Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-04-09
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

tainly been appointed TO this important position,
we are glad, indeed, to be able to say.
LAND OrF1cERs.-we believe the following
appointments were made to-day. Viz: Lewis
Palmer to be Register, and II. W Palfrey to
be Receiver at the Land Office at New Orleans;
Jesse B. McClenden to be Receiver ut the
Greensburg, La, Land Office; and Henry B.
Welsh TO be Receiver at the Des Moines, Iowa,
Land Office. fs-
The INDIES SoUADROS.-Orders have gone
from the Navy Department, We spprehsnd, to
fit out for sea, as soon as possible, the steam
frigates Minnesota and Mississippi and the
sloop-of-war Germantown. The first is at Phil
adelphia, the second at New York, and the
third at the Norfolk yard
The destination of all of them is understood
to be to reinforce the squadron Of Commodore
Armstrong in the Chinese seas. We presume
they will sail as soon as they can possibly be
ready to put to sea.
The RoORBAcK EXPLoDED-We take from
the New York Herald of the day before yes
terday, the two following letters from General
Persifer f. Smith, which bear out entirely our
late refutation Of Gov. Geary's roorback con-
corning the orders of the late Secretary of War
to General Smith, not to furnish him (Geary)
with troops when in Kansas.
1t will be perceived, that, as We predicted,
they were refused to him by Gen. Smith be-
cause the grounds of his demands for them were
not lawful-legitimate- for that reason
alone. Never was engineer more effectually
hoisted by his own petard, than is Geary, by
the upshot of his effort to bring General Davis
into disfayor by telling " fibs" upon him to
Washington letter writer's and others.
GOVERNOR GEARY AND JEFFERSON DAvIs-eEN.
SMITH AND THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE UNITED
STATES TROOPS FOR KANSAS.
WAsuINGTox, April 6, 1857.
IL was stated several days ago in the Herald,
on the autho ity of Gov. Geary, that he lost all
support in Kansas from the Pierce administration
by the withdrawal of the United States troops
from that Territory by orders from the War De-
partment. This statement has brought out the
| following letters:
GEN. SMITH TO GOV. GBARY.
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE WEST,
FORT LEAvENwoRTH, Feb. IL, 1857. (
His Excellency ]. w. GEARY,
Governor of Kansas, Lecompton, X. r.
GovERNOR-I have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt of your letter of the 9th inst in which
You ~ require immediately two additional conn a.
MES of Dragons to report to Won in consequence
of your confidence that there is conspiracy on
foot to disturb the peace, and also acknowl-
edge the receipt of previous letter requiring Il
battalion to be sent to you in view of the large
immigration expected here in the spring.
Ii you refer to the laws you will observe that
the President Is authorized to call the military
and naval forces into action to LIST, repel inva-
sion; I'd, to suppress instruction, and Sd, to
press combinations to obstruct the execution of
the laws, too strong for the civil power. Insults
or probable breaches of the peace do not author
iZe the employment of the troops.
Besides all the forces here have Just been desig-
ataIlN q Co w
ders for other service more distant and even the
companies near you will have to be recalled. They
are sufficient to repress any breach of the peace
and cannot move them until the weather i'm
proves.
But even they are to be employed to aid the
civil authority only in the contingencies mention
ed in the laws above referred to. The garrisons
to be left in the Territory will be available If the
President directs their employment
The contingency under which the troops were
acting consider to have ceased. Without the
grossest imprudence on the part of the civil au-
thorities in Leavenworth, I see not the slightest
probability of any disturbance there. and on in
quiry can hear of none from various inha bitants
With the highest respect your obedient servant,
PERsIFgR +. Smith,
Brevet Major General Comm'g.
oEN. SMITH TO JEFFERSON DAVIS
BALTIMORE, March Is, 1857.
Hon. JEFFERSON Davis, Senator:
Dear Sir received letter few minutes since
from the editor of the Evening Star, requesting
me to - substantate contradiction you cake to
some assertion in the Herald of Governor Geary -
| happen to have my letter book, and send YOU
copy of my letter to the Governor when he are
CURED" squadron Of dragons to be sent to him
He had already Capt. Newby's and Capt Flint,s
companies OF troops under his control, and he
stated no case that would justify reinforcing them
in the middle of the winter. declined sending
them, evidently without your interference in the
matter, for you Were in Warrington. His letter
Is Of the 9Th of February and my answer of the
18th. l exercised the discretion left me bv the
President, for saw there was need Of them
send the copy to you, for do not think my
pondence without authority from higher authori.
ty.
Moreover, I think your simple contradiction is
sufficient; the affair will not offer to Governor
Geary any advantage in pursuing it, unless he
provokes proof of what the Herald SAYS, and that
Is on record in the Department of the West
| have copies of my letters, but his are on file
in the office Of the Department of the West
repeat. that with my knowledge of all that
took place the Governor will not purse the mat
ter With sincere respect, your obedient servant,
PERsIFER +. SMITH,
BIT. Maj General Coming Dept OF tbeWest
would have been down to day but am hardly
strong enough. Twill he in Washington on Mon
day
The reader will perceive that in publishing
these letters, the Herald is forced to rub its
own nose in the dirt, as it were.
HoS. JOHN A. MCCLERNAND.-It has been
stated that prominent Democrats of Illinois have
presented the name of this gentleman to the
President for the mission to Russia. Always
consistent in his political course, he has COM
bined the characteristics of a gentleman with
the experience Of the statesman. We we'll re-
member the distinguished position which he held
as the chairman of the Committee on Foreign
Affairs in the House of Representatives, and the
able and satisfactory manner in which he dis
charged his honorable duties We doubt not
that he would well represent his country in a
foreign land. Our object in this notice is mere
ly to bear testimony to the character of man,
of whom the Springfield Register truly says
" The Democracy Of Illinois will be rejoiced to
learn that the valuable services and eminent
talents Of this gentleman u. A. McC.) are ap-
preciated at Washington g..
DrsGRUNTLED.-Our aimiable and ALWAYS so
courteous contemporary of the New York Her.
aid il eYceedinOIv III IoJ ~