Hon. George Pendleton will succeed him.
Mr.. Mathews is said to be enamored of
political life, and very 10th to leave Wash,
ington. The president it is believed will
give him the vacancy that will be made
by the retirement of Gen. Devens. His
nomination will meet with opposition in
the Senate, but not sufficient, it is said, to
prevent his confirmation.
Since | last wrote, the House has ac-
complished more solid work in the passage
of the consular diplomatic, and fortilica-
ton bills; and the new army bill, formed
by Joint committee of the House and
Senate will soon come up for considera-
ton; but, since it contemplates great
reduction of the number of officers, and
radical changes of organization, it will
meet with stubborn resistance in both
Houses The bill does not affect the posi-.
tions of the general and lieutenant. gener-
al of the army, but by the present law
those offices will expire with Generals
Sherman and Sheridan The infantry reg
iments are TO be reduced from twenty five
to eighteen; the cavalry. from ten to eight
1t is provided that each regiment shall
COHSlSL VI lOul l. WO DtlIdllOllS
of each infantry and artillery regiment are
to be kept Differed and manned in full ;
the third will have its full complement of
officers but not of men, while the fourth
will have neither officers OF men in time
of peace, but may be brought into exist
ence rs congress may order. This will
make the regiments consist of two full
battallons, with officers for third battal-
ion, while the men for the third, and both
officers and men for the fourth, exist as
skeleton battalions, to be filled up only for
the occasion of war. The regiments in
time of peace will have about $50 men,
each battalion consisting of four compan-
les or batteries. The army will remain AS
now ut $4,000 men, but the bill provides
for only two major-generals and only four
brigadiers. 1t consolidates the adiutant
and inspector generals departments, and
makes reduction of six officers in the
two. The bureau of military justice is re-
duced six officers; the ordnance depart
ment, forty-nine; the pay department.
twenty-seven; medical department, eleven !;
commissary department, seventeen; quar-
termaster's department, forty-eight. The
engineer corps and signal service remain
as they are. Post chaplains are reduced
to eight, and they must be recommended
by the church of their denomination. The
permanent staff will not contain any off
GERS below the rank Of major, all officers
for staff duty of lower rank must be de-
tailed from the line, and no officer shall be
eligible to detail for staff duty until he shall!
have served six years. and then his detail
shall not be longer than for three years.
The bill reduces the number of officers
334, of whom 1856 are regimental officers,
and it repeats the section of the revised
statutes which forbids the appointment of
any one who served in the confederate
army. G.