Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1895-08-10
WASHINGTON LETTER
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE. |

and of the Supreme Court shows tina
some confusion still exists as to the
date of the close of the war of the
Rebellion, n subject which was recent
ly discussed in an opinion rendered
by Assistant Secretary Reynolds OF
the Interior Department in certain
pension claims. The decision of the
Supeme Court upon that question,
which Assistant Secretary Reynolds
quoted, was delivered by Chief Justice
Chase January 80, 1872, in the case OF
William A. Freeborn ct al. VS.. the
ship Protector, }. @. Bell, claimant,
etc, and reported at pages 70O-7O2,
18th Wallace. The chief Justice said
There We're two proclamations OF
intended blockade, the first on the
18th of April, 1861, embracing the
States of South Carolina, Georgia,
Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Louis
lana and Texas; the second on the
9th of April, embracing the States
Of Virginia and North Carolina, and
there were two proclamations declar.
ing that the war had closed, one is.
sued ON the I'd of April, 1866, embrac.
ing all the States but Texas, and the
other issued on the Goth OF August,
1866, embracing the State of Texas.
In the absence of more certain criteria
OF equally general application, we
must take the dates of these procla.
nations rs ascertaining the commence.
ment and close OF the war in the
States mentioned i'll them" In other
cases, notably those of Mckee vs..
Rains, 10th Wallace, %; United
States vs. Anderson, 9th Wallace, SCI !;
McEIraith vs.. United States, the
Supreme Court has decided that "the
Rebellion WAS closed, in all cases
where private rights are affected, by
the time of its termination, August
20, 1866"
THEY WERE Nor THE ONEs-Jo
Blackburn is here. SO is Senator
Butler, of South Carolina. Black
burn says he will win in Kentucky
after all, and everybody hopes he
may. He is II good fellow and re-
freshing spectacle in this arid waste
Of satellites and idolators. He and
Butler and some others were gossip.
ping at Chamberlain the other even.
ing over that press report from Lon
don, in which it was stated that u
rather gay establishment there had
been raided by the police, and that,
among others, United States Sena-
tor, an NJ. c. and high official of the
Government had been run in. They
We're wondering who the Senator could
be, but no one yentured a conjecture.
vi course We know that Vest of Mis-.
souri,, and Mcmillan Of Michigan, are
in London jdst now-to say nothing
Of Squire Of Washington, and posi-.
bly, II few others-but of course it
could not have been any one of them.
None Of them would visit resort
which opens at 1890 a. IN. and keeps
open until breakfast, one of the rules
of which, too, is that all the gentle
men and ladies shall be in full evening
dress. 1t is doubted here, indeed,
whether Vest took his dress suit with
him.
REQUEST OF CAPT. Evans II Capt.
Robley d, Evans application is
granted, the cruiser New York will
have new commander before long.
Capt. Evan has requested the navy de.
partment to detsch him from the com.
mand of the New York and direct
him to hold himself in readiness to
command the battleship Indiana when
that vessel is placed in commission.
Just what Capt. Evans reasons are for
making such an application cannot be
learned. just before Admiral Meade
was relieved from the command of the
North Atlantic squadron, Capt. Evans
asked that he be given other duty, on
the ground that he did not care to
serve any longer as the commander OF
Admiral Meade's flagship on account
of his failure to get along with that
officer. Capt. Evans may go to the
second-class battleship Maine. The
Indiana will probably not be placed
in commission until next spring, ii
then, while the Maine will be commits.
stoned as soon as men become avail
able.
A FIGHTING NAVY The commission.
ing of the Maine and Texas will mark
u new era in the development of the
American navy. The vessels will be
an addition, differing from those
which have preceded them during the
past decade, and they will belong
more distinctively to the fighting class
OF vessels than even the New York,
the coast defense vessel Monterey or
the Monitor, Mlantonomoh, Monad-
mock and Amphltrite, all of which are
now in commission. The Maine is
oassed as an armored cruiser, while
the Texas is second-rate battleship, |
but the Maine could also very proper.
ly be placed in the category of second
rate battleships. Her barbettes are
protected by twelve, and her turret
by eight inches of armor. She carries
four ten-inch and six six-inch guns.
In addition to a powerful secondary
battery. She has displacement OF
6, 682 tons, "A maximum horse power
OF 5000, can steam seventeen knots |
an hour, and will carry crew of $40 |
men. In the opinion of experts, she
could easily whip two vessels like the
New York, which attracted SO much
attention at the recent naval exhibl.
ton Mt kiel, while she would prove a
match for half dozen unsrmored
vessels like the Baltimore or Philadel-
phia. The Texas carries fewer guns
in her main battery, but they are of
greater calibre than those of the
armored cruiser. Her main battery
consists of two twelve-inch and six six.
inch guns. Her turrets have a greater
degree of protection than those of the
Maine, but both her displacement and
horsepower are less, the Texas having
A displacement of G,315 tons, with
1000 horse power.
The curious tact Is recalled that just
twenty years after President Grant
~. L.. IL,