Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-07-26
SPIRIT OF THE MORNING PRESS.

The Union discusses the rape Of the Wash
ingtOn Monument, saying. in the course of its
remarks:
The process by which they claim to have
perverted the control of the work to their own
base uses was so shameful and so reckless so
illegal and 80 violent, as to be alone sufficient
to cover the authors of, and the actors in, the
usurpation with eternal opprObrium. In the
dark recesses of their secret lodges they con-
cected the plot which has excited a storm of
contempt against them, and has already pro-
duced a train of disasters to the enrolling
project which has enlisted so much interest
among the American people. Without notice
save that which was so brief as to battle all At
tempts To Check-mate their scheme, even If its
full extent had been known, these abandoned
demagUgues proceeded TO hold a Know Nothing
election for directors Of the Washington Mon
Ument-an election by themselves. at which
no votes were pOlled but those thrown by the
order, and NO ticket supported but that made
up in their lodges. Our citizens who saw this
mock election going on could not imagine what
st meant till the result was announced amid
the fiendish rejoicings of the so-cailed yctors
In harmonious sympathy with the villanies
and violence that have marked the reign of
this oath-bound conspiracy. they had pre-
vlously secretly tempered with two OF the off
GERS OF the regularly -constituted board of
managers Of the Washington Monument; and
when they were denied possession of the pre-
mlses they resorted to force, took possession of
the books, and drove out the regular agents of
the legal organization. And not ONLY were all
these outrages carried into effect but the
Know NOthlngs managed to induce one OF the
agents of the regular board, whom thew had
seduced into their plot, to insert false entry
upon the records of the board, so a. to give
color to the subsequent fraud The result is
that the whole matter has become a subject
for Judicial investigation
VI those ousted from the management of the
affairs of the monument society as compared
with those frau1ulently put in their places.
The editor says:
" Congress, that must have responded TO the
cali OF such patriots as Winfield Scott and
ATcbloaid HendersOn-Uf such scholars as Pc
ter Force and Lieutenant Maury-of such pub
lc-spirlted citizens a. W W. Seaton and w
, w. CoIcOIan-iteraiiy closed its door. upon
this appeal, when a set Of political demagogues
and partIzanS came forth from their secret
cubs, and, with all the violence of their pra-
totypes during the French revolution. de-
mandtd 10 exercise rights which they had
nsurped, and TO protect interests which they
could only destroy"
The IateIfigeHcer discussing the policy of
Austria with reference to the eastern war. saws.
There is still mystery hanging over the
Vienna conferences which all the explanation.
made by the INOniteyyr Of Paris, and by Lord
Clarendon and Lord Russell, in the British
Parliament, seem but 10 render more difficult
of solution We should be slow to believe thai
NJ Drouyn de Hugs, one of the ablest minis
tiers France ever had, could have lent himself
TO any premeditated design Of Austria to- de-
ceiye the Allies, even if the court of Vienna
could DC supposed capable Of duplicity in the
conference and yet his dismissal by the
French Emperor would seem to give cTunte-
nance to such ar inference Ii il evident. we
think, that the Austrian representative at the
conferences, and those of France and England.
did not understand each other They could
not all have been satisfied with the ayowed
policy OF Austria if they had known that il
would lead 10 the reduction Of her army anu
her Implied abandonment of the cause of the
Allies There has been a mistake. misun-
derStandinS somewhere, and We shall refrain
from attempting any comments upon it while
the statements in regard to il. though seeming
to come from official sources, are 80 much At
variance