Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-01-18

reasoning, yesterday, in favor of the payment
of 1--WE millions Of dollars from the National
Tt upon claims for French spoliations
y commencement of the present cen.
Hat policy was urged on the Con.
80 Immediately after, as it is alleged, the
Government of the United States assumed a
liability for their payment. The original
claimants were then alive, and actively urged
their suit. 1t was rejected as being unbound.
ed in justice and right, by their Contemporaries,
who were familiar with each and every fact in
the case. From that day to this, the same
suit has been pertinaciously urged upon every
Congress subsequently, assembling The ables,
advocates that the country hold have been On.
gagged in efforts to push them through the Ma.
tional Legislature, and some Of the ables,
members thereof have, at nearly every sue
ceeding session, striven to obtain favorable
action on them. Yet all this has been iu
vain. Not point involved has been left I'M.
covered By powerful argument in its de.
fence. Yet they remain to this day unsatis.
fed, because no Government up to this time, ha.
been found willing to pay them out of the
National Treasury, after hearing full, fair
and calm discussion upon them.
We regret that our neighbor of the Union
| failed to state these facts in his general sy.
! nopsis of what has been done on the subject
1t is well known that not o ti.hs of these de.
mands, so often and so emphGt ically ignored
by Congress, are in the hands even of do.
scendants Of the original claimants. Most of
them are said to be new held in tho
| shape OF joint stock, the property of spscu-
lators almest entirely, who have bought the
chance that Congress nay or may not liqui-
| date them, at from five to 6fty cents on the
dollar. 1t has always seemed to US thst such
| speculation in Congressional legislation is rad
ically wrong, and that it is pre- eminently the
duty of the National Legislature to put it
down. A good beginning in that direction
has certainly been made, of late. But if this
| bill passes, all that has been achieved will
certainly prove to have been little more thar
labor thrown away
symptom OF a Reaction The speech
| delivered day or two since by Mr. Boyce of
| South Carolina, has been fruitful theme for
the conversation of the politicians in Wash
| ington, more especially among those of the
| South. He has really fairly succeeded in
shaking the confidence of some of the latter
in the better policy of the acquisition of Cuba.
While We admit cheerfally that it is full of
/ statesmanlike views, as Of sterling informa.
! ton, we eaa see no reason 10 adopt his conclu.
| sions; and wonder that legislative statesmen
| who have long held views on the question d.
| recuy opposed to his, seem 80 much inclined
to fall into them inas,nuch as they are direct.
| ~ opposed to those Of nearly every leading
| man In American public affairs Of times past,
who has expressed himself on the question.
We have never looked on the Cuban question
| as c,ional issue, it being in our judgment
broad national question, if ever there arose
one in the current Of our affairs--a question
in which the materiafin.erest Of tie nayiga-
ton, manufacturing, apd food producing States
| have vastly more Immediate and direct interes'
than the cotton growing portion of the confede-
| racy, even though the possession of the island
in case of war with nation powerful on the
ocean, it is the master key to the temporary
command Of the Gulf of Mexico. We shall
watch with no little interest tho growth of the
speculstions id the minds of The public men
here assembled, which Mr. Boyce's speech
appears to have generated
Striking contrast-Jaqaes in the "Housv.
msoom'D Us. Nationa! Intethteeneer The
Washington correspondent for the New York
Tunes announces his opinion of tho recently
appointed Minister of the United States to
Spain as follows:
"Mr. BTeckinridgs certainly is not possessed
Of the individual tact, diplomatic talent, or
social ana educational sttanments requisite
to the successful Minister 1T such Court as
that of Madrid
Tho National InteiigSncsr, however, of
this morning, speaks of tns new Minister in
in these terms:
eff the public voice i, to be trusted. there
is great fitness in this appointment Mr.
brecklnrioge ID yet young man, but his
high personal qualities, added to his superior
abilities, have commanded for his appoint
mont unanimity Of approval seldom wit
nessed."
Ordinarily the Intsiiigencsr would be con-
sIdered, at the least, respectable authority !;
but as against the Washington correspondent
Of the New York Times of course no one
would think Of comparison.
The next LeYee.-The Executive mansion
will be thrown open tomorrow evening for
the reception Of all ladies and gentlemen who
may desire to pay their respects to tho Presi-
dent Of thu United States and his lady. This
is the second reception of the season, it will
recollected.
a New o. 8. Sen ator from New Kamp.
shirs.--We have private dispatches from Con
cord, N. Fl assuring as the. Gov. Baker has
rendered theU S. senatorial seat maao vacant
by the dcat,tof the Hon. Moses Norris, to the