New-York daily tribune., 1857-10-26

suit. ard their disappointment vents itself In COM
pIsitts Of Governor Walkers management. They
do no. yet understand, as they will in time, that en-
cunsiances and numbers are against them, aud that
the sdroite,t generalshp will hardly counerbaiance
in the lore rum the superior forces the North and
the more elastc energies of free labor.
The Administration evidently looks upon me
financial crisis as godsend to ward of its coming
enbarrassments on the Slavery issue 1t hopes that
the questions of bsLks, paper money, hard money
and the like will resume their old importance and
swamp more troublesome topics. On the hhahciai
issue the Democratic party can easily be made
urit, while the Republicans are likely to be hope.
essly divided if the question be seriously pressed
upon them in any practical form.
In recen. letter to The Boston Daily .fd,rtiser
Mr. Caleb Gushing philosophically remarks that
There may be here aud there fact in what is de-
non mated history. really feel inclined TO believe
tta sscb men as Alexander, julius Casar, Charlie.
m8gDe, Cromwell, Washington, Napoleon, existed
and scted potentially in taer respective times on the
fortunes Of the wOro. Bat as to ali matters OF DETAIL
continues the ex-AttOrney General, /" an compelled
obs'inatey TO doubt, in view Of the singular misooD
ceptobs regarding our own cotsmporaoeous events
ard persons which are seen to prevail IN the most
intelligent portions Of the United Safes
Mr. Cushing in pelJing th' se sentences, doubt
lees bad partly in mind the singular misc)nceptOn'
which prevails in the most intelligent portions of the
United States with regard to himself for miscOn-
ceptioD il must certainly seem to him. He is not
accepted at his own valuation by the people Of that
section which he compliments as the most intell
gent portion of the United States, who, with al
their intelligence, somewhat apt not b. mistake
geese for SWANS but to perp straIe the reverse o.
that standard Ornitholoeicil blu1ier. Bat, apart
from all reference to persons, Mr. Cushing is no,
far from right in bis incredibly Of wh,; passes for
history. Everybody who has had much to do with
public affairs is aware that the popular understand
ing Of them as to motives and causes is generally,
and as TO the facts themselves very frequently,
wrong. Eminent statesmen, for example, are often
credited with originating measures which ~ tn, Sc
cret councils of their party they have zealousy OPP
posed, and to which they have only yielded reluc'
tany ia Difference 10 Others and to avoid impOitlc
party dssensiOns. Nothing is more cOmmO1, also,
than to attribute to deep-lad plans and to deliberate
comprehensive fOrethough, measures hastily sna.ched
at and taken up and carried forward without con-
sideratiOn OF their DseqIences-th0dgh the exigen
ces Of state Of party, of personal position com
pei the reckless e1perimenter TO defend and vindi
cate the results of his action, however Startling or
unwelcome they may be 10 him.
A popular preacher of your city, speaking of the
financial distress, compared the dcsOlation OF New
York to the dcsolation OF Palmyra-O OF TadmOr III
the wilderness. j cited 10 you few days ago
Know Nothing town is depicted presenting the
appearance Of sacked city, in which peacoable
men coDnOt Iivc aud where even travellers are not
secure for n night. This morning another Demo
cratic journal draws an equally terrifying sketch of
the condition Of Washington. The worthy and
honest citizens are represented as the mnressting
victims of rightlu outragcs at the hands Of ieroccus
outlaws.
"WhiIe sittiI in their homes the sound OF firearms
discharged with murCerous intent is daily and nightly
hesrd in stme section Of the city, women are grossly
ineulted or assaied as they walk abroad places OF
business are entered and their keepers abused with
impuIity; men and BOYS carry knives pistols aud car
bines or raced muskets with inpunity, for the pur
pose of menacirg the peaceful aid ruffiaas, uuder
cover Ct formal organizations as remen, carry terror
into any part of the city they choose TO invade, Or
meet each other in deadly conflict to the peril Of the
peace aud safety If The whole city.
Lord 1857. And such it will be until Congress tha,
does not care Continental dime for the votes of
rabble shall take in hand and give life TO the
police policy Of the city AS iCr the Cox
fall public men must be vi safe, and Washington mus
go down, or strong arm must render life, pers On and
property secure and preserve the external observance
of orGer ard propiiety.'
Here you have another striking example of the
splendid success Of slave society. We may look,
suppose for similar edifying reports from Richmond
Charleston, Louisville and New Orleans. BIT my
purpose in citing these passages is to Illustrate, no;
the Slavery question, but Caleb CuhiDgs opinion of
the authenticity of history. What confidence can
we place in historical statements about the past
based even on the most positive contemporary state.
ments Macausy's famous description OF England
at the end of the 18th century, for example is
cOrrOberated by passages as positive and as
picturesque as that which ! have just copied about
the condition of Washington in the middle OF the
10Th. What security have we that Nscaulays cita-
tons not gross exaegerations palpabe the men
of the time as such, though not without foun-
dotieD, and stating nothing as fact Which has
not basis of reality In Washington within a
week firearms have been frequently discharged in
the streets. women have been nsulted, and men and
boys arrested carrying weapons, but il Is no more
true that the Federal metropolis is given up to ruf
fans than that Boston is iu the hands Of assassns
because three OF four murders have occurred there
within as many days. II is mainly on such stste.
mentS, suspect, that history is built. The his
toran reads bis Authorities" as they are termed
books, pampblets aud pewssrrs nrers-and picks out
what suits fs purpose or his views or, if be is uu-
prediudced selects what is striking or interesting
OF easy to manage, and slurs the rest. Ii he Is
calm in his tone and Indifferent in his feelings the
literary public compliment him as "philosophc"
historian, and accept implicitly his representations
of men and events, which he could have drawn just
as easily and just as accurately in colors directly
contrasted to those he has employed.
In spite of my convictions Of the unrelability of
all statements even Of passing events will give You
an incident which has just occurred, which may or
may not be significant of that success Of slave So
ciety in which we are so deeply interested. There
private school for boys, strt of high school, at
the corner of and Seventeenth streets, not far from
the Presidents HOuse. II one of the Oldest and
most reputable schools in Washington, and has had
for teachers in successive years several men OF note
and emnence, amopg them Rufus Choate Of Boston
and Governor Chasc of Ohio. The present head OF