Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-01-24

intercourse with thepsople of that stern and re-
markablc Republic, but in infusing into our
system of Improvements IN the science of self.
govsrnmsnt, wherein Switzerland is really in
advance Of the United States. We, therefore.
anticipate the Presidents reply to Senator
Msson's resolution with great interest, indeed.
An Americanism--Last evening, at about 10
o'clock, we met on the avenue, the President
and bis lady, unaccompanied by others, trudg.
ing along in the keen wind, with as little pre.
tension as though he was m ordinary business
man>of our city taking a walk with his wife
after the days labor. We mention the fact
only as an illustration of the true character of
our institutions What would be thought in
Europe to find the head Of either of its Gov.
ernments so engaged on such night, and
without tho escort of single attendant?
The Nebraska Territorial Bill.-The efforts
Of the Abolitionists to defeat this bill, and of
the rather suspicious friends of the South who
failed to stand square up for her rights in
1850, seem now to be her most devoted guar.
fair in the end to generate much noise. As
yet, however, there is literally nothing of the
intense excitement concerning it in Washing
ton, as represented by the New York Herald
That journal is laboring in conjunction with
afiliating presses, to make capital for the dis
affected Democrats Of the North, in connec.
ten with this bill. Their object is simply to
drive off from its support as many of the north
ern friends of the Administration as possible.
To that end, they represent that the Southern
Rights men are preparing to make demands
in the enactment Of the bill, which are really
not dreamed of by them. The author of the
measure, and those acting Immediately with
him, yesterday reported it back so amended
as that it declares that the principles of the
compromise Of 1850, and the Constitution of
the United States, sh all apply 70 it as a terri.
tory, leaving the people who settle there while
it is territory, to adopt institutions to sui,
themselves when they come to make State
constitution, unembarrassed by indirect pre-.
vious action Of the General Government to
shape their decision.
1t is already clear, that those in Congress
who now aaunt the anti slavery banner, hope
to make this bill the nucleus of an oyershad-
owing Northern party, while it is quite as
clear that more or less of the at present in.
tensely southernish northern politicians are
doing their best to aid them. The labors of
the latter are intended to drive the late De.
mocratic free-soilers away from the Baltimore
| Democratic platform, for their own benefit
only. They care not how much they may thus
weaken the cause Of the rights of the South,
to which they profess such exclusive devotion.
We apprehend that they will be sorely dis.
appointed; as We have not yet discovered the
first symptom of a disposition on the part OF
any northern Democratic Senator or Repre-
sentative who voted for the Wilmot proviso.
or acted formerly with the previsoists, to
finch from his obligations to the Democracy
Of the Union, to stand by his pledge of acqui
| escence in the principle of the compromise OF
1850, as a final settlement of the American
| slavery question.
Evidence Necessary to Sustain Claims for
Property Lost in the United States Service.
We learn, on inquiry, that when application
is made for payment for property lost, or
alleged to have been lost, in the service of the
United States, the claimant is required by the
regulations to produce the testimony of the
officer under whose command he was serving
when the loss occurred. If that cannot be
produced, the next best evidence of which the
case is susceptible, will be required The
claim cannot be admitted on the testimony Of
the claimant alone.
The Herald's Last Point Against the Presi.
dent.-The New York Heraia, cornered by
the Unions blunt denial of the truth of what
it says about the alleged free soil letter of
General Pierce, to the Van Buren, committee
of correspondence in 164S, now pretends to
give John Cochrane, Surveyor of the port of
New York, as its authority. We heard this
story months ago, and at the same, its solu-
ton, which is as follows: Mr.. Cochrane
wrote to hundreds of leading democrats of the
North, as chairman of that committee. and.
among others, to General Pierce. All the
answers Observation-Disclosures for and
others against the movement of the Van Bu-
renites-were duly filed and preserved. Mr.
Cochrane at one time thought that General
Pierce had replied. decttntng to endorse tie
course of the Van Burenites. Subsequently,
however, on searching his records, he found
that he was mistaken. That he had no letter
from General Pierce in reply to his circula,
one, or to any other. However, the public
certainly expect an answer from Mr.. Coch.
rane himself, to the Heraid's allegations
Confirmed by the senate.-The Senate, on
yesterday, confirmed the appointment of the
following persons, agreeably to their nomina-
tions:
Orson W. Bennett, Of Michigan, to be Consul
for the port of Hamburg.
Samuel Richer, of Louisiana, to be Consul
for Frankfort on the Main vice Ernest Schwen-'
dler, deceased.
John Lenthal to be Chief of the Bureau of
Construction, Equipment and Repairs in the
Navy, vice Samuel Hartt, resigned.
VIM. Whelan to be Chief of the Bureau of
Surgery and Medicine in the Navy, vice Thos
Harris, removed.
Daniel B. Martin to be Engineer in Chief of
the Navy, vice c. B. Stuart, resigned
Farris B. Streeter to be Solicitor of the Trea-
sury vice A. G. Constable, declined.