The Washington critic., 1886-12-14
WASHINGTON CRITIC
WASHINGTON, DECEMBER IA, 1856.
TOPICS OF THE DAY.


General James A. Ekin Of Louisville
who was secretary Of the Board of
Trustees which erected Lincoln Hall
in this city, latterly known as Herzog's
Opera House and now an unsightly
ruin, said to a Courier Jomnatreporter
the other day that Chief Justice Chase,
as President of the Board, always
opened its meetings with prayer and
was greatly interested in the work of
construction. After the capstone had
been placed in position, the Chief
Justice assigned to me, says General
Ekin, "the duty of preparing an in
scription for the cornerstone. In n
few days thereafter ! submitted the fol-
lowing report Jehovah Jireb. This
was adopted with much unanimity and
enthusiasm. On recent visit to Wash.
ington | observed that the corner of the
building was closely and carefully
boarded up prepared for the display of
large show bills, such as can be seen
on some of the streets of Louisville,
and made inquiry of friend what
had become Of the inscription. o.
he remarked, that has been chlseled
off many years ago; we do not need
such things about Washington now
II was suggested that missionary or
two, perhaps, would be appropriate in
certain localities"
"x%
Speaking of the Hon. II. ]. Camp.
bell, Member of Congress from
the Eighth New York dis
trict, Mussey of the Cincinnati
Commercial. Gazette says "Tim is a
great parliamentarian. When pre-.
siding one time over the Oriental Club
Of the Fourth Ward he had q man
named Noonan he wanted made chair.
man. Here's the way he did it, without
single break to allow anybody else to
get in his work: Gentlemen, Mr.. Bar
ney Noonan Is nominated for chairman.
All those In favor of Barney Noonan
for chairman will say aye. Those op-
posed will say aye. The ayes have it,
and Mr.. Noonan is elected. Gintlemen,
the harmony and congeniality of this
election goes still further to convince
JUS thet while the masses OF the people
form the bulk of the populace we will
not be overridden by the privileged
few. Mr.. Noonan will come forward
and take the chair after his unanimous
election 1t Is a great pity that Mr..
Campbell has no show to be elected
Speaker. He would be much more
picturesque than Mr.. Carlisle Is"
~.
The Memphis Ledger is justly proud
Of the Tennessee colony at Washing
ton, which besides an able delegation
In Congress, includes several excep.
tionally bright men in the Depart.
ments. Among these is Ex-Governor
Porter, the Assistant Secretary of
State, of whom the Ledger says: All
who know anything of the splendid
pioneer stock from which Governor
Porter sprang, and the career and char
acteristics of the man himself can rest
in the assurance that all his influence
will be exerted in behalf of discreet,
just and vigorous policy In dealing
with the great international questions
that continually arise in the De.
partment of State. Then there
is Mr.. Atkins, the Commits.
sioner of Indian Affairs, many years
a member of Congress, whose career
Is part of the political history of his
State and country. He Is above re-
proach, a man of the old school, vet
possessed of youthful energy and sym
pathies and most happily adapted to
the great work assigned him by the
Administration. Only two years ago
he was an elector on the Cleveland and
Hendricks ticket, and contributed by
his speeches and personal influence to
the grand result by which we gained
sound constitutional government.
His chief clerk, General A.. b. Upshaw,
formerly of the Nashville press, has
been with Commissioner Atkins nearly
year and half, and much of the
time has had entire charge Of the Bu-
reau. He went to Washington I'M
known comparatively outside of the
few Southern States. Now he
has national reputation as
one of the most efficient and
useful public men in the Governments
service. He has won his spurs by fine
executive ability and close application
to business. Congress created the office
of Assistant Commissioner for his spe
cial benefit. He was confirmed by the
Republican Senate without referring
the matter to a committee. This was
done before the appointment was to
take effect. To make the matter sure,
he was unanimously confirmed again
thing that never before happened.
Among other distinguished Tennes.
seeans mentioned by the Ledger are
General Marcus j. Wright, who has
occupied high and responsible posi-
tion in the War Records Office for sew
eral years, and has had more to do with
collecting and classifying material for
impartial and permanent history than
any man of the age so far as this coun-
try Is concerned, and last, but not least,
CaI tain Sam. Donelson, the popular
Doorkeeper of the House of Repre-
sentatives.