Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1854-12-23

NcW IOfk SosfcpPOn0cnccs
EyN NEw York, Dec 20, 1856
That the telegraph Is a useful bventlon no one,
shink, win dispute. but when the reporters III
persist in such exsggerations sfe oon sent oyer
the wires il destroys all conhdenee in their reports
The latest instance Of such rcports vas publisbed
in several papers in Boston and Hartford in rela
ton to the fire on Wednesday rnornings In Broad
way, on the same evening Of the fire. The report
was that some fifteen persons had been seriously
injured, and q nusober killed Now the truth il,
one person was killed, aud one or two slightly in
jured. i could mention other instances, of late
Occurrences, butit is hardly worth while, for every
report heard In the street b caught up with ssdi-
~ and immediately put ON the wires, and despatch
ed to all parts Of the country 10 be eontradioted
when the mail arrives. 88 aoiyfS AZ
TheNew England Society of the city Of New York,
celebrated the two hundred and thirty fourth ami
verssry Of the Landing Of the Pilgrims last evening"
in the church Of the Messiah. A large audience
was in attendance, and on the platform noticed q
number Of our distinguished citizens and strangers
The Grafton was delivered by Mr.. N. Evorts, Of
this city, and was listened to with much attention.
Tho audience appeared much pleased with the ex
ercises Of the evening.
Our streets present sad appearance just now,
they being crowded with thousands Of poor emf
grants, lately arrived on our shores The num-
Der arrived yesterday is estimated at about sCelve
thousand, and large portion of them have not
where TO lay their head. How many Of these will
have the privilege Of voting at the next Presiden-
tial election il Is impossible to say but that some
Of them oiA vote there cannot be . doubt unless
there is something done this winter in relation to
our naturalization Laws. rs
AZ The year which is now 30 near Its close will
prove one Of the most disastrous to our marine
insurance companies that ever has been expert
enoed by them, The losses already ascertained
amount to between thirty and forty millions Of dol
lars and to this amount must be added the loss of
several vessels since the above statement was
made up. tits the general impression that most
Of these companies win pass their usual dividends
in February. alsf fits 'aa i
The non-arrival Of the America at Halifax rem
ders it almost certain that she has been taken up
TO convey troops to the seat ofwar. tits also sur
missed that the steamer Sarah Sands has been taken
for the same purpose.
AT the stock board to-day Virginia skies sold at
80 81 to SO Ia; Missouri sixea, s7 California
sevens, Of 1870, "a. Other stocks no change Of
consequence. Money market very tight
Southern -four sold to-day, fancy and extra
brands, 80 81 Ia TO $40 75 inferior, rs 81 10 to
90 so.
The following, from the Republican Court, Is q
description Of Washington, as given by the Mar
quis de Chastellux, written in 1fs3, but never be-
fore published: i ees i-g
!" Here would be the proper place to give the
portrait Of General Washington; but what can my
testimony add to the idea already formed Of him?
The continent Of North America, from Boston to
Charleston, il great volume, every page OF which
presents his eulogium. know, that having had
the opportunity Of inspection and Of closely
be expected from me but the strongest character
istic Of this respectable man Is the perfect union
which reigns between the physical and moral quail
| ties which compose the individual; one alone will
| enable you to Judge Of all the rest
| "If you are presented with medals Of Cesar,
of Trajan, or Alexander, ON examining their feat
ures you win still be led to ask what was their
stature, and the form Of their persons but If you
discover, In heap of ruins, the head or the limb
| of an antique Apollo, be not curious about the
other parts, but rest assured that they all were
| conformable to those Of god Let not this
comparison be attributed to enthusiasm It's not
my intention to exaggerate wish only to express
the impression General Washington has left on my
mind-the idea of perfect whole, which cannot
be the product of enthusiasm, which rather would
reject it. since the effect of proportion Is to diminish
the idea ofgreatness Brave without temerity labor
ious without ambition, generous without prodi-
| gality, noble without PRIDE virtuous without Sc
4 verify, he seems always to have confined himself
within those limits where the virtues, by clothing
themselves in more lively but more changeable and
! doubtful colors, may be mistaken for faults.
"This is the seventh year that he has commanded
the army, and that he has obeyed the Congress.
More need not be said especially in America, where
they know how to appreciate all the merit contained
in this simple fact Let il be repeated that Condo
was intrepid, Turenne prudent Eugene adroit, and
Catnet disinterested II is not thus that Washing
ton will be characterized. 1t win be said of him,
at the end of long civil war he had nothing with
which he could reproach himself IL anything
can be more marvellous than such character, il
Is the unanimity Of the public suffrages In his hvor
Soldier, magistrate, people, all love and admire him;
all speak Of him in terms Of tenderness and vene-
ration Does there, then, exist virtue capable Of
restraining the injustice of mankind or, are glory
and happiness too recently established in America
| for envy to have deigned to pass the seasf In
speaking of this perfect whole, Of which General
| Washington furnishes the idea, have not exclu-
| ded exterior form. His statue Is noble and lofty
he is well made and exactly proportioned his ply
siognomy mild and agreeable, but such as renders
II impossible TO speak particularly Of any Of his
features so that in quitting him you have only the
recollection ofa 6ne face. He has neither grave
nor familiar air His brow II sometimes marked
with thought, but never with inquetude. Inspiring
respect he inspires confidence and his smile is al
| ways the smile Of benevolencer
Nh. Srocxross LscruRx.---As an attentive lis
1 tencr Ia the lecture of Raw Mr. afocktnn I Vac