Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-09-21
LETTER FROM RICHMOND.

THE CAPITAL OF THE OLD DOMINION IN MorRN-
ING FOR THE PREsIDENT-oID TIME PATRIOT
| ISM REyIyED-HoPE FOR THE FUTURE-A RED
HOT POLITICAL cAMPAIGN-MARyIN, THE BIGA-
MIST, FoRGER AND THIEF
Special Correspondence Of TIE EVENING STAR
RICHMOND, Va, Sept. 20. 1881.
| At this sad time, when the country is mourn
ing the death of the President the writer a res
ident of Washington and a republican in poll
tics happens to be a visitor in the capital of the
late confederacy, and has been greatly impressed
with what he has seen and heard here to-day It
may be truthfuly said that not even in WASH
lngton could the manifestations of profound sor-
row have been more spontaneous more genuine
and more universal. The Presidents death was
announced last night by the tolling of all the
bells OF the city. and at an early hour
TINS morning. without concert and with
out consultation, the work of draping
pubnc and private houses i'm black was in
progress. The third precinct police station
house. In Charge of Capt. Chas. Epps an ex-
confederate officer, was the first public building
draped. and he also had his residence i'm mourn-
lng The capitol building displayed mourning
emblems, and the artillery (yolunteers) fired
guns at intervals of eight minutes throughout
the day, The business houses on Broad and
Main streets were deliberately trimmed in white
and black, and the Office Of the State newspaper
and other places also displayed portraits of the
dead President. The chamber OF commerce and
nearly every organization in the city has taken
or VIII take some action TO express the universal
feeling of sadness. These public manifestations
are not. however. so impressive as the private
expressions OF blended patriotism and pathos
which one hears on every side here-at time
too, when political feeling is running very high
The feeling of sadness and dependency here is
not due as might be supposed. altogether TO the
fear OF a great political change. Even the STATE
the always able. but not always moderate con-
seryatiye organ. says: "As we hope for Mr..
Gariields blissfu resurrection, so in Mr.. Arthur
We look to see change wider than from faction
to party, wide as from politician to patriot"
Gods WAYS are not our ways, and with these
signs of reyiving patriotism every hand may
We not hope that blessing will come even from
this great calamity of the Presidents dcath-the
blessing of a thoroughly reunited people
The political campaign in progress here is ''red
hot and still heating" Besides the bloodless
'affairs of honor" OF which The STAR has
already made mention, other appeals to the
code are on the tapis, and if somebody Is not
hurt before election day it will be be-
cause Nirginans are not as good marksnen as
they were during the war. In an interview
with Capt. Bohannon, a conservative candidate
In this city for state senator, he informed me
that he has been stumping the Old Dominion
from the tide water 20 the mountain districts,
ahd after careful estimate has come to the
conclusion that the hemajority will not exceed 900
either way and that he expects the conservative
state ticket will have that majority over the re-
adjusters, and that his party will have about 63
out of the 100 members of the Legislature even
with the advantage Of more readjusters than
conservatives holding over i'm the state senate.
Bohannon Is a bitter opponent of the readjusters,
but fair man and his judgment is good.
Maryin's goose is cooked. He has been closely
identified here i'm the Police Court as Gen. A.
b. Morton, as T. A. Marvin. and as Albert Te-
cumseh Marvin, and the grand jury to-day in
dicted him for bigamy, forgery and larceny. IL
he escapes this net work of the law he will
prove himself to be even much sharper scamp
than he is reported to be, and that is saying .
great deal.
The water famine continues here but muddy
water from the upper country is again covering
the brown rocks. i'm the bed Ofthe 'Jeemes." gv-
ing hope that the domestic discomfort Of the
drouth is about over.