The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-10-15
SOME THINGS As TO WASHINGTON.


indelbly quarter Of century ago upoi
the minds of the young men of the armie
serving around Washington were that th
resident population of the city was over
whelmingly Secession in its sympathies, ant
that the people regarded q soldier as a cater
pillar does green leaf-as something TO b,
deyoured.
There was much reason for these impress
sions, but at the same time they were errone
Gus in some respects, and greatly exaggerated
in others.
Undoubtedly the Secession element was
very powerful in Washington at the out.
break of the war. The long supremacy Of
the slaveholding oligarchy had the natural
result Of filling a majority Of the places un-
der the Government with Southerners and
Southern sympathizers 1t would have
been strange had this not been 80. 1t is
surprising that there were not more rebels
than there Were, when we remember how
the rebel civil, military and naval estab-
lishments were organized and set up, almost
wholly by men who had long been ut the
heads Of bureaus and divisions in the same
departments at Washington. The War De-
4 partment furnishes us an excellent illustra-
ton Of the extent to which this thing was
carried.
When the rebellion broke out Col. Robert
i. Lee, Gen Scott's Chief of STAFF, went
South to become General-in-Chief of the
rebellion. From the Adiutmt-General's
Office there went to Richmond, TO the same
Bureau Of the Confederacy, Adi't-Gen. 5.
Cooper, Asst Adi'ts Gen. Mackall, Deas, ID.
r. Jones, Withers, Dabney II. Maury and
others. From the Quartermaster- Generals
/ Office there went TO Richmond ON. Gen.
Joseph f. Johnston, Q-Ms. Thos Jordan,
Wayne, Mexican, Cabell, A. NJ. Reynolds and
others. From the Commissary- General's
Office went Col. Grayson, Majs. Richard Il.
Lee, Blair and many others. From the
Ordnance Bureau went Col Benz. Huger
and many other officers From the Engi-
neeTs went y. @. T. Beauregard, Martin /.
Smith, W. II. C. Whiting etc From the
Pay Corps went Paymasters l.. J. Beale, II.
H. Chiffon, Thomas G. Rhett, James Long
street and others. All the other depart
ments and branches Of the Government
were equally liberal in their contributions
to the persoHclle of the bogus Government
established on the banks Of the James.
But it happened in Washington, as in
other cities and States along the border,
while the staggering aristocrats-the So
called dominant class "-aud the noisy
rag-tag and bobtail who followed them were
mainly blatant Secessionists, The great mass
Of plain people," as Lincoln termed them,
were earnestly loyal They made this
known Enthusiastically even before the in
suguration of President Lincoln by the
organization of volunteer companies, which
OEeraWed the Secessi0nist element and Sc
cured the peace Of the city aud the security
Of the Government institutions, so far as the
home rebels were concerned. Had the
matter been within the control Of the people
Of Washington there never would have been
any danger TO the National Capital. The
danger came from the help that the home
rebels might receive from Maryland and
Virginia The Washingtonians were be-
hind no other community when it came TO
furnishing fighting men for the maintenance
Of the National supremacy. Out Of white
population Of G07G3 in 1860 they raised "a
companies for the three months service and
one regiment Of cavalry and two Of infantry
for three years. These soldiers were as good
as any who rallied under the Gag, and they
performed splendid service Fighting in every
battle Of the Army Of the Potomac from
Bull Run TO AppomattoK.
SO much for The loyalty Of Washington
from 1861 TO 1858. Ofcourse the volunteers
who thronged the city during the war met
a great many blatant Sccessionists on the
streets, in the saloons, and other places Of
public resort These were largely stay-at-
home rebels from Virginia and Maryland
who did all their fighting with their mouths
in the peaceful confines Of the Capital. They
did not represent the people Of Washington
in any sense.
Since 1850 the population Of Washington
has quadrupled, and vastly the greater part
Of the increase has come from the wide
awake, progressive people Of the North,
East and West. There is not more pro-
gressiye, live, loyal city in the whole United
States than Washington. There is not a
great city in the country in which all the
people are more truly American in thought
aud act, more appreciatiye Of the struggles
and sacrifices made 10 uphold the Nation,
and Of the men who made those struggles.
The business Of the city is almost entirely
IN the hands OF Northern men. The Gov
eminent Offices are filed with old soldiers.
the police il made up entirely Of men who