Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-03-08
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP

WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.
"-outhsrn Arrogance and Northern Mem
dseity."eWe, in W Washington, are rot a little
amused at the representations in Washington
correspondence,n concerning social occurrences
in the Senate in the consideration of the Ne.
braska bill, and their consequences upon the
relations Of members of that body with each
other. Those writing for Northern papers on
posed to the bill, represent its Southern Eena-.
torial friends as very generally adopting the
system of bnlly-ragging by way of driving the
bill through as soon as possible. Those writing
to Southern journals in favor of the measure,
on the other hand, insist that most unparlia-
mentary expedients, amounting at times to
barefaced mendacity, were resorted to by
Northern Senators, of all political PARTIES to
delay its enactment there. Now, there is
much CANNON in all this. We have seen any
number of long-drawn battles (oratoricaD in
that chamber, and never witnessed one over SO
exciting question, wherever SO many operators
interested themselves so earnestly, in which
less elimination and recrimination occurred.
We do not see that harder things (personaD
were said against the opponents of the bill by its
supporters, or more such by its Southern sup
porters, than by those of its friends from the
North who were in the melee, than were sa
by many Of its opponents against the motives
and labors of its friends. Northern men are
from habit, slower to enter into personal dis
putes than men from the South. This educa-
tional characteristic such it is-had due
weight, as it always has on such occasions
With this difference, the opponents Of the bill,
from all quarters, hurled quite as many un-
palatable personalities at the other side, as did
its friends What Messrs. Chase, Seward
Sumner and Stuart said, with reference to Mr.
Douglas, and others acting with Kim, embrace
quite as emphatic evidence of personal ''pluck,"
as what was said against these particular gen.
tlemen.
On the whole, far too many personalities
were INDUCED in on all sides; and VIC regret
| more than we can express, to find men of the
press disposed, in their comments on such mat
| tiers, to encourage the idea that it is the duty
Of Senators to come to Washington prepared
| to fight duels, if their views are opposed in
language as emphatic as that in which they
feel called on to use in discussing questions
before them. Even Northern papers take
views of the duties Of Senators under such cir
cumstances, which lead US to the impression
that they regard the position of these gentlemen
inpublic lfe as that Of Irish lawyers and judges.
as they were regarded seventy-fve years ago
That is, as being obliged to fight at ten PAGES,
it an opponent avinked or stared at them.
Mr.. VIM. H. Seward, Of New York, is the great
ug-bear of the press who do not coincide in his
views of the fitness of things. There is hardly a
conductor of the press in the Union who differs
from him in politics more widely than ourself;
yet we are ready to bear testimony to the SLAM
derous character Of all publications which rep
resent him as aught but scrupulous gentle
abused man, beyond all question. We have
never yet exchanged word with him, though
We know from his long residence here, that
as q man, he wins personal friends among those
| coming from all sections, in contact with whom
he is thrown. He is famous for the warmth
of his personal bearing towards his friends.
Indeed, he is what would be called warm
| hearted and hot-blooded man-an enthusiast
were he Southerner We repeat we hold
nothing in politics in common with him, yet
as there is studied effort in progress to rep
| resent him as a poltroon in personal bearing,
| we cannot hesitate to say that it is atrocious;
belieing as it does, his social position in Wash
ington City.
The Homestead Bill-It is generally con-
| ceiyed around us that this measure cannot pass
the Senate. This impression is the result of
the fact, that the Washington world are aware
that large majority Of the Senate are in favor
Of using the public lands for the construction
Of railroads, the endowment Of literary insti-
| buttons, and for all sorts of conceivable pur-
poses, looking to their application especially
| for the benefit of the States in which they lie,
or for that of parties who have s' financial ope-
| rations," in connection with the opening of the
| resources of such States
We are no advocates of the Homestead bill
nor will we be, until we shall lose all hope that
Will, LII liz CuA, ACuSLuOcE llldl luc
public lands are a trust devolved on them by
the older States for the benefit of the whole
Union. We are for their donation to aid in
the construction Of railroads, wherein it is
clear that their bestowment in that way
cannot fail to increase the value of lands
remaining the property of the General Gov
ernment so as at least to remunerate the ma
tional treasury for the loss of the lands thus
donated. We regard the public lands as pro-
perty Of the States of the Union, to he admin
istered only for the advantage Of all the States.
Whenever it shall be that We can no longer
hope that Congress viii return to that right
estimate of their duty in the management of
the public domain, we shall advocate the
Homestead project az being, then, most likely
to eventuatc in good to the whole country, in
the matter of the use of this common property.
Up to very recently, the senior editor of the
STR has been in favor of using the public
domain, by way of encouraging laboring
European emigration to our shores. That is,
by keeping down the price of such lands to
the lowest minimum. Of late, however, he
mas seen proof that unnaturalized persons in
the Northern cities have banded together to
influence the action Of our National Legisla-
Wy