Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-03-23
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP
AREcsPTIoN To-NIGHr-Thers will be a re-
ceptiou at the Executive Mansion this evening,

A RECEPTION TO-NIGHr.-There will be a re-
ceptiou at the Executive Mansion this evening,
ut O'Clock.
YESTERDAY IN CoNGREss.-Yesterda was
a remarkable day in Congress. Two of the
best speeches of the session were delivered in
the House in favor Of the Lecompton Consttu-
ton, by Messrs. Garnett and Bishop. The
latter repeatedly " brought down the House
in the course Of his remarks, which were char
scterized by ideas enlarged and liberal as
to render general among his fellow members,
the impression that he Mr.. Bishop isdestinsd
in time to come, to occupy position of marked
prominence as a statesman.
The Importance of the occasion in the Sen
ate-the conclusion of the great struggle over
the Lecompton Observation-Disclosures together
q very large auditory ut an early hour. COM
posed, for the most part, of strangers in Wash
ingtOn, public men, and the fair sex, who
crowded the galleries and every other unoccu-
pied nook and corner of the chamber. Two of
the speeches of the occasion amply repaid them
all for the expenditure Of the day and half
Of the night there. We refer to those of
Messrs. Bayard and ToOmbs. The first, care
fully prepared and very forcible argument in
favor of the admission of Kansas into the Union
on the Lecompton Constitution was replete
with legal lore applicable to the case and can.
not fail to become text book, as it were, in
the future consideration of such questions
The effort Of Mr. Douglas was the result of
intense labor for the last fortnight, during
which he worked night and day to produce an
argument to justify him lin popular opinion) to
continue to claim to be of the Democratic party
organization, while engaged in frantic and
glazing efforts to stab it in the back. His plea
was, of coarse, that he rather than the Demo
cratic party stands on the Cincinnati platform
with reference to the Kansas question-urged
as earnestly as Greeley, Bryant L Co. contend
that they, rather than the Democratic party.
are the true followers Of hOmas Jefferson. He
also ran tilt with the Washington Union;
repeating the accusation of his Chicago organ
against that journals article OF the 18th No
vember last, which, as its editor long since ex-
planned, was not designed TO convey the idea
attributed to it-that citizens of the slavehold-
ing States, by virtue of the Constitution of the
United States, may at will carry ints and le-
galize the existence of slavery in non -savehold-
ing States-that they may reside permanently
In non-slaveholding States surrounded by their
slaves, to whose services Qabor) and persons las
property they will be as much entitled there.
as In slaveholding State. In truth the effort
OF Mr. Douglas was to defend and Justify his
late labors In the cause of the Republican party
as embracing the best conceivable evidence of
bis reliability as member of the Democratic
party-a paradoxical work that brought the
perspiration from his brow as copicuslv a.
though ne was undergoing the process of the
turkish steam bath. of course, General John
Calhoun came in for his due share of the inyii-
ious criticism of Mr.. Douglas, who, to tell the
truth. abused him so roundiy as to satisfy all
that he has become fully imbued with the sem
timents of the Republican party friends be has
OF late taken to his bosom. On the whole. how.
ever, the distinguished Senator's Iabored de-
fence of himself on this occasion contained
nothing essentially new, nor was it better said
than previously in hundreds of Republican
party newspapers.
Mr. Toombs replied to him for an hour, with
crushing force, indeed. His speech was Ms
able as any marking his previous Congressional
career-terse, perspicuOus and conclusive on
all the points he handled. 1t was. perhaps.
the more effective from the fact that, in the
the Democratic party, Mr.. T. is understood for
TWO months past to have labored to induce a
reconciliation, being willing to give up any,
thing except principle to reclaim Mr.. ID. and
bis Congressional followers. He certainly de-
molished every position OF Mr.. Douglas he con-
ceived II necessary to cOntroyert
The session Of the day ended at II D.
when the Senate adjourned to hear the conclu-
sion Of the great debate Of the times. TODAY
from the lips Of Senator Green, which will
probably be in progress Of delivery as to-day's
Issue Of the Star goes TO press after which the
Dill Will pass by majority Of about six votes
nall the majority it would, have were the sick
Of the Senate able to attend.
IHE ADMISSION OF KASsAs-GySYRn
HoUEs POsI1I n. As the procIamat;o, bv |
General Calhoun Of the result of tho rooon,
election for members Of the Kansas Ia,;.,.,n,o
under the LecOmpton Constitution has c,o.,as |
niue nuttsring dissatisfaction among Ger
tam gsnuemen' who are complaining that he |
mas 500 The South, we feel called upon. bv |
sense oil justice to General Calhoun, briefly 70 |
present the facts and indicate the princin,es hv
which be has been and will continue 10 be pov-
erned in regard to that election. The position
that he now occupies is the one assumed by
him On the 18th January, at the examination
Of the returns and casting up the votes in the
presence Of the Speaker of the House. President
VI the Council, and Governor Of the Territory
AT that time, some Of the Free-State candi-
dates, without knowing the facts, assumed
that 500 votes had been returned from the
Delaware Crossing precinct, and demanded to
now OF General Calhoun if one of the judges at
that precinct Garrett, then in their custody
would make oath that but 80 votes were poIled
at that place on the day of the election, would
be set aside said return. He replied No but
if all the judges would unite in a voluntary
,tstenent on oath, that but SO many votes