The Mineral argus. [volume] (Maiden, Mont.) 1883-1886, 1886-05-13
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From cur Regular Correspondent.
Wa,nIvGToN, April Both, 1856.

This has been week ni meetings. There
have been mass meetings memorial meet
iigs. and meetings charitable and scientific.
The American Historical Association met
here and held sessions. the American sur
yicai Association did likewise, The sixty
fourth birthday of General Grant WAS cele-
bratcd by u dcnsely packed crowd at the
Metropolitan church where he used To
worship. and there large mass meet
ing at the Masonic Temple in response to
rail to en,lur.. Premier flaistone's home
rule I'LL ipr Ireland.
When Hon. samucl Handell, who pre-
aided at this meeting. stepped upon the
stage he was greeted with loud applause.
Said he. 1--WE sympathi~e with all peopl"
seeking home rub. We ~ympa,hise with
,ircec". with Mcxico. and with the liung.i-
,ians; why should W. drny Ia ireland all
he aid We could give" When he finished
-rakn, the band played Come back I"
Erin" The lri-'l question ais" rccriv,'.
attention from senator Van Wyck and
Riddlelr.rscr, and from Representatives
,iiis.on. Phelps. Mckinley, . iiira and
others.
4 large audirnce went 10 the Congrc..;,-
cional church Wednesday evening to hear
Frederick Douglass lecture on rccoliectiun~
al slavery times. After speaking ri the
wrongs per,c.ratcd against the slaves he
fore they were freed, the speaker said the
negro rae. never hated the South, land
he added, II hope we never will hate il, bat
We were once hated aud We are not too
much loved to-day. Why il i that no one
sings to-day. "IIang JEFF Davis on II sour
apple tree"
lie referred to the relations which existed
between religion aud slavery, and said that
Il is q pregnant and striking fact that
American slavery WAS never afraid of Amer
lean religion. They seemed To- he ON very
good terms with each other while the
church and tlie slave prison stood in the
same neishborlood. and the church bell
kept time with the bell ri the auctioneer
.Now, to-day, if the American pulpit
would thunder rs il should thunder forth
the wrath OF the prophets Of God, it would
put an end to the scenes of violence that
ARE murdered by the Wholesale"
OF the present condition Of the negro
Mr. Douglass said, ''some of our friends
despair of our attaining our rights in this
country, and are asking us whether it is
not best to get up and get out. hold,
however that our best plan is to stay
where We are, for I do not know where W.
rould go that We could not find white
people"
A protracted session of Congress is looked
upOn ms IA certainty now. IL is thought
the Tariff bill will not come up for discus
sion now until the last III May. I'VE will
not take it up until all are ready" said
Col. Morrison, but after it is once up, the
question will be when tn let it go. About
eighty members want to make speeches ON
the subject and these will take at least
three weeks. The opponents Of the bill
speak very confidently Of dispensing of it in
short order, and assert. without reserva-
ton, that il has not the ghost OF Il chance
of passing the House. Meanwhile the Tar
riff reformers are watching and praying,
and expressing the opinion that the bllw
pass. The action Of the President in urg-
both ways, and il is hard to tell whether it
has done more good or more harm. 1t is
claimed by Republicans that it will drive
back into their ranks, all who had "a mind
to step over the traces and act with the
tariff '.reformers." But this is IL thing that
f,II, h., for ri. i,fx
The Senate has been discussing foreign
mail subsidies. senator Beck, Of Ny, held
that we wanted our foreign mail delivered
in the shortest possible time, regardless of
where the ships were built. senator Piuiab
81 Kansas coutended that the American
flag should not float over any vessel tina:
was not built in America. lie asked
Senators who fought for the tonfedcracy
il they wanted To vote money to buy Brit
ish ships over which the American flag WIS
to he iloated. Said he: IF | have read the
history Of the Confe,icr,cy Alright, il tells
me that the men who fought that gallant
fight in n cause that went down after ioar
years Of such struggle as the world had
never seen, have more occasion to despiSe,
loathe and hate Great britain than any
other people in the world. She promised
the Confcderaey that which made he Con
federacy alive with hope, and she broke her
promise, rs she always does when il suits
her interests to do so. She was the friend of
the Confederacy ut time when j, would
stimulate the Conieieraey to go on with the
struggle, aud then, when the struggle was
entered ON, and there was n Macedonian
cry for help that she had promised, she
absolutely deserted you. | should like to
see the true Confederate who would vote to
hoat the American ilas. OF which he * now
Us proud as any one else, over II ship rep
resenting British capitalize capital of n
nation that was your meanest foe ia Inc
hour of trial.
The condition Of sentiment both at the
South and the North, after the war, Mr..
Plumb thought, would not have been
nv,.rse tn war with t,raot Rritnin And he