Year: 1878

al From our Special Correspondent


WASHINGTON, d. c., Nov. 25, 1878.


Preliminary meetings of several of the
, Congressional Committees have already
been held to get the particular work
with which they we're charged well in
hand, in anticipation of the reassembling
of the National Legislature next. Mon


day. The usual lack of interest was
shown by the failure to secure quorum
at several of the meetings in question.
In keeping with Democratic brag and
bluster about reform" we were assured
prior to the meeting of the three last
sessions that the appropriation bills were
all to be in shape to be reported before
the holidays. But we ali remember that
at the last two sessions some OF them
were not reported from the Committees
until late in the following Spring or
even Summer. Hence the repetition OF


former boasts excite very little else but
derision and incredulity.


One of the most important matters
that came over from the last session is |
the bill in aid of the construction of the |
Texas Pacific R R. By mutual agree
ment in the Senate the first Wednesday
OF the present session was assigned for
its consideration. The main feature of
the bill is the guarantee of the interest
of that roads construction bonds, at 5
lper cent, and among the conditions
precedent to granting that limited and
are the following, which seem to amply
guard the Government from possible
loss in the premises. The road is to


surrender previous land grants, covering
more than 100000 acres of land; the


absolute surrender of the control of the


road to the Government, till every claim


it may have against the company shall


have been satisfied, this provision carry


ing with it the right of Government to


6x the prices for such transportation
postal and other service as it may re


quire. The bill also provides for the


creation of a sinking fund to satisfy all
claims the Government may have


against the road, and as an additional


security first mortgage is to be exc


cuted in its favor on the road and all its
] equipments. The House bill is very


similar only little more strict relative
10 the roads Eastern connections. The


purpose of the Central Pacific monopoly
f to hold on to its present control of all
transcontinental trade has become SC
J apparent that steady reaction has been


provoked in favor of the Texas Pacific,


extending, it is said to many Members
I of Congress heretofore hostile to it; and
:, this reactionary movement of public


sentiment has received a decided i'm
petus from the publicity given Auditor


French's report, detailing the point


blank refusal of Mr. Huntington's Gen.
trail Pacific Company to comply with the
laws of Congress.


Most every body will agree with Mr.
Evarts that the months intervening be-
tween Presidential nominations and the
1 following November is about all the time
we can profftably devote to the red hot
work of Presidential campaign. But
it is noticeable that the present discus
sion of the availability Of General Grant
as Republican nominee to succeed Mr.
Hayes, has been precIpitated by Demo
Gratis. 1t also requires no stretch of the
memory to recall the fact that the very
men and papers pretending to free
knowledge CT Grants purpose to over
turn our free Government and establish
a military despotism, are precisely the
men and organs that fought hardest and
declaimed loudest for the destruction of
the Republic and the establishment On
it's ruins Of an oligarchy founded on


slavery as it's corner stone. We know
how Grant gave the lie to..all their pre-


1ictions by quietly slipping out of the


place now occupied by President Hayes
And to their everlasting shame and con
fusion it is known that the men and
papers who have revived the old tales of
Grants intended coup d etat his pur-
pose to merge representative Govern
ment into Csesarism-are the ones who
have most loudly applauded or most ab
ljectly apologized for the wretched bur


lesque on free suffrage enacted in the


South ON the 9TH inst Nor has il escaped


public notice that it is these men and
organs who are responsible for the dia-
bolical murders and terrorism which
have characterized the bloody rule of
Southern Democracy since it wrested
control from the hands of a peaceable


majority and reduced it to a condition


infinitely worse in many respects, than


the legahzed slavery existing less than


two decades ago. The reopening of the
illict distillers' war on revenue officials,


shows what an unsubstantial base South


ern pledges" are upon which to base


Government policy. "De po' white
trash" which contributes most of the
@moonshinersv has followed the distin-
guished example Of the great and good
}, men who pledged" it to cheerful sub


mission of the laws as part Of the pro-
: gramme of their lawless usurpations.
( And all must feel it is a cowardly and
contemplate part, to arrest and punish


these instruments of Governors and
Members of Congress, while the more


intelligent, hence more responsible,
! criminals are permitted to go unwhipped
of justice for their abhorent crimes


General Sherman shows loyal pur-
' pose to support Sheridan In the warfare


to which the latter is challenged by Mr.
3 Schurz. And though Sheridan and
81 other Army officers may have allowed