St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-06-19
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, June 7, 1884,

lie tacto has relieved the press and pub
lie from the strain of surmises and
suesses, it can pull itself together and
turn its attention to affairs political, so
cial, and pious.
At the Capitol Mr.. Manning's letter of
resignation was regarded as just the
thing that any high minded official
would do in the circumstances. An
officer even temporarily disabled should
free the hands of his chief to make
any arrangements necessary, so that
the Department might not suffer. The
Presidents letter in reply is also re-
garded as an eminently proper one.
A few there were who seemed inclined
to take the correspondence as implying
q virtual termination of Mr. Manning's
connection with the Treasury. Their
reason for their belief is that Mr..
Manning will never be the same man
again and never will be able to resume
control OF the Treasury Department.
This view they persist in holding, not
withstanding Mr.. Manning's very rapid
and continuous improvement, and III
the face of the doctors expressed OPT
nion that Mr.. Manning could resume
work to-day without much risk.
That Secretary Manning will return to
the Cabinet is earnestly hoped by those
who have enjoyed the cordial hospitali-
tv and answering friendiness of
Mrs. Manning during their residence
here. Although fond of society, and
certainly well calculated to shine pre-
eminently in it, Mrs. Manning quickly
gave up her desire to go out to any ex-
tent last winter, when the Secretary
found his business cares had encrOached
even upon the hours he had to spend at
home. Siuce his illness, Mrs. Manning
has been devoted in her attention, and
was anxious until she secured the
Secretary promise not to think of re-
turning to work until after the sum-
1ner's rest. Secretary and Mrs. Man
ming left here yesterday for the warm
/, Springs, Va. but their summer plans
will depend entirely upon the progress
made by the former toward recovery.
The sensation at the Capitol during
the week was speech made by Judge
Fullerton, of New York, in favor OF
the payment by the United States OF the
rebel war debt, and it will be a long
time before we hear the last of it. 1t
was suggessed that the republican Con-
gressional committee may have en-
ployed this distinguished attorney to
appear before his committee on war
Claims, to advocate a measure that is
prohibited by the Constitution, but
know he came, as any other lawyer
would, to earn fee. The stupid
bankers of Amsterdam, Holland, who
hold several car loads of Confederate
bonds. employed that celebrated philo-
.sopher, Rufus Hatch, Esq, to see what
could be done about the redemption OF
these securities, and Uncle Rufus pro-
badly told them that it was only neces-
sary to have bill introduced in Con-
gress, which he would attend to. The
bill was introduced by Mr.. Merriman,
who hadn't the slightest idea that it
meant what it is construed to mean.
and then Uncle Rufus paid Judge Full
lerton $1,000 to come over and make
a speech in support of it. The commit
tee was panic stricken when they
found what they had under considera-
ton, but they let Fullerton finish his
speech and earn his fee. This incident
will doubtless be discussed upon the
stump by every republican campaign
speaker, as proof that the Rebels nave
captured the capitol again.
There seems to be "a settled convIc-
ton among Government clerks thas
after the adjournment of COngrese.
there will be wholesale discharge
They think that now the heads OF des
partments fear to make many change
because they apprehend that such air
ytion would retard the progress OF they
anpropriatiOn bills. The officials sar
on the quiet that the clerks are not tat
from right in their conjectures, The
only departments in which any degree
of safety can be felt are the State and
War. Even the Navy Department will
undergo pruning process, and many
clerks who have outlived their useful
ness will have to give way to efficient
democrats. The discharges in the
Treasury Department will, OF course,
be more numerous than in any OF the
others, and it's clerks will count the
days that intervene before the ad-
journment of Congress with nervous
anxiety. A prominent official OF the
Treasury Department said a few days
fNx force