Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-02-28
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

The Committee on Indian Affairs The
head Of this committee, As constructed by
Speaker Banks, is Mr.. Pringle Of New York,
who has already been four years in the House.
At home, he is lawyer, and has been on ''the
bench" His legal attachments are of a high
order, and his head is as clear as a bell.
Though voting for Mr.. Banks, he Is not re-
garded as Republican party man; having
up to not long since ranked in Washington as
conservative Wing. We have no idea that
his sympathies are with the Republican par
ty; or, that his votes for Mr.. Banks were die
tated by aught but a belief that the best
thing that he could do for himself at home, in
the present condition Of politics, was to lay
such an anchor to windward 1t may appear
strange, tb at with all the greater boasted en-
lightenment of the North, its public men of
real mark-of mind, character and experience
in connection with public affairs-feel that
they have to watch with solicitude the ever
varying shifts of the popular breeze, and to
trim their political canvas so az not to be
caught beating at any time. But, so it
is; and we sincerely believe that the Hon.
Mr.. Pringle is, himself ashamed of the
state of popular sentiment at the North
that made it a matter Of necessity for him to
"run' counter to his own well-balanced judg-
ment; as he must have gone, in following, re-
Gently, in the wake of Messrs. Giddings, Gree
ley, Stanton 4 Co. He rarely troubles the
House except on subjects on which it becomes
really his duty to take part in debate. New
ertheless, no other member attends more
closely to the public business, or transacts his
share of it with more ability and uniform sue
cess. Of course, therefore, he will make q
capital head of the Indian Affairs Committee,
though representing New York district
Mr.. Orr, of South Carolina, who was the
chairman of the same committee during the
last Congress, stands No. 2 upon it now He
has been four years q member, and is in all
respects a most effective man; whether in
debate, or in the managG ment CT business COIN
mitted to his immediate guardianship. His
peculiar trait as public man, is an extraor-
binary share of what the world comprehends
under the term of horse sense!'' As quick
as lightning at comprehending anything, he
is as skillful and equally as quick in avaiIing
himself Of any advantage that circumstances
may throw in his way, and as good-tempered
and self-possessed through any and all Par
liamentary connections in engineering his
cause to his desired result Though South
Carolinian, he is not an extremist in his alb
stract views, or in the tenor of his speeches
in the Hall; but an old fashioned Democrat,
who never fails to counsel moderation, as be-
ing, after all, the surest way of working out
justifable ends. He has all the business of
the Indian Affairs Committee at his fingers
ends, and is vastly serviceable on that com
mittee.
Mr.. Billinghurst is a new member from
Wisconsin, late Democrat, but now a Re-
publican party man. We believe he is a law
yer by profession, though he has not essayed
to spout" in the chamber so far. He is GER
tainly gentleman of fine intelligence, and
therefore bids fair to prove as serviceable in
Congress as any other new member of the
House on his side Of the chamber. Being
from a new State, it ia to be presumed that he
has the practical knowledge of Indian mat
tiers that makes his selection for this commit
tee appropriate.
Mr.. Greenwood, of Arkansas, was a men,
Der Of the last House. He is q lawyer, and
Democrat, and has proved himself to be
valuable practical member of the House. He
attends thoroughly to all business devolved
On him, and no other gentleman in the cham
Der states his cases clearer, or fortifes them
better with practical and comprehensive COM
mentaries. He is more especially useful in
this committee, as all who represent Arkansas
in Congress are unusually well-read and ex.
perienced in the details Of the Governments
Indian relations.
Mr.. Letter, of Ohio, was not long since the
Democratic speaker of one branch of his State
Legislature. On his conversion to Free Soilism,
he proved acceptable to the Wings and Abo-
litionists of his district, who sent him to this
Congress. He is, of course, one of the strictest
of the Republican party at the present wri.
ting. Though he has said little in debate this
winter, it is understood that he is one of the
best stumpers in his State. His long legisla-
tive experience at home, backed by his orato-
rical ability, to which we refer above, will
doubtless make him, ere the session ends, one
of the men of mark on the Republican side
of the chamber.
Mr.. Hall, Of Massachusetts,, is one of the
clergymen who have been drifted-we beg his
pardon-landed-in the House Of Representa-
tives of the United States, as portion of the
debris caught up and foated off by the q ood
of Know Nothingism that not long since swept
over the non'slaveholding States. We have
obtained the idea-we frankly admit we know
not how-that he is the shsrpest and shrewdest
of his professional cloth in the House of Rep
resentatives; though We are not believer
that parson can do much good in any suoh
position. He is said to be sympathiser with
the Gardner wing Of Free Soilism and Know
Nothingism at home, rather than a Wilson,
Banks, and Rockwell man. He, however,