Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-03-23
wAsH1NaroH NEWS AND GOSSIP.

WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.
/ Tho Bin.-We note, as carefully as possible,
all signs bearing on the solution of the ques.
ton of the enactment of the Nebraska-K ansas
bill. Those who know us, are aware that
none possess better opportunities than our
selves for observing every occurrence in W ash.
ington likely to effect the fate of the bill. and
that no others have better knowledge than
ours OF the influences likely to shape the re-
SUIT or OF those upon whom those influences,
! OF all sorts, are to work. We mske these re-
marks, only by way of reminding the reader
that we know precisely what we are about in
writing of euch matters
| The ultra opponents of the bill were, last
night, by no means as elated with their pros
pect for its defeat, as on the night before The
truth is in their inter -congratulations over the
commitment of the bill, they aroused, per-
haps, twenty gentlemen, who had voted with
them on that occasion, to signify, in conversa-
ton in the hall yesterday, that their purpose
was to secure its amendment in particulars by
no means touching i,simportsnt provision with
reference to the Missouri restriction. They
thought that they had bagged the .'Hards, !"
past peradventure. Mr.. Cutting, however,
took due care to disabuse the minds of all who
had drawn from his speech and motion the
hope that he was actuated by hostility to that
provision of the bill, or was disposed-to get
revenge on the National Administrations
bring about its eventual defeat The emphasis
with which he set his motives right among his
friends, convinced the little guard of abolition
lists, who assume to manage the opposition to
the measure, that, after all, they have really
nothing to hope from the Hard camp. More
than one ofitsopposers have declared to us that
it would be found, in the end, that the ''Hards''
did not care the snap of their fingers for their
professions upon the slavery question, which
were only assumed in the hope that they would
secure for them tho countenance of the South
in their war on the ''Softs" and the Admins
tration; that Mr.. Cuttings motion for refer
ence was designed, deliberately, to kill the
bill in such a way as that in so doing, he and
his friends would not be compelled to make the
open avowal to the world that in legislating
on this important subject, they postponed con
siderations of public interest, and of the in
tegrity of their own purpose, to those of graft
flying personal spite, and of making political
point against their soft" colleagues. They
(the abolitionists) have apparently ceased to
hope, too, that the South may be induced to
play, in Committee of the Whole, into their
hands They designed getting some New York
Hard-Mr. Cutting, if possible-to move so to
amend the bill, as directly and positively to
legislate slavery into the territories. fancying
that all the South would jump at the bait
(Which sufficient of the Northern opponents
of the measure would aid in fastening upon
it, designed to drive all its Northern support
ers, except the ''Hards," from it, eventually
1t has been already discovered that such a
game cannot win; as no Southern members to
speak of, are weak enough to lend it their
eountenance. They had also hoped to coax
three or four of the Northern friends of the
BILL who are sore about Office, to join hands
with them. Under all administrations, there
have been in Congress a few Of their friends,
who conceive themselves terribly ill-used by
failure to get appointments for persons they
recommend. We have never yet known a
Congress in which there were not some such
shockingly maltreated patriots. The plan was
to get these temporarily disappointed gentle
men to vote against their party on this bill
We can name three or four who, two days ago.
were surely calculated on to that end 1t is,
however, so early evident that, one and all
they are about to refuse to stand FIRE. The
| truth is, it is unfortunate enough for them to
| have failed to secure place under the Govern
ment for their immediate strikers That is to sat
isfy persons who have such claims on them That
they understand, weakens them quite enough
! at home, without returning there with their
names recorded among those of their political
enemies, on the only important party test Of
| the session; and, probably, with all the means
| of further weakening them, at the command
| of the National Administration, directed dead
against them, ON the ground that it is unsafe
for their political cause to have gentlemen in
public life nOminally identified with it, VIII
have to be paid to induce them to remain
steadfast to their party organization.
| They have been making huge calculations
also upon a few gentlemen who, they insist
have longed not long since for foreign mis-
sions or other Offices in the gift Of the Nation al
Administration to which others have been ap-
pointed. We are satisfied that their eyes are
now also opened to the fact that they have
nothing to hope from that class. Gentle.
men, who have in vain applied themselves tc
be appointed to place, or permitted thei,
friends to do 50 for them, and have subse
quently cut up against the purposes Of the
party-every mothers son of them-haye so lost
caste at home, as to require indirect help from
the Administration to secure their return t.
Congress. They are the very last men in
public life who can afford to kick out of The
party traces, as tho Abolition managers of the
opposition to the ill already comprehend.
1t is further worthy of remark that they
have egregiously overdone the work of be.pat
tering with praise the few Southern Wbie
members upon whose cooperation they are
counting. We present the following example
from Tuesdays New York Tribune, of the
manner in which they are slushing those gen,
| tlemen, viz.
| These men excite the highest admiration
| for their fearlessness and independence.
| Neryed alone by convictions of duty and sen.