The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-11-04
WASHINGTON ITEMS.

Hugh Tyler's lake steamers America and
Ontario, chartered for Paraguay at $4,000 q
month, are 800 feet long, 30 feet beam, and
/ 200 tons burden. They cost 100000 each.
They draw eight feet, and the Paraguay and
Panama rivers have nine feet in their channels
to Assumption. They win carry artillery and
stores, but no troops. They will be fitted for
sea at Brooklyn with all possible dispatch.
The vessels are to be sent to the Pacific coast.
The Paraguay expedition now consists of
fourteen vessels, which are, to proceed to AS
sumption, and the frigates jamestown Plym.
outh, and Falmouth, whose crews will be
placed on smaller vessels at the mouth of the
Paraguay. There will be fighting force of
three thousand men. The cost will be five mil
lion dollars. The ratification of the rejected
treaty will not be insisted upon.
The letter writer's and telegraphers to the New
York papers continue to hntthat Mr.. Buchanan
is making last and great effort to buy or take
Cuba. No doubt he would like to do this, but
there seems to be no prospect that he can sue
coed in either purchasing or stealing it.
The N. ?. Times says:
"The rumor is current, that Gov. Floyd will
resign the War Department for a foreign mis-
sion, and will be succeeded by Attorney General
Black. Judge Holt, the present Commissioner
of Patents, it said, is 10 succeed Judge Black.
When Governor Floyd ID to go, is not stated"
The Union denies all the rumors of divis.
ion in the Cabinet, and declares that it is
unit.
The Unien, after the recent elections, held
fire upon Mr.. Douglas for a fortnight, but open
ed upon him again last week.
The Hon w. D. Miller, Of Texas, who was
appointed Commercial Agent at St. Paul's de
Loando, Africa, by Mr.. Buchanan, has not been
heard from by the Government, since his ap-
pointment in August last. He has never signi.
fed his acceptance of the Office. The Office
cannot be worth much, or Mr.. Miller would
have taken or declined it long ago.
The Attorney General hiss, at the request of
the Secretary of the Interiof, given an opinion
in reference to the pay allowed by law to dis
trict attorneys. 1t is held that the act of Feb.
uary 6, 1858, can admit of but one construc.
ton. The services of district attorney, in the
examination of persons charged with crime,
are to be paid by the day, and are not to re.
ceive compensation for each separate case. No
matter how many cases he saay examine in one
day, his pay must be but five dollars for the
days service.
D6- Mr.. Seward delivered a telling Repub.
lican speech at Rochester last week. He spoke
an hour and half upon Slavery, the intentions
of the trainers of the Constitution the conduct
of the Government since it's formation respect
ing Slavery. He reviewed the course of the
Democratic party severely, and finally spoke OF
the Republican party, closing as follows :
"The secret of its assumed success lies in
that very characteristic which, in the mouths of
scoffers, constitutes it CREST and lasting irebe.
city ard reprosch. 1t lesrin the fact that it
is a party of one idea but chat idea is noble
one-an idea that fills and expands all generous
souls-the idea of equality equality of all
.hsv are ali equal Divine
and Divine laws. know, and you know, that
a revolution has begnn. know, and all the
| world knows, that revolutions never go back.
| wards. Twenty Senators and O hundred Rep
resentatives proclaim boldlysin Congress to day
sentiments and opinions and principles of Free
dom, which not 30 many men, even in this free
State, dared 10 utter in their own homes twenty
years ago. While the Government of the Uni.
I'D States, under the conduct of the Democratic
arty, has been all that time surrendering one
pain and castle after another to Slavery, the
people of the United Stated have been no less
seadily and perseveringly gathering together
tn. forces with which to recover back again all
tn, fields and all the castles which have been
los, and to confound and overthrow, by one
decisive blow the betrayers of the Constitution
and of Freedom forever"
We shall publish the whole speech next
weet.
No. The United States Agricultural Fair
was held last week at Richraond, Va. Accord.
ing p some of our exchanges, it was fine sue
cess but the Richmond S;uth speaks very de.
cidedy to the contrary. Caleb Cushing delivered
the address on the occasion. He alluded to
politic,, as matter of course, and pleased the
Southern portion of his audience. Lord Ma.
pier and suite, Governor Wise, and other distin'
guished persons, were in attendance. The
Union gives the subjoined anecdote connected
with the Fair, which is significant:
"One Of the incidents Of Tuesday is worth
recording. During the delivery of the address,
q gentleman from the extreme South, who has
rendered his country not orly civil but military
service, manifested considerable anxiety to de-
liver voluminous address, which he had pre-
pared with great care. As he could get no sat
isfaction, and as the crowd evinced desire to
hear every person but himsef, he changed his
tactics, and proposed reading it to any one who
would listen to him. Several persons having
declined, he approached Gov. Wise, who told
him to read On. He commenced somewhat
after this fashion: Virginia, my dear native
land + but before proceeding to any great
length, he expressed his belief that the Old
| Commonwealth was forty. years behind the
times. Only forty years Only forty years!'
said Gov. Wise; then she will soon catch up"
JOHN A. DIx.-This gentleman was once
leader among the Barnburners of New York,
and was opposed to the extension of Slavery
into the Territories. he was then reckoned as
one OF the ablest and most dgnifed of the ad-
herents of Van Buren,. he has since gradually
lost his Anti Slavery opinions, until last week,
when he condescended to defend the conduct
of the present Administration. His speech was
poor one, simply because. he was arguing a
wretched cause. In the course of his speech.
Mr.. Dix bestowed a little attention upon the
Americans, and in spirit which shows that he
does not regard the members of that organisa.
ton with any degree of pleasure. u
In the eighth Congressional district, New
York. the Republicans ard Aner;oon,