Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-09-05
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

ciergymen is to be attacked by the Republican
party press in full cry. I'VE ara not without
virulent representatives ofthAf party IN this
city, whose tone is always surely indicahve to
us Of the positions and views their party press
will take on any and all suhjeots as they arise.
We are sure that on this, In week every Be-
publican party press that can be reached in
that time by the Tribune ct al (Republi-
cam published in the Northern cities will
be out in full cry, denouncing the President for
more confirmed border ruffian than DR.. String
fellow himself. On the other hand, it is so soon
clear to US that the letter has disarmed all of
the real Southern Democracy who were so Tate
ly suspicious of the Kansas policy of the Ad-
ministration. Those of them in this city cannot
Md words to express their regrets that they
judged the President hastily. With one accord
they admit that the letter places his admins
tration firmly and fairly on the Cincinnati plat
form OF non-interference in the domestic affairs
OF the Territory, and also on that Conventions
pledges to maintain intact the rights of the
South as guaranteed in the Constitution Who
that would be fair could ask more than this
that in the last election accepted in perfect
frankness the positions of the platform of the
Cincinnati Convention? That the opposition at
the North will gnash their teeth at the letter is
to be expected; while the hand full at the South
who prefer disunion to the continuance of the
siavehOlding States in the Union with their
rights under the Constitution fairly maintained
will also fail to have their hostility to the Admin
iStration disarmed. All others-conservativ
Wings, Democrats, north and south, and Amer
;co - no e.
party-wil say amen to its doctrines, which
cannot thus fail to prove acceptable to three
fourths of the people of the United States.
lNTRIGUEs FOR THE SUCCESSION, COVERING
1STRIGuEs FOR CONGRESSIONAL PLUNDER.)-
Washington is full Of rumors concerning pro-
crossing intrisues for the next Democratic Ma
tiOnal nomination, in various quarters of the
country We hear many amusing stories of
the sort, in much of which, our experience
teaches, there is more truth than poetry.
The truth is, the patronage of Congress is
regarded by the friends of more than one aspi-
ring gentleman as afording the means of can
wasting for the Presidential nomination. So
not few bona tide public men are already
nervously anxious that their friends labor.
ers and supporters-may get possession of the
most important Congressional offices next win
ter Already we hear candidates of this, that
and the other interest in the Democratic party
freely talked over, while none but some of the
old incumbents seem to be candidates of the
Democratic party. This is a sad state of things
Nevertheless. it exists even so early; and, if
continuing, will bring their party affairs at this
point into inextricable difficulty because it will
bring about the settlement of important public
questions more or less with reference to the flu
tere of this or that aspirant, rather than to the
end of subscribing the public interest. We
never before knew this state of things to mani
fest itself so soon after the Inauguration of
new Administration, to which it involves great
injustice, indeed. 1t should be the aim of the
leading Democrats of the country, in and out of
public life, to do their best to secure the entire
success of an existing Democratic Administra-
ton, and to take no thought of its successor
until the approach Of the time for choosing del
egates to the next National Democratic Con-
ventiOn. That was the old-fashioned way of
doing the thing But these are fast times in
which we live.
LAYING THE CABLE.-We continue to find in
our exchange papers any number of disgust
tiOns upon the late disaster in laying the tele-
graphic cable, few of them, however, being
written with knowledge Of the subject that
makes them worth republishing. Now and
then we come across one like the following,
which really sheds light intellectual if not Wis
ible) upon the obstacles to the possible success
of the enterprise.
We take the article (replete with sensible re-
fectiOns) below, on the subject from the Brook
Ign IN. " Eagle:
CAT the time the deep sea soundings were be.
ing made which resulted in the supposed feast
billy OF the Atlantic telegraph, IL was supposed
that some parts of the ocean were unfatbomabe
The line would run out Gig hit or ten miles and vet
give no evidence of having touched the bottom
The simple reason was at last discovered TO be
that when the weight on the end of the line
tonehrd the bottom, the line itself was borne of
by the undercurrents and WAS merely floating
away, while II was supposed TO be going directly
to the bottom.
I'm order to remedy this difficulty sort Of
sinker was adopted in which a tube was passed
through heavy ball, and the moment the ball
touched the bottom this tubs--we must call il
tule Tor want OF better name, il would re-
qnire d model tn explain the cOntrvancc of its
operaton-can2ht up some of the matter at the
bottom, the ball became detached aud remained
below while the line was hauled up again
''NOtc ibe cause tchioh ndsred ordi adry sound
IHSS tHroSS,b!e r1s precisely that rVhich caused
me breaking OF the cable. The cable was run
ming out more rapidly than the ship progressed
Just ds the line fan on for miles upon miles in the
Soundings, and We dopbt not that thos. on beard
The Niagara could have paid out the whole cable
on the spot without the ship moving another
mile And this Is the cause why it seems inpos-
sible for the scheme ever to succeed There is
no doubt. still water nj The bottom of the ocean
but The strong current above will prevent tn. ca
bic from ever reaching that quiet location II il
i ever attempted Ia keep up a strain that will al
low The cable 10 be paid out d mile for each mile
the snip sails, the Tesnlt will he the same as be-
iofe-to snap u ike SPIDERS thread.
- cable Of sufficient strength to admit of such
st fain would load all the ships afioat on the
ocean But IT may be supposed that. by pro lid
I'M sufficient length nf cable to allow of an in
finite quantity Of waste, the ocean m"h, he
: aimed But the level plateau as il is called
winch Is supposed to reach from Newfoundl land
to Ireland il nearly ia the line tfaversed by ocean
steamers, and If the cable should yet drifted
away cut OF that line before il touched the bottom
There is no knowing what subterranedn obstacles
II would have TO encounter. The feasibility of
the schere IL predicaed entirely on the existence