Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1879-04-11
Pickings at the Capitol.
Especial Correspondence Of the Sentinel ]
WAsnlNGros, April 8, 1870.

| tiOh pili- lie ufScuSSlOn III reldl1Un 10 Inc
section prohibiting the use Of the army at or
| in times of elections ELECTED great admiration
and oftimes called forth rounds of applause on
the foor and in the galleries. During the en-
tire debate the Senate fonnd il difficult to keep
quoram, and every one entitled to The floor
avalled themselves of the privilege. 1t was,
indeed, rich intellectual treat and seemed a
striking illustration of the fact that surely and
gradually much Of that old material, which
once gave reuown aud reputation to our Ma
iional assemblies, is coming back TO u.s.
BY The passage Of this bill tie Democratic
| House has acted nobly. They have in the
first hour OF their restoration 10 power inaug-
| urated contest for the peoples rights, and
will gain favor and honor by so far remaining
firm in the gallant and patriotic stand they
have tnkcn. No law could be enacted more
despotic, more dangerous to the liberties Of
our people or to the future Of this republic
than that which the passage Of this bill re-
peals. 1t was enacted TO destroy liberty, 10
oyerawe free American citizens with the bayo.
net and TO prevent the free exercise of the cleo
tive franchise. 1t was created for the purpose
OF subJeciing our people to military arrest,
and for the purpose Of enabling the Radical
party 10 hold the balance Of power. BY the
passage of this bill, affording the necessary
means for the support Of the army, and the
repeal of this odous measure the Democrat Is
have declared their line Of policy and pro-
claimed that they are wagiug n contest OF the
people and for the people, against corruption,
ring usurpatlon and oppression, with which
there can be no honorable compromise.
To undertake 10 give your readers an intel
ligent synopsis of this brilliant debate would
occupy far greater space than weekly journal
could afford and more time than your cores
pondent can al present give. 1t is generally
III al. H. u. =.
made the great legal speech Of the occasion -
This is Mr. Hurds second appearance in Con-
gress, having served in the 4ith session. He
is an exceedingly polished gentleman agreea-
BILE and warm hearted, and has host of
friends. The efforts of Hons. Tucker, of Va,
and Blackburn were splendid specimens of
mastery forensic eloquence and power. There
is considerable difference in the style of ora o.
ry of these two distinguished personages. -
Blackburn warns Immediately with the OPEN
ing OF his subject. His periods are short and
ncisive his GESTURES are good and effective but
not graceful, he has IA ringing volume Of voice
without any intonalion, Tucker warns into
action and life with his subject and inf the
moment Of imprisoned excitement when he
wants TO give force and power TO the express
sion of his opinions, that inimitabe voice Of
his is heard like the slow mutterings of dis
tant thunder, deepening ia tone and Juror I'M
til it is heard breaking and crashing around
you and then gradually dies away into a
whisper Tucker has all his life been a stu
dent, and thus in handling any subject he can
generally bring into immediate requisiton
that knowledge which is so essential TO a pub
lie speaker. Tucker loves the music of the
waves, the songs of the poets, and as he goes
along he never forgets to- give us the beauli-
full, which. Napoleon said, governs the world
lia los o.,1 oCtn
sive of his ideas than the language in which
they are clothed.
The bill having passed the House. il is not
likely that it will remain long in the Senate
rs there is great desire on both sides to know
what will be the action of the President. If
the President signs the bill, as il is thought
he will do, then the appropriation bill will be
taken up and passed and Congress will ad-
journ. 1t is evident that we shall have no
general legislation for The Hobbies are vacant,
and this is one of the best signs.
In the absence of anything Of further politi-
cal interest around the capitol, and having up
on former occasions had something to say of
the chief officers of the House, few words
about the present postmaster will close this
communication.
This is Postmaster Stewards third term of
Office, and when first elected twas predicted
by his friends that he would remain post
master, If he should live, so long as the House
remained Democratic. Every new House gives
him an increased fat,ering vote and faster and
firmer friends There is n magnetism about
the man which is Undesirable. No one ever
meets 'jim Stewart" as he is familiarly call
ed, but what he leaves him with regret and is
ever anxious TO meet him again.
A Virg nian by birth, his lie has been one
of romance and adventure, full of the good
md fba hanuttIul fnpfl, fnnlar
bud early, but the cradle was the grave, for
death interviewed. Stewart, just OF the blush
of hood, sought relief to borrow along
The wilds OF the Ell Dorado and Rio Grande
in the pioneer days of the gold diggers He
remained in California until The breaking out
Of the war, for upon learning that Virginia
had passed the ordinance of secession be paint
ed his house black and made his way to Rich
mcnd by mule ana rail. Whilst in Califor-
MIA he was an active aud prominen, politician,
and many of the pages of i,s.early history are
replete with the daring deeds of Capt. Stewart
and all in behalf of some noble and humane
purpose.
San Francisco paper of last November
relates the following:
1.-THE little mining camp of Shaw's Flat
about two miles from Sonora, was once the
scene of a remarkable encounter. An Ameri-
can of good family and peaceabe character
had a quarrel with q rnfiian named McCauley
about their right TO portion of Coswell Flat,
the richest spot in that marvellous region -
The dispute was undecided, when McCauley,
first filling up with fighting whisky of the
mines, went to Bonds cabin, and standing
by the doorway plunged great knife with u
blade fourteen inches long into bis breast, and
twisted it about in the wound. lie then turned
and reeled down the pathway from the rude
cabin. The wounded man, with the knife
still sticking in his breast ran into his cabin,
grabbed up his pistol from his pillow, and
staggered after his assassin with the blood
| gushing from his wound. Andy Carr, chum
of the drunken murderer, interposed between
them, when the stricken man raised his pistol
and shot him through the heart, and they fell
dead together. McCanley was promptly taken
in charge by men ut the camp. When John
| Sedgwick, the under sheriff, arrived they made
no resistance TO his demand Cor the prisoner,
but advised, on the score Of security, that he
be kept there until day break, and promised to
assist 10 protecting him from any attempt that
might be made at mob violence. The officer
had 90 course but to comply, aud agreed not
TO remove his man until morning. The crowd
about the public hall in which the prisoner
was detained Increased every minute. Rn-
nors were out with the news, and the miner:
came hurrying in from all directions. IN the
course of an hour or two the gathering had
increased to several thousand An uneasy
feeling began to pervade the mass. Several
men among them were loud in deuuneiatou
OF the prisoner. Prominent among them was
a rough stalwart miner, with long, unkemp'
beard he wore battered red shirt flicked
with figures Of pick aud shovel 10 white, such
as were common on the overland route aud in
the mines twenty yeafs ago, aud bis soiled
duek-breeches haunled the raveled edge OF
many rudely made patch Of -four sack, Ia
process Of rapid divorce from the garment