Washington telegraph., 1855-03-21
For the IeLegrdph.l
HARRISBuRG. Pa, Feb. 81, 1855.

FaIEsp ET.rER ii is The eve of WASH
1NGToNs birthday. Preparations have
been made to celebrate the anniversary 1T
ling.y in our town Know -Nothingism will
make tomorrow almost general holiday in
this part of the State which. taking into
consideration the supposed quantity of Ger
man Democracy "nusht apoat here, is
something strangely new. Not that the
German part of our population have not
been patriotic heretofore, however. In the
neigbboriDg town Of York. grand Know
Nothing ball will be given tomorrow eve
ming. The ''list of managers" is made up
of gentlemen from Philadelphia. Baltimore;
Lancaster, Columbia, Harrisburg and some
other places, and numbers about ninety.
The weather. for some time past; has been
most Zeyotca5ly cold Accounts from all
quarters speak Of the protracted absence of
heat Those poets who have muses. that
can stand the cold notwithstanding muses.
have been busy upon the romance OF this
pastime- The papers are full of tines up
on sleighing; and. taking into considera-
ton ''poetical poverty" the authors must
have had kind friends to lend them sleighs,
horses and daughters. Apop0s of authors,
BARNUM- -unpardonable P. T. BARNUM-
who has so efectually grated US ALL
Quakers, descendants of PoCAHoNTAs, Of
the Pilgrims, and Of PUTNAaIs Bour bon
is, our papers say, at last .giraGed himself
The press, though his boasted builder, will
eventually prove his beasting destroyer
There are but few editors who have not ia
ken up their pens to scratch BARNUM.-
The religious papers are enthusiastic in op
position to his Autobiography, and pro-
nounco emphatically a Hadn -ought-to-buy
ography When we read the announce
ment that one hundred thousand copies had
been ordered before the work had fairly gone
to press, we remembered how JoICE HETH
had been announced TO have arrived at her
one hundred and sixty frst year before she
had fairly entered her eightieth, and we
heard hum. The tale is a true one, but,
ike that of the Fcejee mermaid. was gotten
up too fip-pantly for our moral (0 North
The press is also ''down on" Bishop PoT-
TER, of the Episcopal Diocese of New York.
on account of his having, while on recent
visit to Canada, given vent to un-American
sentiments, and disparaged the credit at
tached to newspapers as the faithful reflect
ors of public opinion.
According to the annual statement Of the
State Treasurer. our public debt was, on
the 30th of November last, only S40,G64,-
516. The total valuation Of real and per-
sonal property taxable for State purposes,
is given at s481, 731, ,304; the assessment
of tax at $1,649, ,969; the taxables at $685.
1856 The estimated revenue for the year
ending November 30th, 1856, is given at
/ S4.2S8.650. Pennsylvania s credit is get
ting on firm basis; only two years ago
her debt was near forty-four millions.
An attempt was made On Tuesday the
18th inst, to elect United States Senator
but after two ballotings, the election was
postponed until the 9th The friends of
Gen CAMERON express great confidence in
his success, and [ too am inclined to think
he will be elected He has, though De-
mocrat, the support Of the Know-Nothings
Know -Nothingism has long been thought
a ''Whig trick )" and in order to refute
this charge, the Order gives its support al
ternately to men from both the parties.-
! As, witness last falls election of Whig
! Governor, and Democratic Canal Com
missioner, and now again their support Of
Democrat for T. S. Senator.
The news from Europe in regard to the
war. is what every one expected The sit
uation of the Allies is becoming more dis
tressing every day. Englands hopes with
regard to Sevastopol seem to have been built
/ upon sandy foundation"
Yours truly,
JR