Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-12-16
Fun AHEAD-HEArISG rHE.PITcH.-Having
reached the end of the first fnrtni CHI of what

US 10 predict the coming condition of political
ahairs IN Washington, with much more conf
dence than We could have mustered TO the
same task on the 5th inst The occurrences
connected with the choice Of Speaker, the
election Of a Senate printer, the attempt to
take from the Clerk the appointment of the
House Librarian, the origin of the Senate's
joint resolution making the Assistant Score
tafy of the Treasury hereafter to be subject
to Senatorial confirmation, and yesterday 5
spicy debate in the House upon that same, are
all elements entering into the calculation as
to what's ahead in the way of splits, coali-
tiOns, opposition, secret and open, and their
probable political results. Now, of the last
element above referred to-the Assistant Sec
rotary question-we have to say, that the
original move is understood to have originated
with the lobby, for their especial benefit. 1t
was evidently eagerly seized on by Senator
Bright {who is aware that if he cannot break
down the Administration, be goes to--tophet--
himself, politically speaking,) as a means of
embarrassing the President. The Wings and
Democrats all supported it, but with different
views. Mr.. Brights hopes are to get Mr.
! Washington rejected, we presume, not only
because he Washington is distasteful to gem
tlemen in and out of public life who are ia
nous for having little irons in the Treasury
| fire, but because he thinks that the lobby are
correct in their belief that his rejection will
cause the resignation of Secretary Guthrie,
so stringent in matters of Navy Yard sites,
Texas Bonds, Western River mail contracts,
| Hospital site speculations, 60, as we'll as so
! obnoxious on account of his (Guthrie's) indis-
| position to obey the behe5ts of gentlemen who
| would dictate the policy of the Adminstra-
! ton. Almost every other Democrat, as well
! as all the Wings, sustained the measure be-
cause they thought itright The Wings, besides
voting for it because they think it right are ev-
| identity exceedingly glad to find that Mr.
Brighi's hostility to the Democ racy leads to the
| hope that his course and that of the lobby
upon it may possibly generate n temporary
| general impression that the Administration
Is poWerless. They are emphatically right
in trying to use ito aid Mr.. Bright in
using it. rather-to weaken the Democratic
party. Now, when the Senate printer matter
came off, there were fourteen Senators absent
as follows Messrs, Fitzpatrick, Clay, .ebas-
| tian. Toucy, Mallory Geo. w. Jones, Thomp-
son. Butler, Rusk, Houston and Bayard-ll
Democrats; and Messrs. Morton, To0mbs and
Geyer-3 Wings and there are three vacan-
cies. Of the absent Democrats. all bat Messrs
Mallory, Bayard and Jones we know to be
firm friends Of the Administration at present.
As for Mr. Mallory, TO one, we appreherd,
knows definitely precisely where he will take
his stand.
Messrs. Jones and Bayard are understood
to feel somewhat sore because the AIm MIS-
tration wont save the Union" though per
haps, Mr.. Bayard is unified concerning the
failure of more or less of his recommends
tons for office. Of the nine Democrats who
voted against Armstrong for printer we are
certain that Messrs Hunter Mason Atchison,
Evans and Wright will vote for Mr. Washing
tons confirmation. We know that ull four
except Mr. Atchison) have not the slightest
idea Of going into n coalition against the Ad-
ministration, and have heard enough to salts
fy us that Mr.. A. will not aid in any
scheme to remove Mr.. Washington from what
nc regards as emphatically the proper place
for him-the guardianship of the Treasury
Mr.. Brodhead, though said to be still very
hostile because the President likes Mr. Fornev
personally, has been aiming, since entering
the Senate, to make such reputation as Cave
johnson made in the House. We question
much whether hs would deliberately Kick his
own fat in the fire by any future action of his
IN this matter. He knows that everybody is
aware that the attack ON Mr. Washin gton
personally. was initiated by the lobby: My.
Bright only standing its godfather for them,
as it were. We do not believe that he stand.
ready to grind so glaring an axe for them.
however much be mi ght like to hit the Presi-
dent another crack A hundred to one that
he will not take service under them in this
case. As for Mr.. Weller his antecedents
have all been against throwing open the doors
OF the Treasury to all who would thrust their
arms in to the elbow But folks coming back
from California SEEM nearly AL of them to
be bitten by very elaborate ideas of the use of
the public money. So, until he shall have
voted upon questions of appropriations this
session, it will be impossible to know how far
his recent California training may have
changed his public character, or rather his
views of the fitness Of things financial Mr.
Bayard, too, has made stringent record;
vlong with Mr.. Brodhead in efforts 70 become
Tie Cave johnson Of the Senate. As for the
nameless Democrat, who voted against Arm
strong, Of course he will also 20 against Wash
ington, if he can be sur that his constituents
will never find out how he votes That's the
consideration with him, and the only one like
ly to make him for or again:t Washingtons'
confirmation.
The reader may, therefore, write down as
certain, that with all the Democrats present
there would be twenty-eight for Washington's
confirmation, with fair chance for the votes
OF Messrs. Bayard and Brodhead, also If Mr. |
Bright, however, can bring all the Wings and
AbolitOnists, and also Mcssrs Jones Of Iowa. |
eller, Mallory, Brodhead Bayard and the |
secret ballot man to the work of throwing
open the doors OF the Treasury-for tn al & the
practical issue. neither more nor less-be AN |
effect his rejection. This calculation is based
on the theory that all the Senate are present |
when the question shall be taken We should |
remark, by-the-by, that We have never heard |
whisper leading to the impression that Mr.
Mallory entertains the slightest idea of taking
ground against his party; putting him in the
doubtful list only because we know nothing
of his position.
We may not refrain from adding. that we
see no reason to believe that the Wings of the
Senate will, aa party, aid Mr.. Bright in this
work. So far as Mr.. Washington is personally
concerned, we know that we speak the sonti-
ments Of Congress, Though the GlotI, rather
the Star, has elected itself the ''organ of Con
sress, in saying that he is regarded by the
without distinction of party as one
of the very hest and most valuable public of
fieers who have so far been in the service of
the United States
The TEXAS DELEGATION Private adyices,
Just received here, state that General Houston.
and Mr.. Peter IL. Bell, the representative
from the Western District of Texas, may very
soon be expected to arrive in Washington;
md that Senator Rusk is now in Austin, at.
tending to the interest of thePaci6c Railroad
project, with which he is identified He il
the father Of a bill now before the Texas Leg
to grant to any company or parties
twenty sections of Texas public lands per