, 1881-02-27

be prompt shrinkage Of these securities 10
their real, substantial values.
-
WEEK.
The people OF Washington evidently take
a different and more contracted view Of the
approaching Inauguration of the new Presl-
dent than that entertained by the American
people as whole. To the Nation at large
the event of next Friday, the 4th Of March,
signifies the peaceful revolution Of the Gov
ernmeut's administration, Involving change
of men, but not Of principles, during the
next four years. In Washington City the
affair takes on purely local character. Tue
Inhabitants of the National Capital consist
mainly Of three classes,-the government
officials, the lookers-on, and the people who
live upon these two classes. To all these IN
auguraton-week is a brief period OF local
and personal xcitement,-somethlng like
State Fair to good-sized town. The office
holders and ofceseekers assembled there are
possessed with varying emotions OF hope and
expectation, doubt and apprehension. Ihe
visitors are chiefly anxious to get their
moneys worth in the show which they are
attending. The resident population is bent
mainly upon making hay while the sun
shines and gathering 4 rich harvest from the
crowds that are expected from all parts OF
the country. Locally, the events OF lnaugu-
ration will be attended with all the discom~
forts, impositions, aud disappointtnents Incl
dent to every large demonstration Of pub
lie character.
Unusual efforts have been made BY the
Washington people this year to make the IN
arguration of Gen. Garfield brilliant Affair."
Committees were organized mouths ago to
conduct the various details Of the ceremony.
Subscriptions have been solicited iii amounts
that seem large in Washington to provide for
the decorations. Military and civic organlza-
tiops from remote quarters OF the continent
have indicated their intention to be present.
4 large procession has been laid out as the
distinguishing feature Of the week. The
streets are to be decked out with arches and
the houses draped with flags. There IS to De
| q grand union arch and more unprctentlons
arches for all the States Of the Union. The
| difference IN the size and impressiyeness Of
| these decorations may be regarded as
| symbolic Of the proper subordinatlon Of the
States to the Union, though this idea prob
| ably did not occur to the projectors. There
is to be a ball, Of course, for which the large
hall Of the new Museum building, as yet un-
occupied, will furnish spacious quarters.
A vast crowd is expected, but it is
to be feared that the preparations
will be inadequate for the proper entertain
| ment of the visitors. Washington is city
in some respects admirably suited to large
popular demonstration, but in other respects
deficient. The streets are wide and III excel~
| lent condition The public buildings are inn
| posing and interesting. The weather is apt
to be pleasant But Washington has not the
same facilities for improyising entertainment
on q grand scale as those possessed by conf
mercial capitals like New York and Chicago.
It will not be SO easy to find comfortable
lodgings, or ample food, or satisfactory
service for d great crowd upon all cmergen-
| cy; and those who remember the dlscomforts
| of the Masonic Conclave in Chicago last
summer may console themselves with the re-
Election that anything like SO large crowd
III Washington toward the last of this week
will experience much more serious incoven-
| fences and annoyanccs.
It is not strange that the preliminary prep
| arations for inauguration-day in Washington
should have led already 10 mlsunderstand-
ings and chickering's. Gen. Sherman. who
was made the Chief Marshal of the process
sion, is at 1oggerheads with the Committee
| Of Arrangements. He is charged with Civ
ing the regular-army troops the preference
over the visiting companies, with disposing
the line Of march in such fashi-l that
many of the organizations coming long
distance will be prevented from seeing any
part Of the Inauguration ceremonies. and
with the heinous otfense of assigning one or
two ex-Confederate officers to positions as
aides OF commanders of divisions. The Com
mittee has gone SO far as to prepare all order
OF the procession and a line Of march differ
ent from that laid out by Gen. Sherman. 1t
is not necessary to take sides between the
two contending factions, and the only
import of the Incident is to show that conf1-
sion and hard feeling are the most probable
results Of the contention. The bali may offer
still more opportunity for dissatisfaction. ltis
expected to sell about 5000 tickets at S5 4
ticket, which would yield s40,0oo,-a sum
that ought to insure the management against
loss. The attendance Of any such number
will result in crush which will put indiyid-
ual enjoyment out of the question. But this
is not the worst feature Of tile affair. The
purchase OF tickets for Senator Bruce created
a comnotlon among society. people in WASH
ington, and led the Democratic organ Of that
place to indulge in some startling observa-
tons about the mineling of the races in the
mazes Of the dance 1t is reported that the
| Democratic members of Congress proceeded
at once to raise fund for the purchase OF
! tickets to be distributed among the darkies>