Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-12-21
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

True ProGREss.-We profess to be a pro-
Eress've, though by no means one after the fash
1Onable acceptation of the term Never were
we less OF a fast man than just now; realizing
rs we do, so forclbly, that our national pro
gress as understood by so many, has seriously
damaged the public interest. Undue specula-
tions In wild lands and reckless disregard Of
money IN constructing and conducting com
petlng railroads not so absolutely necessary as
TO justify such expenditures on them, including
the various railroads built in portions Of the
Great West hardly yet rescued from the occu-
pancy Of the savage and the wild beast only.
were voted progress by hundreds Of thou
sands before the late crash came We need not
remind the Star constant readers that our pen
was earnestly directed against such progress
before lis consequences paralyzed the industry
and present prospects of the country.
Nor have we been since extreme youth and
lnexperlence, an advocate for that description
OF progress ION the spread eagle principle)
on winch 1t Is sought to justify the right of our
ia"iess 10 leave this country organized and
armed to plumber, murder and burn in the
territories Of nations with whom we are peace.
Inc efforts at progress in that way that have
been attempted, while they have not added q
1oot OF territory to the dominion of our people.
not previously virtually in their hands. have
caused the loss Of the lives Of thousands of opr
1eliow citizens, the worse than useless exnendi
lure oil millions Of their money, and. besides.
nave earned US a name abroad that cannot fail
sreauy 10 damage our commercial prosN,rifv
ana emoSrrass the great measure Of State that
is 10 De the great object of our Governments
soiicltude so Tar as our foreign relations are
concerned Tor some time to cOme-the prospect
iOr the acquisition of Cuba. Our idea Of profit
able and commendable progress" lust now.
however, is in the development of the resources
OF the country. and in improvement in the use
ful arts As fast as we have gone ahead in ,b;s
latter respect of late years, every dav il multi.
plying American improvements Of labor.saviny
machines Of great value to the whole world
In the course Of the last Mechanics Institute
fair held here We took occasion to comment a,
some Iength Oh the capabilities of a newly in
vented machine for cutting straw and fodder
anu orushing cOrnstiilks. enjeavoring at the
same time to enforce the fact that if applied
properly, 1t could not fail to prove of great i'm
PoFtahce I" the agricultural interest Of the
country We are extremely gratifed to learn
subsequently that that interest in all Quarters
OF the country, has rapidly come TO the same
conclusion; for We perceive that it the new
hay and fodder cutter and stalk crusber of
Cummings, Of Harrisburg. Pa has carried off
the hrst premiums at the National Agricultural
FAIR at Louisville, at Lexington, Ky. at Gin
cInnan and other Ohio fairs, and at the Vir-
ginia and Maryland State fairs, and. we NAV
write truthfully. on every such occasion where
1t has been exhibited
Believing in its capabilities, we adopted il.
and have used one driven by horse power for
months past with more satisfaction than any
similar machine ever gave u.s. and we have
uied many others. We may, therefore say of
IL, after experience with it. that while with
equal power it cuts equal as fast as any other
1t aecomplishes what no other such machine
ever before accomplished for us viz it invaria-
bly, brushes every eornstalk of half an inch IN
diameter. BY thatmea we are able to econo-
mi1e stock feed greatly; for, by steaming corn
stalks so cut and crushed, mixed with a little
bran or meal, we get nutritious food for stock,
which they relish greatly
Previously we found it impossible TO induce
cattle to eat corn stalks willingly that were
more than perhaps half an inch in diane
ter Thus, by the use of this cutter, we have
been enabled TO make the corn stalks of far
more value to Us in agricultural operations than
ever before, enabling US to save perhaps twelve
or fifteen per centum of other fodder necessary
IN keeping well given quantity Of stock If
us use involves saving of but ten or twenty
dollars per snnam-and in our case it involve.
much more-its introduction into general use
must be worth millions Of money to the country
annually.
Sueh IS sound progress, in our acceptation
Oh tAe term, and we trust that all may sooner
or Later come to entertain similar idea. Of il.
RESOLUTION To THE PoISr.-Belov we re-
publish resolution, adopted by the Democra-
cy of New York in State convention last sprinr
which is evidently at this time the guide by
which the Democratic delegation from that
etste shape their course in the present phase
of the Kansas imbroglio; for it is already evil
dent that all Its members in the House are
stauneh friends Of the policy Of President
Buchanan in that connection.
The resolution itself embraces a capital ex-
position of the views of the entire Democracy
OF the North upon the question-ofw what was the
meaning Of the popular sovereignty clause of
the kansas-Nebraska act before it became
convenient for Governor Walker ri al to start
new test Tor the purpose Of having an excuse
for going into opposition
II the modern and sectional tests,' Of
Messrs. Walker, Stanton, Douglas Il Co. had
been anticipated when this resolution was
adopted-as they were not, it will be remem.
bered-the Democracy of New York could not
have been more forcibly pledged against lend
ing their countenance to them, than In the brief
keSofrfd That we de plore and denounce a.
tbe source 81 urmit-,atrd evils. that sectional
aSil1uon which has 50 long disturbed the public
nina hd we repudiate the doctrine that the
people OF one state have tue right of inausition
mo The domestic Institutions Of other and inde-
PENDENT communities, can properly make
"a ,t ns sunect OF their own internal politics;