Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-10-19
Letter from Washington.



WARRINGTON, D. c., October 10, 1881.
Mr. Editor AT the close OF the first week Of
the extra session OF the senate there is little
actual business done by It to be recorded A
number Of appointments mostly made by the
late president have been confirmed, and some
minor matters have come up for consideration
Besides this the leading object of the session has
been accomplished. president pro tempore OF
the senate has been provided. Mr.. Bayard was
elected by the democrats on Monday. Afterward
the three new republican senators were sworn in
and the political complexion OF the senate changed.
Consequently on Thursday, David Davis OF
Illinois was elected TO supersede Mr.. Bayard
happened into the senate chamber just as no was
being led, willing prisoner, by Senators Bay
ard and Anthony to the vice-president's chair.
The noise In the galleries entirely ceased. The
pages on the floor stopped their running, and the
senators all laid aside their work to hear his
speech Of acceptance. Every word sounded loud
and clear in the perfect stiffness which lasted dur
ing the following brief address
Senator's The honor just conferred comes IA the seat
which occupy in this body did, without any expec
should be constrained to decline this high compliment do
not accept rs tribute to any personal merit but rather
long occupied IN the politics Of the country. pro-
tOundly grateful this confidence and
my duty to administer the trust with impartialty and with
entire fairness Not having been trained IN parliamentary
respect and hope for generous cooperation on all sides
The senate will please come TO order.
At its close the pages resumed their errands,
the galleries their customary hustle, the senators
their business, and that noisy chamber had come
to its usual order. Although Mr. Davis has been
often ridiculed on account Of his neutral postio
In politics, he has the respect of both parties, and
the friendship of all who know him.
During the latter part Of the week the city and
government officials have been extending their
courtesies to the distinguished French and Ger
man guests. The French visitors have amoug
their number representatives of the families of
Rochambeau and DE Grasse who commanded
respectively the French army and the French
fleet at Yorktown, and the German guests are
resentative OF which rendered America efficient
service in disciplining and organizing the army
in the dark days OF the revolution. On Friday
the visitors we're escorted to the capitol by the
civic societies and military companies of the Dis
trict. Many of the places OF business along the
line OF march were gaily decorated, while the
government buildings were still draped in black
At the capitol the guests were presented to the
president and prominent army and navy officers,
the judges of the supreme BENCH and the sena-
tors in turn were introduced In the evening
they occupied balcony at the state department
which commanded a view of the grounds around
Washington monument, where the fireworks
were. The display was very fine and its effect
was increased by having clouds for a background
At one time the border Of pond in the grounds
was a line OF colored fires, rendered twice bril-
liant by reflection in the water; at another the
picture of Washington and Lafayette were dis
tincty shown for several moments. 1t was ex-
pected that Pennsylvania avenue, between the
treasury and the capitol would be illuminated to :
night, and apparatus for electric lights was put
up at short intervals But there was a failure
somewhere, and the crowd were obliged to con-
tent themselves with the Examinations of stores
and hotels.
OF the three days festivities at Baltimore, your
correspondent saw only the pageant of Tuesday
evening, October IL. 1t consisted of tableaux
arranged upon street cars constructed or tied up
for the occasion, and accompanied by mounted
attendants in costume, and the finest bands OF
music that could be obtained. The tableaux of
the first section Of the procession represented
either events suggested by the present celebra-
ton, such Lafayette thanking the ladies of
Baltimore for furnishing his destitute army with
food and clothing, traits, habits Of dress, and
other distinguishing pecuiarities Of various Euro
pean and oriental nations. In the second section
the tableaux were purely historical, and exhibited
occurrences from the earliest Egyptian civilization
down to the present time. Among them were the
building of the pyramids Moses at the court OF
Pharaoh, the teachers Of Greece, Anthony and
Cleopatra, a scene from the life OF Mahomet,
Peter the Hermit and train of knights, the
triumph Of Columbus, the declaration of indie
pendence and Baltimore to-day" This was
represented by complete model Of locomotive
with an express and a telegraph office in the cab
The streets were lighted with calcium and electric
lights, and colored lights were employed at fire.
quent intervals with marked effect. The scenery
of the tableaux was appropriate and, in some
cases, gorgeous. The persons in them were fine
types OF female beauty ana manly strength
| dressed in elegant costumes. The music, furn
ished by such bands as the famous Gilmore's the
marine band of this city, and the fifth regime nj
| band OF Baltimore, could not be surpassed. The
favorte tunes were the Star Spangled Banner
which is almost native of Baltimore, and the
Marseillaise. The listener, as this national
French air sent out into the still night, could
partially understand why it has so Weakened
republcanism in the French heart that its use was
forbidden in the days Of monarchy. AMBROSE.