New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-02-07
WASHINGTON IN CRAY0N.
~ fe n. Y. fribuxsa

WASHINGTON, Monday, FEB. 5, 1855.
The general topics that occupy Washington
,..a now. may be stated at three in number:
I We have that which prevAils among the army
n occupation encAmped here, and besieging tae
Treasury. This is to dig down that mountain Of
ssept, FIVE millions Of gold, nov in the posses
s;op Of Uncle Sam, and distribute i. among the
.Bies. The French Spoliation men want five
millions. and the Texas bOndholders eight mil
lions ard half This takes over hall. con-
siderable portion of the residue is wanted on va
y;ous Claims OF different divisions OF the oe'es-
ers. A printed argument, addressed 70 members
Of Ccpgress, in behalf Of one OF the bisseH 90
u.nds paiye]y states that the money is In Tue
T,s.,uYy. and IL is bound TO be paid out TO some
h.d, and. in the authors opinion, no oeAer use
;. made Of IL than to give it to those he repre-
.s.ts. Each class of claimants taxes tue same
,,.v Of the case. Whether our Sevastopol Is 70
su a. this session is not 80 clear. One thing 10
aim hovever-tbat, unlike the Crimesn siege, it
i. The bssiegers aud not the besieged here who
have the most ammunition. The battle WAKES
Nvelv. and tie Zouaves of the expedition are
scaling every hight every one armed with at least
one Of Colts pistols. Bat above and below on
Sbe plain Is well as at the hight, each member
Of this Grand army is on the alert, aud doing bis
best 10 carry the works. Old Gen. Oglethorpe
used TO say, 10 the Spanish campaigns, that ne
had the most inviocible troops in the world.
There WAS no position they could not take when
he cried out, "Beys, tai mat; for there you will
"6bd plenty Of run and money
III. Thee IL q strong current OF soiicitou'
ejaculation setting in the Know-Nothing channe'.
s.o,es Of anxious spectators crowd the banks,
and wistfully desire to know what is to be the
end of this sudden freshet that is here tumbling
along 90 furiously. They are all ready to launch
tAeir dug outs on its bosom, if they thought 1t
vsuA not ,oon lose itself in the sands of its own
bottom. All around are to be seen gray heads
and bald heads that have been laid up in ordinary
Nobody knows how long, bobbiDg about on their
Iegs, in seedy garments, and like battered beaux
b ballroom, playing their old parts over again.
spJy to be laughed at for their pains. Meantime
the mystic "SAm is most politely bowed to by
everybody seven times day, and every soul con-
sne.s be has no chance Of saving his own soul
unless be considers "Sam" as infallible as the
Pope. In fact, there is in political circles what
nay be called general revival, and the dread of
political dsmnston is everywhere vkible-whle
10 "Sam seems to center the only hope Of
salvation. There appears to be general state Of
conviction preparatory to general shouting.
Thu it 10 Sam and the Know-Nothings, and the
Know. NotbiDgs and Sam, on every corner, and In
every circle. Nobody can witness the spectacle
without percciving that we are the greatest,
wisest, and NEST intelligent people on the face Of
Ne globe.
TIE third grand panoramic feature in the ex-
is,isg condition Of things a. Washington, is the
Dssubrious aspect of the old line or Pierce De-
mosracy. Here is a promiscuous crowd, much
IN The condition of the English troops at Bala-
klavs---shabby, tAttered, dirty, exhausted, sick
and dying. They appear and feel as IL they had
been through at least six campaigns, and been
beaten in every one. TIE Southern wing be-
holds the ominOus mouth Of the Know Nothing
sulf yswnipg TO receive them, while the North
erH branch has been torn in pieces aud destroy
ed BY Nebraska. Whether true or not, it yet
believed that Kansas Is to be taken possession Of
by the Slavery propaganda, and thus douglas ana
Company cry out, "W0 is me, Alba ma Toeg
profess now to have believed that Kansas would
be free, and that thus they would escape being
breusht to TIE stake for their crimes. The pre-.
sent prospect blears the expectation. and they
wander pensive aud disconsolate. Everywhere
Il 10 sang and said that the d smocrauc party has
been ruthlessly slaughtered in the house Of its
friends. Thst powerful and triumphant organize
ton. which swept Vie country At the last Pres'-
Dental election by unprecedented msorities so
proud and arrogant, and which hsughtlly trod
freedom in the dust one short year ago, is now
sopsessedly demoralzed and in ruins from ito own
conduct, and the mourner 60 about the streets.
Let this serve you a. crsyon sketch Of the
general appearance of things in Washington.