The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1883-04-05
Washington Sketches.
lS69-lS79.
GLEANINGS FROM THE NOTE BOOKS AND SCRAP
BOOKS OF ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

| MAY, lSby CITY OF MAGNIFICENT DIS
TANCES. THE REIGN OF '.BOSS' SHEPERD.
INGS. CANADA AND CUBA. A CANARD.
| WAR FEELING. THE SAN DOMINGO SCHEME.
THE POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT. DIR. MARY
WALKER AND MRS. GAINES. APPOINTMENTS
| OF COLORED MEN. AN INCIDENT OF DECOR
| ALTON DAY. THE SPOILS OF WAR.
About the middle of May entered regularly
upon the duties of a Washington correspondent
and took up my residence at the National Capt.
tai. 1t was the custom then particularly in
the neighborng city of Baltimore-to speak of
Washington di>paragingly. and even contempt
uousy. Its title of THE City of Magnificent
Distances was not applied in complimentary
sense. 1t was said that in dry weather no one
cared to venture out because of the dust. and
| in wet weather YOU could not get about because
! the mud was bottOmlcSs. This was true in a
measure. The broad streets and avenues were
| unpayed. or what was worse lily paved with
cobble stones the sidewalks were in a wretch
| ed condition and crossings We're few and far
| between. Nor was the architecture of the
| place at all attractive. aside from the few fine
residences and private structures and the few
er public buildings. which only contra>ted the
WIN tllt
brick, and dapidated wooden editices. to say
nothing of the frequent shanties which ebowed
| their more prctentious neighborS. If am not
mistaken. cattle, pigs, goats and geese roamed
at will in the streets in those days: and found
good pasturage in many of them. But with all
| that, after saying the worst that could be said
| of the Washington of 1869. it had its attract
| ions. The ground work of the beautiful city
of to-day was there. 1t was only few years
later that, with a CELEBRITY nearly equalling the
results produced by Aladdin's lamp the place
was metamorphoSed i paved, drained. graded.
| lighted. swept and garn>hed. through the al
most Superhuman efforts of one man. widely
known a> Boss" Shepcrd: and n a cost of
over S20,0oJ 900.
In sore respects am disposed to find fault
with (he improvements" and notably with
those which destroyed the line old park on the
west side of the Capitol Where stately trees of
half century or more Of growth cast a dense
shade, the white walls Of the Capitol rising
above dense masses Of foliage. the modern
landscape gardiner has made sad havoc Trees
have been uprootcd. until little is left of the
cool and shady place Of former days. and even
the grass is not permitted to grow save in
strips and patches, much Of the area having
been taken up with ornamental >tone-worll
which is not ornamental and with tortuous
walks and drives ,cadng nowhere. and which
are alike yeXation to the eye and to pedestrians
East Of the Capitol similar course has been
pursued, with results scarcely less Objectionable.
Senator sumner had to exert all his influence
10 save one of the old trees which has since
died, however one needs only to look at the
stone bath tubs. funereal urns. etc.. to realize
that the same hand mas been at work here
which has given to Central Park. New York.
the appearance Of cemetery.
The principal public buildings at this time were
the Capitol. White House. Treasury Dept. Pa
tent Office and Post Office Dept. the latter a
marble structure of more recent date than the
others: the Treasury Department and Patent
Office. granite edifice> which INTELLECTUALLY at
least compare fayoraby with the recently
erected building for the State, War and Navy
Departments. The state Department then oc-
cupied Il wooden building on the corner of
Fifteenth and streets. The CapitOl has been
the subject Of adverse criticism, but upon me it
exercised an inde>cribable fascination. Under
its various aspects cleaning in The bright sun
shine. or with It's lofty dome standing out
against dark masses of clouds by moonlight or
with the light streaming from its many Win
dcWs during night sessions, and the blaze from
the dome high overhead ~ it was always an at
tractive and conspicuous object. Is rich nte-
rior. with its many coored marbles. elaborate
iliUrr I,g IL,
the ornamental ceilings in stained glass OF the
Houses Of Congress the historical paintings in
the rotunda and elsewhere, the statuarv. the
bronze doors and many other things combine
to make this most interesting building to the
sight>eer, aside from the historical interest at
| taching to it and which must grow deeper as
| the years roll by.
But 1t Is not my purpose TO 90 into details
with regard 10 the buildings at the National
Capital, or to the city itself. Men ana measures.
scenes and incidents, will form the staple of
these chapters. and here it may be said. to save
repetitions OF future explanations. that at the
time these chronicles begin, the Republicans
had majority in both Houses of Congress. and
President Grant had entered upon the third
month Of his first term. The Cabinet was COM
posed of Hamilton Fish. Secretary of the State
Geo. :. Boutwell,, Secretary of the Treasury;
John 4. Rawlins Secretary Of War: Adoph f.
Borie, Secretary of the Navy. jacob -. Cox
Secretary of the Interior John A. J. Cresswell
Postmaster General, and f. lockwood IIoar.
Attorney General.
\ cable despatch of May 18th announcing
the formation of triple alliance against this
country on the part Of England. France and
Spain. in consequence of the rumorcd designs
Of this country on Cuba, although promptly de-
MED by the ministers of those countries. and
regarded by the Cabinet as a stock jobbng rll-
NOR. furnished the text for good many sen
sationa Dispatches. Il was generally believed
that President Grant would not have gricved
had the report proved correct. and he was re-
ported to have said that such war would re-
suit in the anne Ration of Canada and The Grip
ping of British commerce. \ prominent Off
cial was not equally confident. and declared
that we should be whipped I'M week "Why"
said he, England has in her Channel fleet six
lronclads which can steam fourteen knots IN
hour, and We haven't one that can make over
seven" The attitude of the Southern people in
the case Of hosiiites was much discussed in Of
fetal and other circles. the general opinion being
that they would 'rally around the Old flag
John W. Forney, in the Washington Chronicle.
was ready to let loose the dogs of war lIpon
perfidious Albion at any moment, and saw in a
foreign war the means of escape from all re-
construction entanglement>. The South would
rally round the flag Canada would be annex
ed, Cuba ditto, and the glorious Union would
once more be fully restored.
This triple alliance story proved mere can
ard, but the Alabama claims question was then
pending between this country and Great Brit
ain, and there were apprchensons that trouble
might grow out of it. The Senate had rejected
the treaty negotiated by minister Revcrdv
johnson. who was recalled, to be succeeded bv
Mr.. Motley, the latter sailing for England Nav
18th. OF speech made in the Senate on this
question by Mr. Sumner, Justin Mccarthy. an
English Radical, said in a letter to the New
York Tribune: Mr.. Summers speech was