Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-05-30
OUR NATIONS CAPITAL.

One of the richest characters in the
House is Chittenden, of New York. He
has a strong sense of the ridiculous united
with a rare felicity and vigor of expression
that gives his speeches, when paying his
attention to some opponent an irresistible
effect upon the whole House. He, for in
stance, said that if he borrowed a horse
from Mr.. Springer, of Illinois, and repaid
the loan with an old mule, Mr.. Springer
would call him a scoundrel, so if the United
States treated its creditors in the same man
ner it would also be a seoundrel. His IL
lustration was an apt one and brought down
the House. There has been some good
fighting done over this silver bill but the
Democrats, as usual, got the worst of the
battle. Mr.. Townsend, of Illinois, stupid
ly essayed to lead at one time but Mr.. Con-
ger fillibustered out the morning hour and
then as effectually laid out this Democrat
ic aspirant for fame as he did Tom Ewing's
nti-Resumption bill in the commencement
of the 45th Congress, As one looks down
upon these legislative battles he cannot
question the fact that the Republicans have
the superior tact and ability and that the
Democrats are wofully deficient in leader
shin Mr.. Warner who has had charge of
the Silver Bill is wholly destitute of that
ability which made Sam Randall powerful
prior to his burial in the Speakers chair,
When met by an unexpected attack at Mr..
Conger's hands he grows excited and can
net collect his strength but hesitates and
loses all, or as Blackburn, Of KY, put it
in his speech-he doubts and is damned.
Each recognized Democratic leader fails
lust as Mcclellan in 1862 did through ina
bili.y to handle his forces, and his battle is
merely a succession of corps fights. :"
Sam Randall's mantle has not yet fallen on
any worthy successor and the Democratic
Napoleon has not yet developed.
It seems rather surprising that the pos
tai intercourse between this country and
Mexico should now be on the most satisfac-
tory basis both as regards postage rates and
the classes of correspondence admitted to
the International exchange. We are 50
accustomed to regard Mexico as a seat Of
anarchy and confusion that it is difficult to
realize that mails are as safe and connec-
tions as assured there as in our own west
ern territories.
The Whig party in 184S claimed that we
should absorb Sonora and Chihuahua, and
the army of miners now crOWding south
ward through the Colorado, Arizona and
New Mexico silver mines will inside of the
next 90 years take Of Mexico what should
have been acquired then.
A vast amount of amusing literature is
received by the President and the heads of
the Executive Departments. Mr.. Hayes
recently was the recipient from disinter-
ested Office seeker who proposed as con-
sideration of q certain office, which the
writer wished bestowed on himself, to do
score of impossibilities IN the way Of re-
forming the service, saving expense, teach
ing wisdom to politicians, etc. Not long
since Mr.. Schurz got proposal for trans
ferring to the writer the whole Of Yellow
Stone Park. Huge promises were made
for extensive improvement and amplest
protection of the Park and all government
interests in it. The writer seemed to feel
that his simple request was sufficient ground
to warrant the Secretary of the Interior in
giving him that immense domain free of
charge and personal responsibility. Every
Whim and notion of hundreds of addle-
Drained fools takes the form of letter or
book addressed to some one in high au-
thority, and not day passes but the Pres
ident's or some Secretary's waste basket re-
eeives the lucubrations Of dozen or more
would-be reformers, or dlsinterested Office
seeker whose claims to Office are as absurd
and ridiculous as the vagaries Of an insane
asylum inmate.
Our whole force of police haYe been on
a grand parade and review, They marched
and counter marched up and down our
streets and though not forty thousand
strong, like the army Of the King of France,
which marched up hill and then down
again, they were able to present as fine a
front in so far as 100 in number would per-
init, as has been seen on our streets for
many day. Preceded by the Marine
Band in full strength of 40 pieces they
formed in column, by platoon, and swept
down Pennsylvania Avenue as grandly and
proudly as so many picked mariners. We
Of course had to join in the crowd which
filled the sidewalks and trotted along after
the band, as it is as difficult now to resist
the inspiriting strains Of a full military
band as those Of circus band when a boy
or the field music OF the war.
Pennsylvania Avenue has no superior as
a marching place in any city. 1t has a
space of 100 feet between the sidewalks and
the street car tracks in the centre, and on
this procession can form in any manner
that shows it to the best advantage. In
the grand review of the army of the Poto-
mac in 1866 the whole Avenue was given
up TO the troops, who in volumes which ex.
tended from curb to curb poured grandly
over the broad eXpanse. JUNIUs.
WashenRton. d. C.. Nav 81. 1873.