The Penn's Grove record., 1882-03-11
WASHINGTON LETTER,
WAsIIlNoroN. MNEcn 5. 80.

WASittNGToS, MARCH ), lSS2,
The principal event since my last let
ter is the Garfield Memorial service,
which brought to tapito! Hill the larg-
est throng since the olssequies in Sep
TENDER and to the inside of the grand
old structure the most imposing gather
ing | have ever seen there. Tie Ma
tioaal Capital recalls but one other &C.
ca.sion to which this may be compared
the spectacle Of the whole body of Loyal
people crowding around the bier OF the
first martyItd President, the heroic
Lincoln. The sccre was brilliant al d
profoundly impressive. The orator,
the most magnetic of his time, like s
great prototype, the Mill Boy of Il Q
Slashes, had filled a great space in tbs
contemporary history of his country,
had been Speaker and Senator and Sec
re;aly OF State, had desired tho Iresi-
deney 1t the hands of the party, Of
which he was the most idolized mem-
her, only to see it twice Snatched fIom
him just as his hands were clesiug upon
the coveted price almost wilhin his
grasp. Everybody expected of Mr..
Blaine an effort worthy of he occasion
and so great Was the a~nxisty to hear it
that as high a. S25 was offered for a
single ticket, a number equivalent to
the capacity of the hall having been Civ
Ell out by Congressman days before :
hand.
There wasa conspicuous absence of
floral decorations, and no display Of
mourning drapery. Ga the Speakers
desk, reaching up over the parapet Of
the reporters gallery, was a faithful
full length portrait of the late Prcsi-
dent. The tall, spare figure of Gener-
al Sherman, the stout form of General
Sheridan, and the splendid %proportio s
Of the gallant Hancock, in their blue
and gold uniforms, with Generals How
ard and Meigs, occupied seats rear the
presiding officer, acting Vice-Prcsiient
Davis. The diplomatic gallery WAS
brilliantly filled, representatives of all
The nations having legations here being
present, all in court uniforms. The
member of the Chinese and japanese
legations were attired in tue costumes
of their country and ~attrackcd cons der
bic attention AS they sat with their
heads covered during the ceremony. A
sister Of Mr.. Blaine, the wife OF Major
Walker a retired army officer, came all
the way from Montana, a distance OF
$500 miles, to hear her brothers. ora
lio1, arrived just in time, and on going
to the Capitol was unable te get a seat
until given one by the courtesy of a
stranger. The eulogy was accepted as
meeting the largest expectations Of the
audience, exalted as they were. The
last formal tribute to Garfield has now
been rendered. Firs., the Inaugural
ton less than a year ago, thenth lit flu
neral services, and last the Nations
tribute TO the konored dead. These
three scenes, each marking al epoch
in onr history, the Capitol has witness
ed within the space of Il few months.
One of the hest kept and most genu-
inc surprises l have ever known i'll pub
lie affairs was the nomination Of ex-Sen
ator Conkling for the Supreme Court.
If the fact that the nomination vas TO
be Made was communicated 10 anybody
by the President he custodian Of the So
clet was selected with unusual care,
for State secrets of that kind, and even
Executive session proceedings held un-
der sworn pledge of secrecy, nearly al
Mays find their way out, and into the
newspapers. Senator Edmunds, it will
be remembered ibaEg Irated a sort Of
inquiry into these iatIer leaks some
time ago aud was unable 10 ind out
whether the reporters mad a secret re-
cess in the walls or whether they irvpk
cd the aid of c~lairvoyaney. Bat the
nomination Of Conkling Mas really an
exception, and the man who knew all
about it beforehand has not yet been
found. On the very day il was made u
Senator who was supposed to HAYS the
inside Of things told me that the chances
were that Edmunds would be the man. !
After the Presidents messenger hand
Ell IN The little packet and The presiding
ad opened it, assisted By the
CLERK, a single glance suliced for the
Senate 20 know that something
surprising IA contained in tie mes
Judge DAYS puckered up his