Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1856-02-21
From the Washington star, Of Feb. H.
Washington News and Gossip.

w dSDllELOn NCWS anu oOSolEs
The PREsIDENcY-Now, that the House
has organized, those in Washington interest
ed in shaping the Presidential nominations of
the three great parties are again on the qu
Uive. 1t is very evident that the excitement
which ragged with reference to the Speaker
ship is very soon to be revived in connection
with the approaching Presidential nomina-
tons. At every turn, yesterday, we heard
the subject being discussed by the politicians,
very generally with great earnestness. The
topic bids fair TO increase mOmentarily in in
terest. We find that the immediate partizans
Of Senator Douglas consider him 4 candidate
for the Cincinnati nomination, nOtwithstand-
ing the disclaimer on his own part he has
taken occasion to cause to be published. The
truth is, they probably feel that he has no
right to have a will Of his own on such a point,
the Office being one that should not be sought
or declined by an aspirant, in person. They
dO-nOt propose to have him voted for at the
commencement Ofthe balloting, butte be except
in reserve " for the chances of a deadlock"
between the friends of Messrs. Pierce and
Buchanan. From all we have been able to
gather among the Democratic politicians now
assembled in Washington, no others, except
the three gentlemen named above, are eX-
pected to be urged on that convention. At
least, the more experienced men among them
are certainly of opinion that, on consultation
at Cincinnati, it will bc found that the Con-
%vention viii be divided almost entirely be
tween those three.
From present appearances, we think we can
with safety say, that there will be more I'M
pledged aud uninstructed delegates in that
body than ever before attended a National
Democratic Convention. This will leave
ample scope for harmony of action and really
friendly and confidential consultation. We
have attended them all, and are satisfied that
nine-tenths Of the confusion, pickering and
difficulty in coming to satisfactory concln-
sions. arises from the habit of constituencies
in sending delegates there pledged as the
partizans Of this or that aspirant, instead of
in the capacity of Democrats who attend only
to make, after due consultation and %investi-
CATION, the strongest possible nominations for
the Presidency aud Vice Presidency. We
learn, by the by, from 4 leading and distin-
gxished Ohio Democrat, that the State dele
gates elected to the Cincinnati Convention by
the Ohio State Convention are uninstructed
and unpledged, and that no question, as to
their personal preferences, was allowed to en-
ter into the solution OF the question as to the
individuals to be chosen, whose views on
that head were neither asked nor known to
those electing them. IL cannot he otherwise
than that gentlemen chosen under such cir
cumstances, will feel upon them, with ire
sistible force, the obligation to cast their vote
for the person who, if elected, will make an
administration lin their judgment,) most
strictly in keeping with the ancient land
marks and present policy of the great Ma
tional Democratic organization.
The friends Of Mr.. Crittenden are certainly
most active among those of the National
American party aspirants at this point. In
deed, he alone of his party appears to have,
in Washington, a well drilled, energetic and
discreet band of advocates and adherents.-
Mr.. George Law has none outside of the
small army of professional "drummers," who,
though they invariably make considerable
noise around the Lobbies of Congress and in
the hotel halls, effect little indeed when ac>
tual struggles of the sort come on. The vet
eran politicians of that party, including those
who have been conspicuously in public life
in their time, most of whom not long since
were for the nomination Of Mr.. Fillmore, are
now with very uncomfortable exceptions in
deed, for Mr.. Crittenden's nomination, i'm the
belief that he is by far the most available
man who can be put on the course by their
organization.
An effort is certainly being made here to
induce the Republican party leaders to dis
countenance efforts to make a nomination Of
some one standing on their platform, against
Mr.. Crittenden. This movement, by the by,
is rather on the part oil lukewarm Republicans
than on the part of Mr.. C.'si~mmediate friends
and supporters, who are too sagacious men,
we take il. TO entertain the idea that they
can be supported by the Republicans without
giving pledges which will strip him of the
support of every man who honestly favors
the National American party creed.
We are very sure that the Republicans
proper cannot be drawn into this movement.
Their success in the protracted contest for the
Speakership alone, has so inspirited them,
and with the circumstances preceding il, has
created such immense Juror among their par
tizans all over the non-slave holding States.
as that they will surely run a ticket oftheir
own, nominated on very ultra anti-slavery
and other federal doctrines, except upon the
question of the tariff, on which their leaders
and controlling spirits now in public life GER
tainly lean to free-trade doctrines.
Gov. Chase, of Ohio, is alone mentioned
among their politicians now here as an aspi-
rant for their nomination; it being understood
that Mr.. Seward, who is their real head and
front, declines a canvass until 1860. lie car
ries a long head on his shoulders, and is
doubtless aware that no one nominated by his
party for this election can possibly concen-
trate the votes of all the opposition in the
North; the opposition there not being prepar-
ed to endorse. with unanimity, the doctrines
of the Republican organization, though they
will doubtless command the support ola ma
jority of the northern opponents of the Dem
ocratic party.