Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1855-03-04
THE 18th OF MARCH, 1853.

-<eO>S--------
THE 4th OF MARCH, 1855.
This day is an epoch. II terminates the
thirty.third, and inaugurates the thirty fourth
Congress. There will, should not an extra
session intervene, be hush in Federal politics,
silence, vacuum. Politicians and legisla.
tors will, for nine months, be at home, in the
bosoms of their families, and mingling, as they
ought to be at this crisis, with their constitu'
ents. They have much to tell them, for this
has been an eventful Congress.
The Federal Metropolis, which once was
characterized by distinguished orator as
"the city of magnificent distances will be
deserted. The multitudes that throng our
streets when Congress is in session-the Gu.
rious strangers from :" the provinces" as Par
venus call them-the elegant gentlemen Of
leisure, the representatives from every section
and every State, Of American beauty, the yelp.
ing hounds Of faction, the pursuers of rich
contracts, the schemers, the very polite and
very honest lobbyers, the honest but painted
Indians from the Territories, with all their
virtuous accompaniment, the sweet-scented
dandies from the cities, and the hard.fsted but
patriotic representatives from the rural dis
trictsn-will all have left the cody city OF
Washington in few hours. The hotels, now
crowded to excess, will be compelled to drag
out for nine months a miserable existence on
their very moderate profits 1.-TWO dollars and
half per day-plus extras) which they have
for some time received. The poor hackmen,
who charge only one dollar per hour, Except
to strangers and Kno,c-nothings,) will have to
store away their best and brightest hacks, and
bring out those old carriages, which. when the
city is full, are called night hacks"--for they
are, to tell the truth, rather shabby, and would
not very we'll answer when bright, prolific,
fructifying, pecuniary sun shines upon this
most godly virtuous, and Know-nothing city.
There are other pursuits and lines of business,
too tedious to name, that will suffer dreadfully
during the recess.
Washington has enjoyed the sun light; it
will now be in the shade. Yet will it not be
altogether deserted. Strangers will no doubt
pass through, and stop to see our magnificent
public buildings and our resident notabilities.
Moreover there will be, from time to time, TO
use fsherman's phrase, schools of those very
disinterested and patriotic gentlemen, who are
moved by the highly commendable motive OF
offering their services and sacrificing their tai
ents for the public welfare.
But to quit small things, and to come to
great tbings--this fourth day of March, eighteen
hundred and Gfty-6ve-is an epoch.
The old Congress goes out and new Con-
gress comes in. What the first has done, is
now matter Of history. 1t is in the annals OF
the past 1t was an intelligent and a faithful
Congress. 1t did much to command the re-
,spect, confidence, and admiration Of the peo-
pie. It passed the Nebraska bill. 1t passed
the Army bill. It passed the Navy bill. II
created-syhat the present and future genera
lions will praise it for-the Court of oiaims
Il set its face against corrupt legislation. IL
has passed many other valuable measures, and
done many other useful things, which, from time
to time, we have recorded
What the incoming Congress will DDS a
matter of speculation and conjecture. AS YET
it has no history, except so far as the elections
Of its new members are concerned. Inc CIR
cumstances connected with the elections Of
these new members, we must confess, are not
very pleasant to contemplate. They were
elected at n time and in sections, when, and
where anti.Nebraskn, anti-Fugitive Slave law,
anti Slavery in the Territories, and Abolition,
considerations and principles prevailed. They
we're elected when isms fusions, and amalga'
nations had the ascendency.
From Congress, the majority of which was
thus elected, we cannot expect much, that will
be favorable to the integrity Of honest and es-
tablished parties, to the Constitution of the
United States, and to the rights of the States
Yet We hope for the best. The Senate and the
Executive may, and will correct the errors that
shall be committed by piebald, and an incon'
gruous House of Representatives.
We know that the hopes of the Oppositor
are based on the action Of the next House Of
Representatives. We know that the Know
nothings are jublant with sanguine expecta
lions. We know that all the isms "lift ur
their eyes to the hills from whence cometl
their help"
But we, too, have our hopes. We have oul
expectations. AS we said yesterday, we have
faith in the conservatism Of the American peo
pie. Errors cannot long prevail among o PEG
pie so sensible and correct. Nine months vii
Intervene between the adjournment of this Con
gress and the meeting Of the next. Many thing
may happen in the course Of nine months. |
IS a long time allowed to reflection and action