Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-04
FIFTY YEARS AGO
In THE STAR

The seeking of Office under the pros
pective republican administration began
Immediately after the cleo
Office ton of Lincoln. In The
Star of November %, 1850.
0s' is tine following. which in
cidentaily brings forth the name of one
in Washington:
The office seekers are already hunting
tic President-elect down, as man in his
situation was hardly ever so badgered
so long in advance Of the day OF his
inauguration. Quite thousand are said
to have consregated around him on the
occasion Of his recent arrival at Chi
cago, exclusive Of quite as many be-
longing to that city. Mr.. Don Piatt OF
Cincinnati, whilom flaming pro-
slavery democrat seems to be ambitious
Of establishing himself as Mr.. Lincoln 8
right-hand man, much to the disgust Of
nine-tenths of the members of his party
whose political principles are someW hat
fixed, as Mr.. Ffatt's VIGOROUSLY are
not. W. .apprehend. From accounts from
Springfield 1t is clear that an average OF
a thousand letters per diem are pour
ing in upon MIR. LincoIn--more than $50
OF them having been written to the end
Of bringing the writer's favorably to
LIS notice as applicants or aspirants for
office or to strengthen the claims Of 9TH
ers for. place under his administration.
Those who know the ropes are well
aware that the President-elect cannot
possibly read one in ten Of such letters
number reaches 5000 per diem. instead Of
LOCO. as at present. We question whether
he will take the trouble to read one OF
them: as he can hardly escape being af-
fected with the disgust at Office seeking
that in these times aff1icts all incoming
Presidents. Experience teaches that get
ting I'D such papers with the idea that
the head of new administration will
read them Is time and labor utterly
thrown away
An interesting phase OF the pre-seces-
sion movement developed early In an at
tempt in some Of the south
GeOrgla'S ern states to deny the fed
49,, eral jurisdiction by 1egis-
A1VposaA' lative enactments without
actually severing relations between the
state and the Union. In The Star of No
vensber 80, 1860, is the following para
graph from MiIledgeville, Ga, under date
Of the day previous:
Mr.. Melony Of Clarke county today in
troduced bill in the House prohibiting
the :levying Of executions ISSUED from the
United States courts on the property of
citizens of Georgia prior to December.
1861, and declaring void all such proc
esses. In the House the bill to protect
the rights of the citizens OF Georgia was
debated. Mr.. Lewis OF Greene county
offered an amendment to extend the pro-
visions of the bill to the citizens of every
state that voted for Lincoln electors.
which was agreed to. Mr.. Mcdonald OF
Lumpkin county opposed the bill and
amendment. He expressed warm Union
sentiments. and moved an amendment
filming every Georgian 5000 who sells a
bale OF cotton or barrel Of apples to any
person north OF Mason and Dixon's line.
and disunion and conservative senti-
ments were freely uttered. The bill was
made the special order for Friday. when
an exciting discussion is anticipated. The
disunionists will oppose the bill and the
conservatives viii advocate its passage.
it pass"
There was great excitement In Washing
ton on the eve Of the meeting Of Con-
p gress. Every Indication
Capital polnted to the most i'm
ssh portan; session in the
saoy' history of the country
Nevertheless the physical conditions at
the capital were not ignored. and in The
Star Of December l. 1860. is the follow
ing paragraph descriptive of the state Of
affairs at that building:
''T91e halls Of Congress have been made
ready for tie session which commences
Monday next. In the House of Repre-
sentatives the new sofas have been ousted
and the old chairs and desks restored
The new sofas fare badly, having no
regular abiding place. Some of them now
afford lounging places for spectators in
the new Supreme Court room; others are
scattered about among the different Of
fees and retiring rooms connected with
the main chambers. The removal of the
Supreme Court to its present quarters in
the old Senate chamber has afforded ex-
cellent space in the old courtroom for the
library, which has been arranged there In
neat. new walnut cases.
Visitors to the Capitol have now a fine
to obtain an idea Of the ar
beauty and magnitude of the
new dome The first section having been
the temporary roof has been
raised to an altitude Of upward of $50
feet. The new roof is nearly completed
and the Workmen are buSily engaged in
putting in the finishing strokes. Last
night and the night before the men were
engaged all night in removing the old
roof by gas and candle light. BY good
during the progress of the work,
the difficulty with which
it was attended, was the one by which the
beautiful painting of the Embarkation OF
the Pilgrims was SO seriously injured