Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-05-01
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

found sensation among our fellow citizens, |
without distinction of religious sect. The |
Right Rev William Matthews came among |
this community on the first settlement of
Washington as town. grew with its growth |
strengthened with its strength, and ripened |
with its age. He was known personally to
almost every man, woman and child living |
here for fifty years; for his active efforts to
relieve the distressed, and aid the friendless, |
but deserving, carried him every where. His |
church yielded him large revenue, which |
was religously devoted to the cause Of active |
charity, and the moral, spiritual and intellect |
ual improvement of those thus needing his aid. |
He was man without guile, and though en-
thusiastio to impetuosity in his temperament,
was literally without an enemy. 1t is re-
markable fact, that though such were his
labors, walks and character, no one was ever
known to say aught against him, even when
sectarian jealousies ran highest, causing both
be invidiously criticised.
Washington will hardly look upon his like
again.
Secret sittings Of the senate.-From what
we can gather, there is a growing disposition
among the members of the United States Sen
ate to dispense with their secret sessions alto
gether, except when notified by the President,
that he has matters to commun icate to them
which the condition Of our foreign relations
on which they may bear, render indispensable
to be kept secret. As yet, the majority are Of
course in favor Of adherDg to all their exist
ing rules in this connection. I ct the minori-
ty is growing larger. All the world outside
ofthe Senate chamber, understand thoroughly
that it is natural impossibility to keep secret
any thing of general interest and Importance
| Transporting in Executive senatorial sessions
Not because honorable Senators are not at
least as guarded in preserving their secrets as
any other such body Of public men can be
bua because it is we'll known that there never
existed any Sirty-tHo gentlemen who were
| capable, one and all, of guarding a secret IN
| Europe, it is an admitted axion., that no1ccret
connected with the foreign or cabilet consult
atoms of any government can now be kept
| from the knowledge of the public for fertg-
| eight hours, even where the fact desired to be
| thus concealed is con6ded to TO more than two
persons, with the privilege OF telling perhaps
| half dozen others-ministers Of state The
| public have seen during the present session of
Congress, report after report Of the proceedings
| Of the Senate in Executive session, in most
cases almost as correct as though taken down
49,
published 10 the world within forty eight
| hours after they TRANSFERRED We have refrained,
| except in extraordinary cases, from following
| the practice of publishing such matters in the
Star, in Difference only to what We know to
| be the strong feelings of Senators upon the
subject, many of whom regard such publca-
| tiOns as involving sort of declaration to the
world, that their body is a very leaky one,
| notwithstanding the panoply of dignity and
| discretion with which the Constitution sur
rounds them. With due respect for them, we
have to express the opinion, that in taking to
| heart the PRONUNCIATION Of their official secrets
they take trouble on interest as il were: entire
| Is ignoring the notorious, natural and insur-
mountable impossbility of finding any sixty
| two gentlemen, elected as they are, who are one
and all, always competent to keep secret sue h
matters as transpire in their executive ses-
| sions.
| Misrepresentation. The editor of the Hart
| ford Republican, being at Washington, and
| having looked in upon the Senators, says: awe
| scarcely ever saw such contrast as Charles
| Sumner and Petit, OF Indiana, present each
| day in the Senate The first has the look and
| the manner of a great mantle latter is a
| beast-a short, round, Western pig He says,
| also douglas drinks hard, and looks pale,
| care worn, and heart sick
| We Gull the above choice naorceau from the
Boston Commonwealth, only, however to cor
rect its sweeping misrepresentation
| Senator John Petit has a countenance OF
exceeding Intelligence, his eye being one CT
| the most effective we ever saw. Being very
near-sighted, his brow usually appears strain
| ed. With all due Difference to Senator SUM
ner, we have never been able to discover
anything beyond mediocrity, either in the cast
Of his countenance or in his Senatorial pro
ducuons. He is, emphatically, a made VI
man, from his semi-European appearance t.
his elaborate and carefully-studied harangues
1t may not be generally known that he rarely
ventures to address the Senate, except after
the most laborious preparation. He is an &C
complished scholar, beyond all question, and
his speeches evince that he regards oratorical
ornament and literary learning as Of more i'm.
portance than solid or novel arguments for
while they arc redundant in the former, those
of no other Senator who aspires to fame as d
statesman, are so proyerbially deficient in the
latter.
Mr.. Petit is conceived in Washington to be
| one Of the abiest thinkers and effective de-
baters Of the body of which he is a member
| lie makes no pYetension to oratorical polish
| yet an encounter with him in argument il
dreaded as much by his fellow Senators, one
and all, as with any other gentleman now il
the Senate Of the United States. lie strike,
| sledge hammer lows, and never fails to max,
them effective for want Of being fortified with
thorough and statesman-like knowledge Of the
subject-matter he may have in hand As q
jurist, he is certainly without Il superior among
all the able lawyers now in the Senate 81 the
United States.
! As for Senator Douglas, the story that he i:
| N r6 drip l. a h.ll fals without H..