Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-02-11
From Our Regular Correspondent
Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. 7, 49,


1t seems to be pretty generally conceded
by presidential prophets in Washington
that the race for nomination is now be-
tween Grant and Blaine. on the republi-
can side; but very few predictions are
hazarded rs 10 democratic presidential
prospects. There have been SO many
turns in the political kaleidoscope that the
views are somewhat bewldering. 1t is
the opinion of many that Senator Bayard
has more solid support than any other
man named for the position. He is the
choice of majority of eastern democrats
and OF many influential men of the south
such men, for instance, as Jones of Flor
ida, Gibson of Louisiana, Hampton, La.
mar, Butler, Gordon and many others.
Bayard's friends only hesitate to organize
and push him aggressively for the nomi-
nation because of one thing. His state
has been cassed among those of the
"south," and some of his most ardent
friends fear this might hurt him in the
north. Northern democrats who favor
Mr.. Bayard insist that this fear is ground
less, and say that the independent con-
sentative voters of the north have more
confidence in the senator from Delaware
than any other public man. Tilden is
still prominently mentioned in connection
with the nomination; but if the democrat
ic members reflect the sentiment OF their
party on this subject, he is not strong
The agitation of Seymour's name develop.
ed the fact that he was favorite, but his
recent emphatic declaration that he would
not accept the nomination if rendered tC
him seems to remove him from the race.
Should the convention return to the ma
jority rule it is quite probable that Senator
Bayard will have strength enough to give
him the nomination early in the action
Should the two-thirds rule be retained
however, there will very probably, be a
long and perhaps bitter struggle over the
nomination. The democrats who favor
Mr.. Bayard are honest and earnest in the
belief that he is the best and the strongest
man that can be chosen. In this BELIEF
they will stick together, and that will give
him, possibly, an advantage over Other
candidates.
The present condition of the navy is ii
general way appreciated by probably
every newspaper reader. but few persons
will be prepared for the particularly un
pleasant exposure of it made by Mr.. Har
ris to the House, in presenting bill tc
provide for permanent construction fund
The report sets forth that small as the
number of our naval vessels is, compared
with the force of European powers, it i:
Infinitely smaller in real fighting pow
er; that the five first-rate vessels We
have are now to be cassed as obsolete ane
as "non- combatants. That of the twenty
seven second-rates three are "unfin.
ishcd on the stocks. rotten and worthless,
seven are probably not worth repairing
and only nine are in condition for service
that of twenty third-rate steamers
six should be broken up. and only tifteer
are now fit for service; that the s1
fourth-rate steamers are "of really NJ
account as vessels of war; that of tn,
twenty-four iron-clads four arc "rottel
and worthless number of them unfin
ished, and the fourteen that are serviceabl
arc all fourth-rates," and carry only tw
guns each-smooth bores of fve-inch cali
bra" There is not" says the report
"a single riAed gun on our iron.clad flee
afoat.' This state of affairs is only les
ridiculous than it is melancholy, of course
and can be defended only by those VIII
see no necessity for even the satirical sem
blance of a navy that we possess. Tn
bill looking to moderate and gradus
reform which has been introduced by Nj
Harris ought to receive considerable n
tention.