Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-05-14
WASHINGTON LETTER.
+ SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS. ]

WARLIKE But NOT MILITARY
Some people who have seen Washington
In war time have u chance now to see Il
In war time again, but its appearance
now does not suggest war at all. The
profound outward peacefulness Of the
capital the unbroken happy-go-lucky
cheerfulness of the people, their OPEN
eyed and boylike curiosity over the
smallest appearance Of anything mill
itary, are excellent and unneeded proof
Of that, though we may be warlike peo-
rle. we are very far from being mill
tary people. A really military people do
not rush and stare and become excited
ut the sight OF u dozen militiamen In
/ uniform, as one sees street crowds DO
any afternoon when small squads OF uni
formed men, returning from target prac-
lce somewhere out in the country. saun-
ters in very unmilitary fashion through
the city. Really the most warlike sign
one sees in Washington is the tendency
ON the part of the people on the streets
! down town to form in groups very easily.
Two men will stop to greet each other
and the talk inevitably turns to the
Spanish war. Passers-by catch word
of it, and pause to listen for possible
news; then others pause, till there Is
little group, which breaks up when the
unsuspecting men who cause 1t move
on. Such trifling incidents prove that
there Is a tense feeling among the peo-
pie after all. in spite Of the habitual APP
pearance Of uncOncern. Another thing,
quite remarkable to one who is not ac-
customed to the laundering and disor-
ganized ways Of the government of our
republic, is the unmistakeable fact that
the men in power seem almost as much
at sea with regard to what is going to
he done as are the people on the street.
At distance from the capital we get
an idea, from the way in which we hear
! Of governmental proceedings after the
fact, that everything is quite completely
organized. 1t may be that General Miles
has the war with Cuba all in his pigeon
| hole, as complete as Won Moltke had the
war with France. But If he has, ordin-
airy administrative proceedings are not
nicely guided to accord with it. Almost
| anyone has access to the great offices Of
the government. Cabinet ministers deny
theselves to few. Up and down the cor
ridors and rooms of the war and navy
departments hundreds of people troop
all day. apparently with none to say
them nay There Is nothing more sug-
gestive of war and blOOdshed, about the
war department.. than there Is about the
rooms of the Unitarian association in
Boston. Everybody seems to talk freely
with everybody else; and you can hear
the most diverse ideas expressed here as
to how the war Is going to be fought. 1t
may be that beneath all the apparent
confusion there is great plan which is
going to be successful but bystander
surely would not guess it.
TWO GRAND OLD MEN.-Two ven
cradle men. as they sat some days ago
in congress and watched the martial
spirit of the present generation sweep
ing the country into another war, must
have looked back with deep emotion to
much similar scenes 81 years before, In
which they took more active part than
in the occurrences of last week. The
Thrtyseventh congress met on July 4
1861. called in extra session by President
Lincoln. Among the. strongest men,
bers of the house of representatives were
Galusha A. Grow of Pennsylvania, and
Justin s. Morrill, Of Vermont. Grow
was elected speaker and Morrill, was
next to Thaddeus Stevens on the ways
and means committee. Already the
smoke of battle was in the air, and the
thunder of artillery shook the very walls
in which congress assembled. Lincoln's
message, like that to which Morrill, and
Grow listened last week, told of his fu
tile efforts to maintain peace, Of the
steps he had taken in the direction Of
Cancellation, and that they had resulted
only in the assault upon Sumter and :ne
secession of tn. rebel states He asked
for 400, 900 men and 5000, 90, 900 to- put
down the rebellion and save the Union.
Congress authorized calling for 500. 900
volunteers and appropriated 500, 900. 900
for prosecution of the war; Younger
men have assumed the middle of the
stage in the momentous crisis we. now
face, but by their presence and their
votes, despite old age and physical in
firmities, these NestOrs Of the last war;
one still i'm the house and the other in the
senate, gave Their hearty support to- the
policy of President Mckinley in chforc-
ing peace in suffering Cuba. MAY III, =
live to see Cuoa free. and the nation
they ha,, 50 Loyalty served crowned
with a victory which will We triumph
for humanity and civi)i2a ton!
POLITICS AND Wharf.-The principal
occupation of members of congress in
these days of war is listening to the APP
peals of men who want to form indie
pendent companies to go to the front.
Various lines of business have become
depressed by reason Of the war, and
those who in consequence are out of EN-
ployment. in many instances desire to
serve the government in the field. Then
the love of adventure as we'll as the ar
dor of commendable patriotism are i'm
TOrtant factors in contributing to swell
the tide. William Aston Chambers plan
to equip at his own expense regiment
for Cuban service is here believed to en-
danger John Murray Mitchelrs chances
of returning to congress from New York.
If Chanler can lead such regiment, it
IL said that so great would be his popu-
larity in the Eighth district on the East
side, from which most of his regiment
would come. that he would be formid-
able candidate for congressional honors.
and everybody believes the war will end
in season for the returning volunteer
majors to stand for office in November.
AGAINST THE GRAND STEAL
The prospects of resisting the threat
ened theft of the national forests seem
to be growing brighter. The members of
the public lands committee of the houss
have agreed unanimously to oppose the
senate amendment wiping the national
forest reservations out Of existence.
/, There is the best of evidence that at least
30 per cent of the people of the states
and territories where these reservations
are located are heartily in favor Of the
policy that established them. Strong
efforts have been made to impress con-
eress with the idea that people out there
are red-hot for their abolition. But all
this noise has been manufactured by
the powerful lumber interests and other
, | selfish parties who are endeavoring ia