Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1883-09-21
Letter from Washington.

Mr.. E1it0r From the beaches OF the
Atlantic, from the sierras of the west, from
the great lakes and the small, from the land
OF orange blossoms, from the cities and the
hamlets, from the country and the town
come the citizens of Washington. After a
pleasant vacation of three months your cor
respondent bids goodbye TO the fields and
settles down again to city life. The summer
has been to us a sweet idyl We have read
poetry,
"The rhymes of the universe"
in twinkling stars, fleecy clouds and YER
dant meadows; we have caught the melody
of running waters and signing breeZes and
chirping birds. The soul has been Toasted
with beauty. Standing on the hilltop after
a summer shower, we have watched the re :
splendent orb, as he slowly and majestically
sank behind the distant Blue Ridge Noun
tains, plating all the earth with gold and
dyeing the heavens above with purple and
crimson. In his lingering rays, ten thou
sand diamonds, on flower, leaf and grass,
shone in splendor; profound stiffness was
in the dewy air, and the curtains of night
fell gently down, only to be drawn aside
before the beauteous moon. All of these
scenes are but pictures now in memory's rich
and varied gallery. Many of them we shall
gaze upon long and tenderly in the wintry
days to come. As we close our eyes this
moment, one of them appears, truly painted,
to our mental vision. There winds the tor
tuous Seneca with many ripple over moss
covered rocks; yonder Is the CLASSY mill
pond on whose peaceful surface float the
water lilies, and the dam over which the
mass of water falls and bursts into shower
of pearls. Here stands the old stone mill
built long years ago. How plain the rum
BILE Of its machinery and the splashing Of
its great wheel A tinge of sadness mingles
with the recollection. The heart of the city
begins again TO throb with life
A somewhat careful notice of the political
status of the country would seem to indi-
cate that the mind of the people has not
materially changed since last November.
Despite its many blemishes we have always
had great faith in human nature. We be-
lieve that whenever the country shall have
become convinced that the governments
in the hands Of "rascals," it will spring to
turn them out" The day of exodus is not
far distant. Honest men are tired of official
corruption, of public legislation for private
benefit; tired of plundered treasures, of
bribery and fraud tired of the Republican
party Let Democrats but be true to their
principles, firm in their opposition to every
thing that looks not to the good of the peo-
pie and the triumphant peal Of the ROSTERS
clarion shall be heard from every mountain
peak throughout the length and breadth of
the land. The Post this morning (15) pub
fishes an extract from letter of Wendell
Phillips TO the Boston AdUertiser in which
occurs the following caustic sentence: 81
distrust and despse the Republicans as hypo-
critics and timeservers, as double. Dealers as
soulless carrion masquerading in the grave
clothes of their hOnored predecessors" To
be sure, we have no overpowering sentiment
OF love toward Mr.. Phillips, but then
"Thedevi can cite Scripture forhis purpose"
and so may men of unenviabe character
frequently speak the truth.
Hundreds OF pens have leaped TO the de-
fence OF Greek and Latin, as assaulted by
Mr.. Adams. Ever since the paths of learn
ing were thrown open to the people, and
labor alone was made the price of knowl-
edge, the collegiate system has been attacked
with vigor persistent and uncompromising
If not always wisely directed. That the
methods of instruction have from time to
time needed great deal of reformation can
admit of not the slightest doubt The in
situations OF nations are constantly being
modified and adapted to the new wants of
an advancing civilization. The trend Of
1houSht Is CnuilSeu, pOllllCal CONSTITUTIONS
are abandoned or remodcled and the minds
of men are gradually freed from thraldom,
and fitted for higher spheres of activity
With this improvement, education ought,
and, we think, to IA great degree does, keep
pace. The curricula of colleges are now
pretty good indices to the knowledge of the
age The schools of the middle ages would
in our day be as Anticipated as the irownng
castles, silken banners and gildcd lances
among which they fiourshed. No feature,
however, of system should suffer condem-
nation simply because Of its age. lcono-
casts, though they are the leaders of the
world, ought always to act with discretion
Certainly we have no wish TO learn Latin
and Greek as they were taught by the
schoolmen and their compecrs, but neither
are we willing, even on Mr.. Adams advice,
to throw away all the beauty, all the wis
dom locked up in those two languages, like
precious gems in silver baskets, on account
OF few errors in the received modes of study.
Then, when Mr.. Adams declares that the
French literature is superior to the Latin.he
comes very near making himself ridiculous
in the eyes of all parsons conversant with
the subject. But-"Something too much of
this" Very truly,
LEE DAVIS LODGE.
Washington, Sept 10, 1888
..3.s..1An.s