New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-05-20
GOSSIP All THE CAPITAL
WHAT IS TALKED OF IN WASHINGTON


CELLAsEoUs
IFRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT oP 1HH TRIBCNEl
WASHINGTON, May 19.-There has been consider
able talk since the Army of the Potomac banquet
about General McClellan's speech. Once or twice
it seemed on the point of making some disclosure
with regard to the difficulties between the author
tiles at Washington apd himself. which led to his
retirement but no revelations came. The speech
had tone of self-assertion, with almost tlnge Oh
defiance, that did not seem suited to the occasion
and did not make an altogether 1aVoraolo
impression 1t was noticed that the cheering which
followed the speech much less general ana cor
dial than that which greeted the first appearance
of Little Mae" No doubt the very occasion
made the Commander of the Army of the Potomac
who was removed from his place and saw Others
win the victories he had hoped to win, feel that he
was on the defensive. 1t was probably this that
carried him into tone that Grant, for example,
who usually puts himself on a modest equality
with his officers and men in speaking
of their achievements, would hardly have
used Ii seemed little odd to hear General Nc
Cellan reminding the veterans before HIM that
they had belonged to the army no had had " the
honor to organize and crcatc' that they were
nearer to him than brothers-they were as his very
childrenr that an army came out of the first mass
| OF raw troops in the capital. when yon ut once
responded to my appeals and seconded my endeav-
orsv This recalls the style of the bulletins OF the
successful Napoleon, which were usually models OF
| bad taste-in an unsuccessful Napoleon One Of the
naval officers at the banquet was SO incensed AZ
General McClellans allusiOn to tho Navy which
implied a failure to cooperate with the Army OF
the Potomac that he was with difficulty restrained
By his friends from disturbing the harmony aud
! hlarity of the occasion by an excited reply
The dinner was a very interesting one to look at.
! Washington has no Delmonicos with big dining
| hall attached n music garden was engaged the
tables spread in that and canvas stretched over
! head to make ceiling and keep out
the night air The band and spectators
were in the galleries above that inclosng
the garden and look down upon it, The veterans
! crowded the floor, had piano and singers, and be-
tween the speeches broke out INTO the old familiar
songs of the camp. fire and the march, Each of the
| speakers all of whom were favOritcs, was greeted
with an old fashoncd Army cheer 1t was good
J time and "the boys" enjoyed il. But IL was easy
TO be reminded that eighteen years have passed
since the war closed Little Macs" moustache
and goatee are white. As for Sherman,
| who sat III the middle of the
! long table occupied by the Speakers,
with an unlightcd cigar in his mouth. and nodding
in an interested, hearty way at almost every re-
mark of the various orators, tho wrinkles on his
face thouCh he il still a mere bow (only sixty
three make it look like map. When General
Schenck apologlzed for his reluctance TO stand mp
on a chair by rcmarling that when the Young gem
| tIcmcn before him had reached scycnty-four years
of age. as he had they might be equally dliidcnt
about getting up chairs, good many present
seemed to be reminded that they had grown older
since 1850 General Scheuck looked sound for that
age, in spite of his illnesses of the past year.
fLorl.e nufIev Warmer the first of the civilians
70 sneak. had warm welcome. The delicate and
! graceful humor of his talk about "Sweethearts and
| Wives could not have been better appreciated,
though the ecenc might have been quieter and he
was heartily chccrcd. Isaac II. Bromley, who was
pnt down with ms proper prefix of Captain, made
hit" The first part of his speech, n locose
description of the way tho newspapers IN
! the North instructed the Generals In the art OF
battle. kept the crowd III constant laughter; then
suddenly changing to a scrous Tone he gave III a
few words "A picture Of the scene Of as IL was.
and the change wrought by the healing hand oil
time. The listening quiet that prevailed and the
shouts and cheers AID rush of congratulailon that
followed were something worth remembering.
Private adyces reaching Ia ere regarding The con-
diton of Senator Anthony are to the elect that he
eats well. sleeps pretty well, walks to his desk
and looks over his papers and dictates letters when
| he y
doubts whether lac will be able to occupy his place
in the Senate again A friend Of his who was in
Washington the other day. expressed such doubts.
Senator Anthony showed signs during the last scs-
sion of a loss of strength, and of the approach
pfobably of the illness from which he II now
suffering; shc slept frequently III ms chair
The withdrawal of Senator Anthony from active
work would undoubtedly bring Senator Aldnch
his young colleague, conspicnously to the ifont'
Senator Aidrch is comparatively Young man ia
Ice - Senator and X new 10 the body; but hc ha'
succeeded in making a reputation there which If
unusual considering that he entered il only little
more than year ago Under the un"rlttch c'd'
nj tbe Senate well established member ol the body
regards new Senator, and especially a
Young one very much ne senior look
at a freshman. he new Senator takes
fine goat That "a left after all the older Senators have
had their choice. lis name is put at the bottom %
fine Inst of his comnitiees A. the years pas he IS
allowed to move forward TO a better seat and hi-
name slowly mounts up he committee list. Ills de-
meanor is to be governed 10y about the same per
sncctiyc. period of becoming silence is expected
of him. ANA If after tim. the youth says some hing
and says it well, the elders graycly
ap,rovc Senator Aldrich, and Senator Miller
OF York, two new Senators entering almost
at the same time have done "a goo deal to dImln-
ish the prestige of these musty traditions OF the
Senate. II is not 10 bc supposed that their bearing
has not been ali that noncsty could ask. but thcN
have taken a leading part on the iloor undeieTed
by the reflection that they were very young rs Sen
ators AMI by no means OLD rs men, Allrch being
ty-one aud Miller forty-lour. The discussion OF
the tanl at the past session brought them out rather
conspcuously, bccahse they were both stron.
interested in the subject. Senator Aldrch, bcInl
Il member of the Ways and Means Committee. wa
specially occupied with It. and long before the de
bate was ended was recognized both IN the com
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