Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-06-14
WASHINGTON FABRICATIONs AND
GOSSVp

WASHINGTON FABRICATIONS AND
GOSSIP.
Innocent people who live away from the at
mosphere of Washington can form no idea Of
The bold, unblushing, and unfounded tales that
are fabricated here and circulated by many of
he Washington correspondents of the freesoil
journals. They affectto know everything, and
they construct their calumnies with so much
skill and with such regard to circumstantiality
hat they impose upon the credulity of unsus-
pecting people. They affect to be familiar with
The secret unrevealed purposes ofall the promi-
nent men. They claim to be acquainted with
The secrets developed in the most private CON
ferences. Theypretend that they are cognizant
Of all that is said by the President and the cabi-
net In their most private consultations Some
times they make hit--sometimes they guess
at what actually afterwards urs-sometimes
they manage by hook or by crook, by money or
oy circumvention, to get secret out of leaky
vessel, and they publish it with great flourish
Of trumpets. But where one truth is told, a
hundred perfectly unfounded rumors are started
by them.
Now some of these people are experienced
politicians, sagacious men, and are on terms of
intimacy with leading politicians. They thus
hear of many things that they circulate, and
guess at many more.
But the worst class of these people is com
| posed OF those who have no regard for the
truth, so that they can make readable para
graph. These people scatter falsehoods all
| over the country. The Tribune is more dis
tnguished for its INSCRIPTIONS corps of contri-
butors than any other paper in the country. A
libel on the south and calumny on a south
ern man, are looked upon by these people as
perfectly right and proper. They look upon
southern men as fair game, and do not hest
tate to fabricate any falsehood to injure them.
We very seldom pay any attention to their idle
gossip, but one of the correspondents of the
New York Express, from which we might ex-
pect better things, has found such wonderful
mares nest that we are tempted to give some
extracts from his letter. He says, under date
of June 10th:
"A distinguished senator, for quarter of a
century in the public councils, is thoroughly
| convinced that the ultra southern party is de-
/ termined to obtain possession of Cuba, and
! after that to separate from the northern States.
he is not an aarmist, but an experienced,
| coolheaded, and sagacious statesman, of the
conservative school, and decided opponent of
| the fanatics of every section His opinion is
therefore of the highest value, as the convic-
| ton OF man of great shrewdness, of no sec
| tional prejudices, and a decided enemy of the
agitation of the slavery question"
Again, he says:
/ The secessionists have undoubtedly made
great accessiohs to their ranks during the last
| two years, and now comprise large portion
| of the talent wealth and influence of the South.
Every case of resistance to the fugitiye-slave
law at the North adds thousands to their num-
Der, and they openly rejoice at the recent abo-
| lion demonstration in Boston. Their plan is
to seize upon Cuba and enough of Mexico to
connect California by the southern route with
their new republic. For they regard Califor-
MIA as essentially southern in all but the name,
and point with exultation to her unbroken
| front in both Houses on the Nebraska ques-
ton. The census shows a population in that
State of ~, 900 from the slave States, and a.
| 600 from the free States. The native Califor-
mans, 5000 strong, and at least half of the
foreigners, $4,000 strong, are expected to unite
with the South, and thus secure to that section
the control of the State
/" The secessionists are not without hope that
the southern sections of Illinois and Michigan
may prove friendly to their scheme. There
are $4,000 citizens of Indiana of southern birth,
and $4,000 more from Kentucky and Tennessee.
In Illinois there are50 900 of southern birth, and
$4,000 from Kentucky and Tennessee Both
Illinois and Indiana sent delegates to the late
southern convention held at Charleston in
| April. A significant fact.
Kansas, as viii be seen by glance at the
map, is within days ride, by railway, of the
Gulf of Mexico. Kansas, therefore, is relied
upon as future member Of the southern re-
i public"
i The writer then peculates as to whether
certain prominent statesmen of the free States
would or would not remove to the South.
Now all this ingenious and elaborate story
is made out of the fact that senator, whose
name is not given, entertains such an opinion
The idea of the senator being mistaken is not
for an instant entertained. Such gigantic
scheme requires gigantic testimony to sustain
it, it would seem to US. But we may be wrong.
Well, we prefer big to little inventions. They
are more harmless, for they carry absurdity on
their face.
SOME OF THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES.