Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-02-21

are known to all who know new 1orh. hpout
fifteen hundred persons assembied-not as
many rs q dancing bear, or cnance crazy
ranter will, at any time, draw around him by
standing in the Park for half an hour. The
speakers were Joseph Blunt, John P. Hale and
Henry " ard Beecher. The hrst Is rampant
abolition lawyer; the second, as all here are
we'll aware noisy Spectator in politics, who
goes in for every ism seeming likely to pay;
and the last, q crazy, BLACKBOARD preacher,
who conceiyes his whole duty to God and man
to lie in spouting wholesale ISLANDERS against
the South, seasoned with attempts at wit, such
as pass current in the city's pot-houses. These
three persons amused the meeting by the repe-
tition of oft-refuted sophisms and ISLANDERS
against the South, and current falsifcations Of
history, in order to give the semblance Of truth
to their positions Abolition resolves were, Of
course, passed, and leading Abolitionists were,
of course. cheered "Wool" was at a premium.
The New York papers seem to agree in pro-
nouncing the affair the merest possible effort to
give public character to AbOlitionists, and to
strengthen their cause.
Tbs Reliability Of Abolitionists. Our read
ers will recollect that some three years since.
a deluded fanatic named Chaplin, was con.
cerned in the abduction of certain slaves from
the District of Columbia, and was, in conse-
quence, arrested and held to bail in the City
of Washington for $4,000. Three citizens of
Washington were persuaded, from motives of
humanity, to become sureties for Chaplin for
that amount. Some of Chaplins Northern
friends raised funds said to be intended to save
these sureties from loss, of which sum Gerrit
Smith contributed $4,000. The sureties have
been sued, and judgment obtained against
| them, execution issued, and levy made The
money SAID to be raised for them is not forth
coming. We have heard of contributions sol-
cited by the Abolitionists, and of money paid
in Scotland and elsewhere for the "Chaplin
fund" Where is it? Who has it? Who can
tell anything about this money. Selby Parker,
David A. Hall and VIM. Blanchard, of Wash
ington City, are the sureties in Washington
above alluded to. This case will have a good
effect Abolition incendiaries arrested in
slave States will not readily find men silly
enough to go their bail hereafter
Contracts for the Navy.-Some one evidently
a mechanic engaged in the Norfolk yard, y
writes us from Washington Point, Norfolk
County, Va, under date of February Is, 1854,
at length, on this subject. We herewith give
publicity to so much Of his communication rs
conveys information upon the question whe-
Their it is best to adopt, in part, the contract
system in building or repairing United State
vessels Of war
"When castings are made by the navy yard
boundaries, there will be no contract chisseling
There have been fortunes made by ctisseLtMe
iron off when it was put on purposely to be
taken off, at so much day. Mr.. Editor, did
you ever hear of shaft being broken manu-
| featured by VIM M. Ellis when at the Wash
| ington Navy Yard? Then where have you
| heard Of bad work being done? l answer, in
contractors private foundry. l, sir, have
| seen castings plugged by contractors to hide
| scandalous hOles-imperfections in castings
| [ do hope that the public attention will be
called to the building of the New Constellation.
Let committee of Congress-Commodor
Morris Commodore Smith, and Commodore
Skinner, with Mr.. Lenthall and Mr.. F. Grce.
go and examine that ship. Let them look
at the work-look at the fastenings-look at the
timbers-lOok at the copper and iron-then let
the constructors explain;-then to the rigging
loft and gun-carriage shop, and then let the
Navy officers explain. | venture that better
work or better materials will never be seen in
this or any other country Now, let these gen.
tlemen go into any ship-y ard-I mean such as
build by contract-and what a falling off will
| you see, my countrymen There will be seen
mock bolts, which seem to 90 through and
clinch, but in reality are mere PEGS with de-
ceptive rings on them, purposely manufactured
to deceive. Compare the San Francisco to the
| United States steamer Saranac. The Saranac
was ashore near Savannah-she ground the
| plank Oft her bottom until you could see the
| timbers-she got off, and came safe into port
The San Francisco would have gone to pieces
in half the time the Saranac thumped on tina,
reef of rocks.
ONE OF THE MASS OF FRKEMEN.
The European News-The impression con
tinues to prevail in Washington, that the Rus
sian Ministers at London and Paris have moi
taken their passports, which act, under ex.
listing circumstances, would be tantamount te
the commencement of the threatened general
war That is, it is conceded in diplomatic cir
cles here that they have merely made theil
congee; or, in other words, have notified the
| governments to which they are accredited tha
they were about to withdraw from court for
season, as though going off on a brief pleas
ure trip, soon to return.
Pension and Bounty Land Decisions
Under the act of Congress, approved 24tf
April, 1916, which declares that all laws anG
regulations relating to the admission of the
officers AMI soldiers of the regular army to b,
placed on the pension roll of the United States
| shall relate to the officers and soldiers of tn,
militia, whilst in the service of the United
| States, claim to pension has recently beer
presented by person who was wounded Will,
in service, as member of a company of tn,
Armed Civil Police of the State of Maine
in the expedition for the defence of the north
eastern frontier. Held, that members of thu
EARNED Civil Police were not persons engaged
in the military service of the United States
and therefore not entitled to pensions
Under the act of2Sth September, 1850, grant
ing bounty land to the surviving, or the widow
or minor children of deceased commissioned o.
non-commissioned officers, &C., it is held by thu
Department that the period of minority relate
to the date of the issuing of the warrants, ant
not to the date of the act That is to say,
person to be entitled to a warrant as q minor
| mn At he Snch at tho data nT tbo rropk not