Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-02-28

company for "Kuow NotAings," do NOTHING.
and good for no.hings. The State ia thousht
to be behind the times, and the land TO b
worn ont by negro labor. - 7. -
There 10 a. little truth In these IDEAS as in
the other. The real character Of the South
erter, before this sudiencs, I need not discuss;
but Will say that he possesses the most in
tense patriotism, that he 10 unsslfsh, and has
the real, true respect 1t heart for woman. The
lot Of his servants ID easy and comfortable and
ne has high respect for all religious OBJ
servances. Az to the daughters Of Virginia,
am not competent to attempt their vindica-
ton. Their lives are their best eulogy. ZAP.
plause -.I-
As to slavery, the people Of the South have
given more to emancipate slaves than oil Eng
land did for the emancipation of her West
India negroes, and than all that the North
and East has given toward benevolent objects.
In regard to the love Of Yirginians for their
great ancestors, be reviewed many of the
reasons that caused that love, citing manv of
those men, and saying that 1t was the exalted
character of the women Of Virginia, that
brought forth such men as Washington, Jefer.
son, Henry, and Marshall
He denied the alleged Jdegsneracy Of Vir.
glnia; II her State was not properly improved,
1t was because she had bsen;so much concerned
in federal politics. She had sent her gre
men to Congress, while the North had kept
hers ut homo to attend to State affairs. Vir
ginia Is nov waking up; her internal impsove.
| ments are progressing, her sons are looking at
| homo, 20 that now there can be no doubt tina
her future will be as glorious a. her past, and
that she will prove worthy Of her founders
He said thsgreat hope for the preservation
OF the u ion, In spite Of the dark clouds that
lowered ever it, was that the people Of North
| and South should learn to know each other
batter. He closed By jepreoating such an
event in the most clog uent language, and said:
"If the country is faithful to itself, that dar k
day 10 far in the distance If we bat do our
duty, the last sunset Of creation will see our
flag still flying, and the morning stars shall
sing together on the morning of tho millennium
| for joy"
Mr.. Baldwin is speaker of great ability,
and has a vein of sparkling wit IS we'll az over
| whelming eloquence.
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE Tho residence of Hon.
| Thomas H. Benton, situated on G street, be.
tween Sd and 4s, was destroyed by fire yes.
| terday afternoon, together with nearly all of
| the furniture, the library, and, most unfortu
nate OF all, the manuscript papers of Mr..
Benton
fthe reser voirs had contained water enough
the front building might have been saved ;
but the water gave out, and when the engines
II
| covered with ice beneath which there was
not enough water to cover the sucking pipes
| of the apparatus. While seeking for water
the fremen were defeated in their kind labors
by the freezing of the hose, making it impos-
Tble to force water. At twelve O'Clock last
night large crowd Of citizens and fremen
were doing what they could to prevent further
destruction. The adjoining houses were in
imminent danger; and we learn that the fur.
II N I'm afR I'm NAL
jured by removal.
| The Intelligencer Of this morning says:
| "Mr. Benton arrived from tho Capitol in a
brief time, and at once asked respecting his
books and papers. One of his daughters, who
| had taken refuge at Col Fremonts ono Of the
adjacent dwellings, replied, We have saved
nothing father, but ourselves; your papers are
| lost Then let the house burn on said Mr.
| Benton, in an apparently calm manner; and
! for q time he continued to look on the .cene
| With more concern for the men who were at
work, encased in icy armor, than for any in
teres he might be supposed to possess in the
perishing property"
The following card from Mr. Benton tells
| his own story:
| A CARD.-Mr. Benton returns his tn anks to
| his neighbors, tho fire companies, and the
numerous citizens who came to the selief of
| his house when on fire yesterday. who did all
| that could be done to arrest the flames and to
| save books, papers and furniture: but tho
mischief was done before it was known to
have begun. 1t is now ascertained that the
fire had been going on for days and arose firm
defective chimney in . new part of the
building, and had destroyed the contents Of
the oftice before 1t was discovered On Sun.
day Mr.. BIS youngest daughter, whose room
was above his own, told him that her room was
| sometimes filled with smoke which came from
| no fireplace; but it did not occur to him that
| some wooden work communicating with the
chimney might be in smothered state of bur
| ming. He left his house at | o'clock yesterday
Tuesday to 60 to the House Of Represents
tives, carefully putting out the fire as he al
| ways did. An hour nfter his eldest daughter
was in his Office, and was astonished at the
| warmth of his room, seing that the fire was
| entirely out, and the day was urcommonly
cold, bot left it, closi ng the door
The first discovery OF the FIRE was FROM seeing
the smoke issuing from the crevices of the
office apd the bedroom adjoinipgit His
| eldestS Der and servant opened the door
| but fire And smoke filed both rooms, and they
| found the contents In q state Of combustion
They had to retire to save their own lives, and
| some kind persons who attempted to save the
papers were scorched and almost suffoca ted
The great mischief was already done. the house
could not be saved, but Is a consolation th at
the adjoining houses of the neigh bors and th at
OF Mrs. Fremont were preserved In the name
of his whole family, Mr.. Benton returns his
thanks to his kind neighbors for their offers of
| ruoms and shelter, and for comfortable lodg-
ings Hospitality rendered to him close by the
smoking ruins.
ANOTHER FIRE.-This morning the com.
panies were again called to the ruins of the
dwelling ct Col Benton. While at work there
a IRE broke out In the frame building at the
| corner Of Eighth and D streets, used as ba. Der
and cooper shops. The building was soon do
stroyed, without doing much injury to the adj
joining property. The fremsn tried to be
serviceable; but 1t was q long time before
| water could be obtained, ana when obtaiaed
the hose were spoiled by its being forced
| through them, they being frozen. We have
not learned what the loss will amount to.
We notice that the hose Carriages and en-.
| CINE Of company from Alexandra passed
through our streets towards the neigh Dor God
| Of the Ere, at too late an hour, though, to rem
der any assistance. We anticipate they will
have q warm and generous reception from our
L f-opnen Nd al S0op roll Oh