The Press., 1885-04-16
WASHINGTON LETTER. !.

live through the night, brought prepara- lions to a stsnd still When the death of Gen. Grant occurs, President Cleveland will issue an order closing the executive departments and directing that they be draped in mourning It seems to be set tied now that Gen. Grant will be buried in the District of Columbia. Various sites have been spoken of for his final resting place. Gen. Sheridan has the matter ill charge, and he has been consulting proml- nent army officers. The spot known as the White lot, which is between the white house and the Washington monument has been suggested as an appropriate one
 Others favor the congressional cemetery, the crypt of the capitol, Arlington, or the soldiers home, and it is probable one of the commanding elevations in these beau tiful grounds will receive the dust of the Nations dead. The month of April is thickly studded with Grant anniversaries, and now his death is likely to add another memorable one to the list. It was on April 1st that Gen. Grant turned Lees right, at Five Forks. April 2d, he assaulted and carried the lines at Petersburg and Rich mond. April 9th, the battle of Shiloh opened. April 7th, he drove the rebels from the field April 8th, he had thrown his cavalry across Lees line of retreat, and on April 9th, Lees army surrendered.
 Now that most of President Cleveland's s diplomatic appointments have been settled, some curious stories come out concerning the ambitions and disappointments of hls appointees. Ex-Senator Pendleton who served as the manager for the civil service agitators in the senate, and who fathered their bill, set the example of spurning one Of the elementary principles of their creed. He desired the English mission above all others. He got the endorsement of all the democratic Senators and applied for the place. When Minister Phelps was offered foreign mission, he declined to have anything but England-thus depriv- ing Mir. Pendleton of the object of his am- bition, and leaving him to choose between Germany and Russia. Ex-Gov. Jarvis of North Carolina did not want the Brazilian mission. He said it was the same as ban ishment. Then suddenly he appeared in Washington and accepted it. Gen. Law ton is trying to go to Russia with his dis abilities under the fourteenth amendment, and Andrew Johnson's pardon in his pock- ct. The new secretary of state tells him that Andrew Johnson pardoned him for his treason and therefore the fourteenth amendment does not affect him. MT. Bay ard knows that Andrew Johnson pardoned perhaps 20, ,000 just as he did Gen. Lawton, and yet, unless they got their disabilities removed by congress, the pardon was not legally sufficient to cover the offence. The president was much encouraged by the support the republican senators gave him in making appointments at the extra ses- sion. How far this support was based on on the belief that his course would strength kho 1li o1fv and hot the best way to build it up, is question about which opinions differ. It is only fair to assume that the republicans will work for their own party, and that they will favor what will tend to divide the dem- ocrats. The republicans are watching MT. Cleveland and the course of his adminis- ! tration with intense interest," and on the whole they are pretty happy people.
 There have been no important appoint
 ments made during the week, and no incl
 dents of note have occurred ill department matters. The special investigation com
 mittee of the treasury is hard at work day and night with its heavy task, the outcome of which is awaited with great interest
 It is still engaged with the Internal Rev
 enue Bureau, which opens 8 particularly broad field for inspection.
 Secretary Manning has just returned from an Investigating tour to the Empire state. His ostensible business there was of a strictly private character, but his al 1 legged business was to take counsel of the wise men of his party, and manipulate the popular pulse with view of ascertaining how fast and how far the administration can safely go in the way of making places 1 for democrats who hunger for the flesh pots. President Cleveland's recognition oi civil service principles is well nigh intoler- able to the secretary of the treasury.
 At last it begins to look as though the student, the artist, the statesman, the re- tired trader, the man and woman of the world, may find place on this continent where escape from the din of money grab bing is possible, where culture can shake hands with genius in all forms, where merit, not money or grandfathers, is the entree to society, where persons of leisure and not be regarded as public nuisances, and where the stock market is. not the chief end of man. If ever people need ed to escape from themselves and cultivate repose, it is ourselves If ever this repose is acquired, it will be in Washington. So convinced have some Americans become 1 of these probabilities as to have metamor- phosed the national capital People of for tune are making 1t their home, in order to enjoy life under the most favorable cir cumstanees. For similar sreasons people of moderate and settled incomes are lured there also. Comparatiue poverty is no badge of disgrace where ladies and gentle men serve the government for moderate salaries, where retired army and navy off cers rank above the wealthiest of nouveaux riches while living modestly on half pay. ssBless your soul" said transplanted Philadelphian, ''you can entertain all your friends here for $1. 75. It isn't what you give to eat, but whom you bring together, that attracts. New Workers are trying to introduce extravagant ways of entertain ing, but they only get talked about in no complimentary strain. The majority of LIS won't countenance anything of the sort. We want life to be made as easy, charm ing and inexpensive as in European capi- tals. Amen.-Knte Field.
 Gen. Basil Duke, who was the real lead CT in John Morgans s confederate command, speaking of Gen. Grant, says: Grant was a great commander, and the only one that was ever able to cope with Gen. Lee. He was man of unquestioned courage and tenacity. No other general in the federal army could have done with Gen. Lee what Grant did at Richmond. He was the best tactician, outside of General Lee, ill either