Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-15
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN The STAR

The failure Of the Charleston conven-
ton threw into utter confusion the plans
CT all the political leaders
Length of and had a distinct effect
ST. upon the congressional
ssAoA' program. In The Star OF
May :. 1860. is the following regarding
the prospective length Of the session.:
notwithstanding the desire of so larse
a portion OF Congress to the contrary. IL
Is already evident that the BODY cannot
possibly bring its presen: session TO
close before the middle Of July. The ma
5ority of the House certainly design pass
ing new tariff bill. for the sake OF the
benefit in the approaching presidential
election they expect to draw from such
action on their part: which will be siren
uousiy opposed by the democratic minor
ity. of course. The consideration Of the
subject will occupy the attention OF the
House necessarily fer some weeks, though
it is well known that nothing whatever in
share of completed legislation on the
tariff can by any possible chance be COM
summated before very nearly the close OF
the next session. Nor has a single gem
eral appropriation bill of importance been
finally disposed of by tie House: CT in
deed placed in a fair way q being speed
lily disposed CT. The due enactment Of all
of them will occupy the body for quite n
month, 1aboring assiducusly. And it is
very certain that they will not settle down
TO work until the last Of the presidential
conventions shall have been held.
Sporting news occupied but a small part
Of the newspaper space fifty years ago.
although generous quota
Base Rail- tons from the London
-, newspapers were reprin--
Challenge. ed in the American da:lies
descriptive Of the Heenan-SayeTs prize
fight. The following base ball item in
The Star Of May :. 1850 may be regarded
as the beginning CT local prints regarding
events on the diamond field:
"A game of base ball was played Sat
urday last on the Mall between the Po-
tomac club Of the first ward and the Ma
tional club of Capitol Hill. in which the
latter club was worsted. 81 to l.. in seven
innings. The Potomac club has challenged
a club in Baltimore to play match game
here OH the 9th Of June next, and it was
understood that the National club &C
cepted the challenge, which gave onl!
forty-eight hours notice to prepare in.
more to get the first warders in &; cd play
for the coming match with Baltimore
than to exhibit. it's own skill. The Capitol
Hill club has only been organized lately
and Is composed Of novices. While the 70
tomac club has in its ranks several first
game perfectly and have had much prac-
tice.'
After a few days of excitement over
the Charleston convention interest began
to revive in the prospec-
Renuhlican tive nomination Of the re-
publican party. In The
VutAVVA' Star of May 10, 1860. is
the following discussion of the outlook:
Senator Wade Of Ohio is certainly
looming up into great prominence as an
aspirant for the Chicago presidentlai
nomination. 1t is evident that he is to
dispute it most seriously with MIR. Sew
ard-Chase. Banks, Cameron. ct al. hay
ing fallen completely into the background
in the course of the last fortnight. The
republican party wire workers now here,
and their name is legion, who oppose Mr..
Stewards nomination. are rapidly concen-
trating upon Mr. Wade as the candidate
with whom they can possibly beat Mr.. 3.
without losing in November a large por-
ton OF the ultra anti-siavery vote. We
still continue to believe that Mr.. Seward
will be .heir nominee. because he is con-
fessedly their great representative man.
Is
Meanwhile the first presidential ticket
to be written was placed in nominal ton
by the constitutional union
Union convention at Baltimore
r:.,..+ which on the 10th of May.
1860. named John Bell Of
Tennessee for President and Edward
Everett of Massachusetts for Vice Presi-
or &c ,,$a RI
at length in The Star OF May H. 1860
combination thus effected lost the con-
stitutional union party its only chance
Of success, which lay in the reference
of the presidential election. i'll the event
House of Representatives.
The japanese visitors reached New
York on the 9th of May. 1850, and in The
Star OF two days later is
japanese an article telling of the
WITT. arrival of the United
A0''vAs' States steam frigate Roa-
noke Off Sandy Hook, where she was met
by s,oop from the navy yard and served
with the official orders to proceed to
Washington city by way of Norfolk. The
Star report proceeds:
"AN on board the Roanoke, excepting
the members of the embassy. expressed
great regret and indignation on receiv-
ing the orders for this unexpected change
Of destination. but the Japanese, who had
all along expressed a desire to avoid pub
licity until their official reception by the
head OF the American government. were
quite So tisfied with the new arrangement.
The embassy consists of seyenty-one per
sons, one having been taken i'll at Aspin-
wall ard sent back home. They bring
with them over eighty tons of baggage,
including fifteen boxes containing pres
ents for the President of the United
States. They also bring with them about
$4,000 in cash, with which 10 make pur-
chases in this country. The money was
brought from Japan in silver and changed
in San Francisco fo~ American gold.
The voyage of the japanese on the
Roanoke was very pleasant. No untoward
event occurred to disturb their general
harmony and the distingu ished orientals
passed their time in reading. smoking,
chatting and making sketches Of the vari-
Gus objects they beheld. They were very
kindly disposed. met every one on boar,
as we'll as those WHO visited the steamer
OFF Sandy Hook with a friendly smile,
and il spoken to in English would answer
with som" complimentary remarks in
Japanese. tn tie vast dele citation if not
to tie satisfactory comprehension of both
De rites The JaoaueSe uca-ifest