Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-05-20
wAsHINaror s1Ws AND GOSSIP.


The Debate ct Yesterday, in the Hous
Hall, was characterized by the delivery O
many very able speeches. until late hour il
the night-the usual afternoon flor dinner
recess being taken.
Mr.. CHURcHwBLL.-Mr. Churchwell, wht
opened the ball for the day, surpassed himself
He made capital speech, indeed, for circula-
ton in his own State, cornering his colleagues
Messrs Cullom and Taylor most effectually
| on divers points. He also made an onslaught
upon Mr.. Bell, his colleague, in the Senate,
essaying to show that that gentleman had
originally taken ground in favor of the Ne
brasks bill, quoting the heretofore unpublish.
cd history of the private councils of the South
ern Senators upon it to sustain this allegation.
We, however, happen to know that he is in
error, in at least portion of his conclusions.
as 70 Senator Bells action on, and connection
with the bill. Thus, though appointed by the
southern Wing Senatorial caucus as one of
those to call on and demonstrate with the edi-
tors OF the National Iutslligsnrer against the
course OF their Journal on the Nebraska ques-
tion, Mr. Bell declined doing any such duty,
the tact being known to those who took the
trouble to keep posted upon the political move
ments in Washington going on behind the cur
lain, as it were. 1t was also said around the
city at the time, that. as soon as Mr. Badger
had delivered his justly celebrated and power
full speech in support Of the Nebraska bill, Mr..
Bell approached him, and promptly remarked,
that in thus speaking for the Southern Ssna-
tors, he had placed him, (Mr. b. by implica-
ton, in position which he did not occupy;
not coinciding in the views of the measure thus
expressed. 1t is due, that knowing these facts,
We should promptly make them public, for the
''vindicatiou of the truth of current history"
MIKE WALsH--Mike Walsh, too, made
very entertaining and characteristic speech,
pitching into the Administration "like thou
saud of brick" We can compare his on
slaught to nothing else than just what Mike
would term it himself. 1t was pungent, witty
and exceedingly effective in its way, though
making no pretension to argument. The bal
ance OF his speech, however, was argumenta-
tive, and powerfully So He read the dissent
Ing Hards lesson upon the value of principle
In governing the action of public men, which
will sink deep into the minds and hearts of
their constituents, if the latter are blessed
with those attributes. His views of white sla
very at the North, in comparison with negro
slavery at the South, embraced in few short
sentences, a world of sound truth and philos-
opny, which we trust our cOteuaporary of the
Tribune will drink in with his chaulk mixed
milk, and digest with his bran bread
COLONEL BENToN.-Colonel Benton's speeeb.
too, was replete with characteristic Bentonian.
isms The first was its disingenousness Real.
~, there is no other man in public life making
such protestations of frankness, while it is
notorious that he, more than any other, studies
stage effect in all he does-from :sstuffing,'
the teiegraphic reporters and letter writers
with remarkable things he is always about to
do in the way of Gushing mare's-nests, and
demolishing the wind mills which have been
whirling in his brain ever since the bursting
of the Princeton's big gun added it, accord
ing to Jackson's dying belief, it will be re-
the Union, while laboring with might and
main to increase the ill-feeling between the
North and South, only to get revenge for the
unceremonious way in which the latter voted
him out of the safe line of precedence for
the presidency, when, by way of making as
surance doubly sure, he first stepped out of his
way to bid for anti-slavery support in 1874
Thus, protesting that he rose only to obtain
information, he amused the House, and rem
dered himself ridiculous, by retailing the cock
and bull story of Mr.. Greeley, of the Tribune,
all about grand conspiracy between the
treacherous National Administration and the
damnable Southern members of Congress, to
spend $500, 000, 900 to get Cuba, and $50, 900.
600 to buy from Mexico territory sufficient to
make five more slaveholding States. The Col
onel had the documents to prove it in his desk,
mot read at the clerks desk,) by way of sub
Stimulating his allegations. These documents,
reader, he proclaimed to be letters from indi-
viduals in the city of Mexico, stating that the
particulars Of the plot were common street talk
there, and embracing details of important State
secrets Of this government, which he admitted
were unknown to the public here. In truth,
the Colonel has run to seed-to garrulity-al-
together. He lives, moves, and has his political
being, at this time, altogether in and on gossip
" han not s:stuf6ng' letter writers with gossip
about what he ID posirIycIy svi-s - l.. sane
Of these days, he is, when opening his mouth
in the hall, gossiping over some such absurd
theory as this, or over what some great man,
who has been under the sod from quarter to
half century, said in some private converse
ton, on some certain occasion, with him-,rue
as gospel, because Col. Benton says 50.
It Won't Do.-Among the efforts to intimi-
date the Congressional friends of the Nebraska
bill il the fugitive story that Mr. Walbrdge,
Of New York, has been promised the Consul.
ship to Honolulu, which we copied in our per-
sonal news column, few days since, as piece
Of gossip from distance. 1t turns out, on in :
vestigation, that Mr.. Walbridge is not, and
never has been applicant for any Office at the
hands of the Administration, and does not en-
terrain the remotest idea of ever becoming a
federal office holder This refutation of this