Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1854-10-28
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

seat OF war which shed much light on tn.
movements and the present positions, aim
and prospects of the opposing armies in tn,
Crimea. The grand result of the news ha
been to create on the minds of military mel
in this country, the impression that the chance
are at least even that Sevastopol will not fall
ard ten to ore Tat if that city is taken b,
TIE allies, they Wal not he able to hold If TO,
a fortnight. The most impertant facts q. ID.
known to the American public by the a1ilva
in question, are that the allies lost more mer
killed, wounded and prisoners, in the battl,
of the Alma, than the Russians; the latter
having lost not over two thousand, at most
killed and wounded, and thirty taken prison
ers, and also three guns. Next, that the ap
pearance Of the Russian troops left dead anc
wounded, prove that their army is we'll clothes
and fed, and composed of large, we'll made
and very healthy men; while the cholera il
still devastating the ranks of the allies Again
that the allies were greatly disappointed il
finding Sevastopol impregnable on the North
as we'll as seaward, owing to new works having
been thrown upon the north side, and ships O.
war being sunk as defences in the mouth O.
the harbor. Also, that Menschikoff was rest
ing within a days march Of the walls of Sc
vastopol, with his army unimpaired by the
battle Of the Alma, so far as it's efficiency il
concerned; and that there was hardly an
ioubt that by the 18th of this month he would
be joined by Ousten Sacken's and other corps
d'armee, sufficient to enable him to fall, with
almost certainty of success, on the rear of the
besiegng force, which had not commenced
tie Seige on the 9Th inst. From all this data
the impression here as we'll as in England is
that one other such victory as that of the
Alma, will result in sweeping defeat of the
allies. "Public opinion in England is awak.
ing to the realities of the war at last. So John
Bulls teeth are chattering at great rate.
The English press is lamenting that Johnny
has got himself into regular /" snap by his
propensity to NEEDLE in the affairs of others
and anticipating all the horrors of LONG
protracted and unsuccessful war, upon the bu-
siness interests Of the Kingdom. So they 90
The Presidency Of the senate.-It is IN.
derstoOd that the Hon. Senator Atchison, O,
Missouri, will not be in Washington duripa
the coming session of Congress. His term ex
pires on the 4th of March next, and, we take
:. Tor granted, that his determination to re
main In Missouri during the winter, is the bet
ter to enable him to attend to his share of his
contest with Colonel Benton, the end of which
may not come off for some months to come
His absence from the Senate Chamber will,
make the election of another pro tenn. Presi
dent of the Senate necessary. From all we
learn, there can be little doubt that that hon
or Will fall upon Senator Rusk, of Texas. At
least, that is the opinion of all here who are
credited with being men Of shrewdness in
looking upon things political. General Rusk
besides being very popular with all his fellow
Senators, without distinction of party, is famed
for his discretion and ingen uousness as a pub.
lie man, never wearing different faces to diff
ferent persons. His compeers always know
where to find him. We presume that there is
no other man now in public life, in this coun-
try, who enjoys SO much of the confidence of
all his compeers, as does General Il. He has
fairly won the So great regard, in which he is
held by his fellow Senators, by the strict in
tegriy of Lis dealing with them, and all others,
as we'll as by the evenpess Of his bearing to
all. No man is more universally trusted here,
and surely none deserves that igh honor more
than he does. There are times in which it is
necessary to have, in such a position, a gen.
tieman VIII Sc course can be predicted under
any combination of circumstances. These
facts, together with the well known general
legislative at:ainments of General Rusk, serve
to make the impression universal here, as be.
fo-o rem arked, That he will surely be the
successor of Vice PRESIDENT Atchison, il the
chair of the Senate's Presiding Officer.
The Duty On Coal.-Unless we are g.catly
before the end of the second week of
the session, Congress will repeal the duty on
coal, come from whence it may, making it abb
solutely duty free. This impression is enter
tanned by the public men of all parties here,
and grows out of the very unanimous senti-
ment of the country IN favor of that policy, q
manifested by al the newspapers not imme-
diately in tie interest of tho miners of Penn.
sylvania. The capitalists of Pennsylvania
may thank their greed, as displayed during
the current season, for this coming legislation
They have fairly opened the eyes of all to the
folly of taxing the community at Iarge-the
poorest, heaviest, according to means-for their
especial profit.
Senator Gwin.-We have letters from San
Francisco, bearing date September Both ult,
we are assured by parties in whose
means of information we have confidence, that
the prospect for the reelection of Senator
dwyn is very bright indeed, it being so far
found impossible to unite such combination
against him as may bid fair to defeat him
He is travelling the State, comforting with his
friends, and wherever he goes, his signal SER
vices to his State are acknowledged by large
portion of his political opponents, in language
such as precludes the idea that they can be
induced to sacrifice the interests of California