Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-01-05
Iron Our Regular Corresson4nt,l -
Washington LeFer. ~
WASHINGTON. D. 0>}pM.

WASHINGTON. D. 0>}pA,
Tc-days's New Yeas Il wash
ington, were a repdstion . familiar
programme. The ID iden cabinet off
GERS. Judges of tt = S>fEsne tb1rt nearly
everybody, officja and non oficial receiv.
ed; but callers.zAra less Numerous than
usual because Of the inienssIb disagreeable
weather. New Year receptions at the
capital are good. II for no other purpose,
to displiy the imposing reserve strength
of the afuay5eHd Bs7z. 1t has been the
policy ofuodrd gofprument to bring chief
of I1dlsn blbes ~ fhe large eastern cities
in ol{ler % fnpfes them with the strength
of our population. the extent of ouI
resources; and the hopeless sness of theiI
cause in the irrepressible conflict. This
policy has had no apparent affect upor
Indian wars, because the savage is unable
o distinguish those who have been taught
French and waltzing to qualify them for
their executoners, and the shop keepers
and dandies who promenade Pennsylvania
avenue, The accomplished pups of war
from West Point and the exquisite civilian
look precisely alike when the former are
disappearing in citizens dress, as is theil
custom for..three hundred and sixty-four
days of the year. The way to make the
army impressive and effective would be tc
bring the Indians here on the first day o.
the year, and let them see our military
officers in their warlike panoply. They
would then realize, from their epaulets
scarfs, gold braid and buttons, what terri
bly, destructive fellows they are and wha,
Il numerous reserve we keep at the capital
with Pennsylvania avenue as our line o
defence.
But the New Year official ceremonies
are instructive and impressive in at leas
one other way. We are reminded on thu
first day of the year that we have foreign
relations; that we as Il people do not live
TO ourselves, nor order the fashion of oul
national household; that republicansm il
not such new departure rs enthusiast,
optimists once hoped and believed it to be
that, in spite of the discovery of "a new
continent. the width of the Atlantic oceal
and our Wanted secession from monarch.
al forms and formalities, we are compelled
10 servlely copy that which the :" effet'
despotisms " perpetuate only as venera
BILE tradition. When we see the foreign
diplomatic corps, the gorgeous embassa
doris of Russia, Turkey, Austria, Denmark
and the Feeiee Islands, with their numer,
Gus attaches, any one of them with twice
AS much gold braid and tinsel as our own
resplendent army or naval officers, oul
minds are CARED back to the day Of Tai
leyrand and Matternich, or further, to the
ages of Richelieu or Macchiavelli, wher
the policies of nations were not discussed
and the secrets of courts iwere not antici
pated and exposed by the press, cabled tc
the four quarters of the globe for the
information first of all the world, and
finally, tor the enlightenment of the di
plomates. When we see the modern EN-
bassador in his arduous and delicate diplo
matte work of calingltt the White House
one day of the three hundred and sixty
five, presenting his compliments to the
president wishing him and Mrs. Hayes a
happy new year, our heartsl(not our peck
e y may swell with the reflection that, il
spite of the press, steam, the Atlantic
ocean and the Atlantic cable, we, also
have the proud privilege of paying 81,
millions year at foreign courts in supper
of this venerable, antique, useless mimicry
of diplomacy.