St. Charles Republican intelligencer. (St. Charles [Charles City], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1856-11-27
From Washington.
WASHINGTON. Nov. / 1876

The topic here, in the White House,
in the private parlors, in the public
bar rooms, is the election of Buchan-
an. The closeness of the election and
the immense vote for Fremont surprises
everybody.
But the policy of the incoming adj
ministration is the absorbing topic of
conversation. 1t is now given out that
Buchanan IS IN faror of the admission of
Kansas as a Free State. He has all
along held to the propriety, if not the
necessity, Of this course, and the re-
cent emphatic expression of public
sentiment on the despotic course of the
Pierce administration, in regard to that
Territory, makes it, l assure you, a
fixed fact in the policy Of the new gov
eminent. 1t was deemed injudicious
by Mr.. Buchanan's friends to avow
this before the election but now that
the contest is over and he is to be the
next occupant of the White House,
there is no hesitation in making it pub
lie, and talking about it, and canvass
ing it's effects at the North and South
1t will create much establishment at
the South, and will cause deep feel
ing of indignation in some quarters
perhaps war to the knife. Jefferson
Davis, who was one of the leaders Of
the secessionists, will open the qucs-
ton in the Senate when he takes his
seat from Mississippi, after the Pierce
administration is properly buried and
the grave covered with sods. 1t is
thought that the first movement made
to counterfeit the effect of this meas
ure will be to pour emigrants into
Texas, and slice that State into two
additional States, giving the South
four Senators, while Kansas will add
only two to the North.
i see that one of the Washington
correspondents has been making Blu
chanan's Cabinet, and l think he is
wrong. The following is nearer the
mark
Sec'y of State, Isaac Toucey, Of Conn
Sec y of the Navy, John Slidell, Of La.
Secy of War, H. A. Wise, of Va, or H.
Ward, of S. C.
or Chas. Stewart, of Mich.
Attorney General, James G. Vandyke, of Pa.
Postmaster General, John R. Thompson, of NJ.
This can be bet on, at least four out
of the six. But don't bet more than a
bunch of cigars, and secure odds.
The Union contains the following in
reference to the decorations now GO
ing on at the Capitol
Sufficient progress has been made
with the ceiling of the House of Rep
| resentatives in the new south wing of
the Capitol to give an idea of it's sur
passing gorgeousness. In the north
east angle the massive and elaborate
drop pieces, of the form of huge in
verted pine-apples, have been finished
and set in their places !; portions of
them and the cornice have been paint
ed, also, and adjoining parts Of the
ceiling frescoed; the whole producing
an effect that can be equalled, we sup
pose nowhere else on this continent,
and excelled scarcely anywhere in the
world. These large and most elabor-
ate drops, with the surrounding foil
age and ornaments, are made of pa
pier mache, and, in case of receiving
injury from any cause, can at any time
be speedily restored.
Whilst the work of ornamentation
is thus progressing in the ceiling Of
the hall of the House, there is no idle
ness in the new committee rooms
Several of them are paved with the
beautiful encaustic tiles, and gre ready
for frescoing others are undergoing
that process, and SO exquisiteiy beau
tiful in taste and finish is this work
that every visitor pours forth, upon
witnessing it, utterances OF astonish-
ment and delight.
In the north wing to be occupied by