The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1879-12-12

INGTON. Its NlTlLENSs EoOCIEI1J AND
STRANGERS. POLITICAL WHISPERS.
[Frons Our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON. D. G., Dec. 6, 1879.
The usual Winter session of Congress
has now fairly began, and all through the
city are indications of good time cons
ing, or at least expected by the merchant,
landlady, and the various species OF the
Cormorant tribe. With wise forethought,
the founders of the seat of Government
reserved large portion of the land for
public purposes, and on the ground thus
held there have been erected, from time
to time, collection of Government build
ings which do credit to the taste and gen
crosby of the nation. The finest struc>
ture of all, and, in the opinion of many
celebrated authorities on architecture,
the finest building IN America, is the Cap
itol, designed for the accommodation of
the legislative branch of the Government.
This superb building, with its vast dome,
ranking fifth in height and fourth IN di
ameter among similar structures, its
wings of marble with their long lines of
Corinthian columns, its artistic embel-
lishments without and within, and impo-
sing deliberative chambers, impresses a.
visitor as fifty symbolical OF great and
prosperous commonwealth. The liberal
spaces of the building are devoted to the
House of Representative and the Senate
Chamber, with their clerk, committee,
and document anterooms to the court
room of the Supreme Court of the United
States; and to the Congressional Library,
the largest collection of books in the
country. The perversity of a city's course
OF growth is proverbial. In the case of
Washington this is strikingly exemplifed
by movement westward, to the rear of
the Capitol, which is thus left to face a
very inferior section Of the city while
turning its back on the real town. A
mile to the west, interrupting the sweep
Of Pennsylvania Avenue, stand cluster
Of noble buildings, comprising the State,
Treasury, Army, and Navy Departments.
and the Executive Mansion. Perhaps
"noble"is not the fittest epithet by which
to characterize the last named of these
structures, unless we attach to the word
its meaning as an adjective of Republican
simplicity. A less imposing palace for a
sovereign could scarcely have been built,
and, architecturally, the White House is
inferior to many private residences in
the District. The older buildings reflect
the partially of the last generation for
the classic order of architecture. The
Treasury and the Patent Office are fine
specimens of Grecian, Ionic and Doric
But the immense new building, which, IN
one connected whole, gives accommoda-
ton to the three Departments of the
Army, Navy and Foreign Offices, is in the
style of the Renaissance, as are many
other of the lesser buildings, erected Of
late years. The cost of these structures
has been enormous, but it is a source of
qualification to reflect that the large ex.
penditures of money have not been the
cause of scandal, as has been too often
the case with similar disbursements for |
public buildings and improvements. By
the valuation of property in the District |
of Columbia, just published for the cur~
rent year, the aggregate for the Governs
ment reaches the total of $78,000,OO0
against a total of $74,0O0,000 for the
community proper. Of this large sum,
the Capitol has cost $l3,0O0,000, and the
State Department, to date, $7O00,O0O.
motley complexion of its official visitors.
The body of the community get their
living in one way or another from the
executive or legislative branches of the
Government and reflect their peculiar
tiles. 1t is, I suppose, the most demo-
cratic city in existence. The suffixes and
afixes, which strike a respectful terror
to the heart off the provincial citizen, have
no spell here where familiarity hasd one
her perfect work. We are all Colonies
and Honorables and Judges by social
breyet, if nothing more, and having thus
settled questions of rank.
we estimate neighbor rather for what he
is than for what his constituents expect
him to be- The effects of this demo-
cratic spirit are often amusing and prob~
ably quite shocking to one who cannot
comprehend or who has no sympathy
with the genius of our institutions, but,
these once understood and liked, the
extravaganza, vulgarity and crudity of
the Capitol's society finds more than a
balance in the courage, strength, frater>
nifty and hopeful progress everywhere
visible.
Mr.. Levi P. Morton said to friend to-
Gay that ne had no personal knowledge
that his name was being considered by
the President and the Secretary of State
for the vacant English mission. He said
he had not at any time had any CONVEX
sAtion with either of them on the subject,
and that he certainly was not an appli-
cant for the position. At the same time
Mr.. Morton conveyed the impression that
be would accept the position if it was
rendered to him. As he is man of large
wealth he would be able to>enjoy himself
at the Court of st. James without en-
barrassments.
The President had conversation again
to day with his party friends on the SUBJ
ject of his financial recommendations, in
which he reiterated the sentiments ex.
pressed by him yesterday. He laughed
at the idea of the matter producing any
split in the Republican party. In regard