Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-12-29
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP

present sess1On LIE Iriehus, IN the CONNER
cial cities, have damaged its cause within the
last year. That is, they have mixed it up
with all sorts Of new tangled notions about
the duty of the Government to do all sorts of
things not dreamed of in that connection, a
few years since. In truth, many members
hitherto much inclined to believe that the
most profitable disposition of the public do
main would be to give it away to actual set
tiers, are now seriously frightened at the idea
thai in carrying out that policy, they might
be Strengthening the cause Of socialism, wo-
mans rights, &c, &C., of which it is begin
ming to be considered sort Of adjunct It
strikes US, by-the-by, that about the last per-
cons in the world to avail themselves of the
Governments bounty in the enactment of a
homestead law, are the grog-shop philoso-
piers, who form, in great part, the industrial
congresses of our great cities. So, members
need not fear that the enactment of any such
law will superinduee their emigration and the
transplanting Of their chimerical ideas in the
''virtuous rural districts" Those who will be
Immediately benefited by homestead law
are small farmers in every State. The phil
Osophers in question, or the few of them really
willing to work, can only reap advantage from
it, in so far as it draws labor-agricultura
and mechanical-from the older States, and in
that way advances the price of suchlabor there.
However, there never was q time when public
spirited gentlemen were more ready and
anxious to devise schemes to relieve the Gov
eminent of the care of the public domain.
From half dozen great Pacific railroad
schemes down to propositions to give few
acres to aid in building church here and
there, thcre will be thousands ofland donating
schemes urged on Congress at the present ses-
sion. From present appearances unless log
rolling may triumph, few of them ara destined
to succeed, the work being decidedly overdone.
We believe in " granting alternate sections
as being as profitable for the National Trea-
sury as for the immediate region where the
system is applied. and seriously regret that
the prevalent disposition to ask every thing
for everybody, seems likely to defeat the sound
bills founded on that principle.
DEMOCRATIC OPPOSITION 1t seems to be
already understood in we'll informed political
circles here, that the effort to get up an organ
lied Democratic opposition to the Admins
tration is dead failure-thc most lamentable
political failure Of the age. as it were From
all that We can learn, we doubt whether the
drumming of the twenty or twenty five talented
pseudo Democratic politicians from New y ork
| who have been trying for fortnight past to
damn the prospect for the confirmation of Mr.
ASuHolu, Will Gnu III securing tlree Demo-
cratic votes against that gentleman As for
MIR. Peter G.. Washington, who is if possible
more obnoxious to the business interests which
this anti Red6eld lobby seek to subserve, we
seriously doubt whether, il his name were to-
morrow submitted to the Senate, six Senators
in all would be found willing to vote against
his confirmation in his present position
These facts show that the game of making a
new Democratic party fails to pay, in this
city at least; where, Of all places, it should
pay best, If its managers hope seriously to
effect anything throughout the country at
large. Thus, it has taken the President but
q month to live down or ride down the storm
| OF opposition in his own party, which was ut
terly to have annihilated him. according to
the Albany Argus, the New York Herald
and the precious National Democrat-the
Gardiner organ, it will be remembered As
| for the Wings of Congress, there can be little
doubt OF their intention to make an old fash
Toned manly Wing opposition to the measures
and principles on which the policy of Presi-
| dent Pierce is based This will become evil
dent shortly, in the emphasis with which their
leading minds in Congress will oppose the
propositions for changin the revenue laws,
| and for the future management of the public
lands, which will soon be brought forward by
leading friends Of the Administr alton.
The APPROACHING LEGISLATION FOR CALI.
FoRSIA.-We are under the Impression that
| the present Congress are much more inclined
than the last to look favorably on bills for
| the benefit of California. Even as late as
| last winter, public opinion on this side of the
Rocky Mountains had not been fully awak
| ened, as at this time. to the real necessities
and the just rights of the new State That is
| to the fact that California sprang into great
comparative Importance as State of the
American Union, in a day, asst were To re-
| quire for the proper transaction of the Gov
ernment's varied business within her limits.
the same facilities as exist in the older States;
and that she is fairly entitled to be as well
appointed In that way, though growing up
mus suddenly, as the other States are, which
nave grown to their present industrial condi-
ton only after the lapse of half century Oh
more 1t requires the operation of public
opinion, always, to induce more ar less mem
bers of both Houses Of Congress to appropri
ate under due fense Of the requirements of
the times Another and n very important
dra"b to legislation for California existed
N the then prevailing distrust of her future
growing for the most part, out of the appar-
eht harum scarum character of too many of
her citizens They gave her affairs 10 the
| estimation OF many thoughtful persons in and
out OF Congress, sort Of South Sea bubble
| caste, which made portion of Congress very
10th, indeed, TO risk the expenditure Of much
Pdblic money upon her.
! year, however, has sufficed greatly to clear
up the uncertainties by which her future has
been surrounded, and also to settle her popu-
| lstion into business men, and her affairs, as
matter OF course, into the steady channel OF
progress, which has distinguished those of the
other States OF the American Union. We.
therefore, feel very sure that the present Con-
gress will approach California bills with much
| more confidence than heretofore Neverthe-
less, 1T behooves them to be exceedingly care
fhl In acting on California land bills, more
especially; as all California are evidently
bitten with the prevalent new State idea, thai
| all the public domain within her limits, is
Iightfully the property of the comparatively
lew American citizens who are nov upon il;
and, as consequence that the United States
have really no sound rights in and to it,
IhOse lands are vastly more comparatively
valuable than any others so far owned by the
GENERAL Government, and spectators are
doing their best to get possession of the most
valuable portions Of them, by hook or BY
crook. Under such circumstances, every Cal
ifornia land bill, as we'll as every other Cali
fOrnia proposition to do something for the
benefit OF particular interests there, should be
very carefully examined before being voted
on We are by no means opposed to having
Congress deal literally with the new State.
W oil L..