The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-08-30

VuI " asnAnBuOu NOIHeoPOuOuoos
WASHINGTON, Aug. n, 1850.
Troubles ofa Cierkship--Erfraordinar Re rela.ions
about COL Wtbb-Lp1&ieity Of the Cabinet
Escbank's Apposntnisnt, as Commissioner Of Pa
tenfs--A Pot,--"Lnty Ebeneaer''- The Union''
and " Republic" Ptsasurss of a Clsrkship.
Here's pretty kettle Of fish 20 Who would
have supposed that could have kicked up such
a row in this good city of Washington-I, poor
devil, who gets three dollars day for filing half
dozen letters day In one of the departments,
who care so little for politics, and only OCCASION
ally amuse myself by scribblng random epistle
TO one Of the newspapers Would you believe it
My letter to you the other day, which you printed
forthwith, created quite sensation! What row
there was to be sure Ewing and Reverdy john
son swore that some rascally clerk, in one of the
departments, must have written that cursed epis-
tie. Clayton was very indignant, and drank an
additional gallon OF beer, to smother his ire A
half-crazy Vlrginian, who has desk IN the same
department IN which serve my country, and who
is continually indtlng serenades and loye-dittes,
was strongly suspected, and escaped summary re-
moval only by the skin Of his teeth
You see, then, that l must be cautious in ma
king these awful disclosures. i am obliged TO
keep all my memoranda IN a cipher, which IS
known only TO my dear cousin Jemlma, and she
is, alas more than six hundred miles Off Even
my boardng-hous privacy Is by no means secure,
for Tom, Dick, or Harry, may, at any moment,
burst IN on me, IN the very midst OF my tra,orous
correspondence. But | must write. l must case
my bosom OF This perous stuff So here goes for
mother lnstalment Of treason.
can't believe that you have yet heard all about
poor Colonel Webb and when my hand is in, l
may as well tell you all that know of his sorrowful
story. or course, you recolect, that before the
election, poor Webb, with all the rest Of your pre-
clous Taylor men IN New York, loudly protested
that he would never think of such wicked thing
asking for office. But some time before the
General arrived IN. this city, Webb was on the
spot-as large, buIly, and loquacious as ever. Oh!
how he did talk! Before he was twenty-four
hours in the place, almost every cabman on the
avenue, and all the bar-keepers at the various ho-
tells, We're aware that the great Colonel WEBB, of
New York, had come on to get appointed minister
| TO Madrid, or Berlin, or Constaniinople He gave
very nice dinners, TOO, and several very respecta.
| bic suprers, which showed hts knowledge of
| Washington patriotism. Bless your innocent soul!
| you have no idea What can be done here by means
| of tolerable dinner, aud abundance of wine. |
have known the whole House OF Representatives
TO be carried by well conlrived supper. SO Webb
dined and wined sundry g leaders" of the new dy-
nasty, and they all laughed and quailcd and Joked
and talked, and sang aud shouted together, like
sci Of Jolly good fellows
GAN OF the olden time.n
Now, it SO happened that from the very Jump
the old General was unchangeably hostile to the
nomination of Webb. lie was approached on the
subject at an early period. need not mention the
name OF the agent, but to all representations ia
vor Of Webb, General Tay lor had one uniform an
| swer, "For Mr.. Webb personally [ have high re-
spect; sm grateful Tor what he has said of me
| bat Cannot nominate him to a high dplom ttc
Office his public career must for ever forbid to
venture on that This was before the President had
| even sei out on his Journey to Washington and
of this determination on the part OF General Tay-
| Tor, every member Of the cabinet was fully aware.
| Mark that, and then let me know what you think
| Of these gentlemen, when tell you that every mo-
theirs son Of them gave Webb every earthly rea-
son TO believe that he sure of the nomination
You know all this to be true; bat doubtless some OF
| your readers, not well yersed we are in the
moraties OF Washington life, Will open their eyes
| and pause for moment. Just think Of II; here
| was poor Webb, great, blg innocent, verdant chap
| that he is, Teasing these cabinet ministers, and
| counting every one OF them his dearest Trend,
while they, with their legs under his mahogany,
were laughing in their sleeves at their dupe Every
one of them knew that General Tay Tor never would
nominate Webb, and yet every one Of them solemn
y assured Webb that he would have his support,
and that they wee almost certain that he would be
nominated In cabinet council 1 challenge con-
,radicton of these facts. Al this very moment the
cabinet trembling tor fear OF the Courier. Yes,
mean, deceittul, ruculent creatures as they are,
| they now await like spaniels the outpoured wrath
| Of the awakened Webb. Did you ever hear OF
such despicable duphcity7 II is.qute in keeping
with The conduct and character OF the cabinet IL
was only the ohenweek that Clayton promised
| permanent place in the Land Olice to a newspaper
| leiter-wriler named Hartman, and on that very
same day went to the President and procured the
L
| Nathan Sergeant, the old correspondent OF the
| Philadelphia United states Gazefte, and late Ser
seanf-at Arms Of the House OF Representatives.
But Webb Poor Webb! Gulled, deceived, cheat
| ed bamboozeed, humbugged Webb j declare
"albeit unused 10 the melting MOOD, am almost
| ready To cry Tor poor " rtt.
| But must eypend ink, not tears. | have a preaf
deal TO disclose, and must moderate my feelings of
| sympathy. so let me now reveal very curious
piece Of secret history Hush ~
breathe freer and deeper. Meredith and CLAW
ton Just sauDteTed along the corridor as wrote the
sentence prece ding these asterisks, and my door
was hall open, tor the day sultIy and oppressive
| I'm not coward, not !, but, hang It, | did fancy
that Merednh's eye might catch glimpse Of these
| unit flclal pages. And ii so-what then! Let me
tell YOU, too, that half suspect that BLACKBOARD
IN this department 10 spy me. lie is a long
lantern,jawed fellow from Vermont, a creature of
Oolismer s-an ooolltionlst, who ehews an nordi-
nate quantity OF cheap tobacco and wcurs a shirt
| tor a fortnight. We call him Dry Ebenczer;"
but upon my honor, M gentleman and scholar
(my mother was daughter Of one Of the oldest
houses IN south Carolina, and was logged at
"Wllliam and Msry,")-I do believe that this
same Dirty Ebenczcr" has had his eye.teelh cut,
ard conccals, under the unwashcd crust Of forty
years, consumed quantity OF cunning. saw the
chap peeilne IN upon me about ten minutes since.
Wen, III close the door asd 60 on.
dare say, you New Workers were a good deal
asioDlshed ~ the appolntnen of Mr. Evbaak az
Commissioner OF Patents. That an English plumber
should be selected as the head vi one OF the most
important departments here, was indeed something
OF stumper. "Ewbank ~ "Ewbank ~ "Who
is he :" such were the explanatory injuries
heieabouts when thls appointment was made. [
happen to know all about 1t. The appointment
was made through the influence Of Ewing-the
motive power was supplied by Greeley Il Mucke-
wrath, Of your city. Mr. Ewbank, who Is a very
decent, dull, respectable, stupid man, compiled a
volume on hydraulics" for this press OF Muckle-
wrailh, which proved aiailure. The question then
arose, how this loss was to be repared and during
the &c CELEBRATIONS hch ensaed was suggcsted that
Mr. Nv bank might have chance 10 be made Com
missioner Of Patents. MucklewrsIth jumped at the
hint, and with Seward and Ewing negotiations
were at once opened. The result was the nominal
ton OF Ewbsnk TO the Patent office which, the
firm Of Greeley X MucklewrsIth greatly felicitated
the mselves, lnasnuch as this success was quite a
triumph for the principles OF association, or $50
clallsm"-Greeley doing the pure morality. and