Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-03-15

impregnable and in its valleys there are not
only many places where a small force could
surprise and successfully engage one much
superior in numbers, but it seems to US that
there are few places in which q small force il
attacked could not quickly secure an advan-
tage of position over their ASSISTANTS and thus
successfully resist them. There is remark
able resemblance between this Jordan river
and that OF Palestine. Both have their source
In lakes and empty into lakes, though the
lakes Of the Holy Land are called seas. The
course OF both is straight, that of the Old World
being from north to south, and this from south
to north. This is the only notable feature Of
dissimilarity. The winter quarters of Colonel
Johnston and his army is not within this tract.
The Hon. HESRY NJ. RIcE.-Tae usually
well-posted correspondent Of the Philadelphia
North american has evidently been imposed
on by some one of the gang of spectators dis
appointed in getting the balance of the Fort
Smelling reserve at the price paid for the more
valuable portion of it out of which the Govern
ment was defrauded by them-at $l.25 per
acre-to the extent of inducing him (the CORES
pendent aforesaid) to misrepresent the circum-
stances Of the late declension of the Hon. Mr.
Rice to testify, rs summoned to do, before
the Fort-Snelling-cas investigating committee
Thus, on the 9TH instant, he wrote to that Jour
nal (the North Amsrt CAM as follows:
can immense mass of testimony has been COL
lected by the committee which is investigating
the sale Of Fort Smelling, and the evidence of one
OF tie commissioners appointed by the Govern
10 Sa,I to f,rA s1l,,
tons. They expect to conclude within ten days
A letter was addressed to Mr.. Rice, one Of the
Senators elect from Minnesota requesting him to
attend and testify. He declined, Pleading exemp-
ton as a witness under his privilege az Senator
This technical objection will not help Mr.. Rice
much In public estimation, since his name has
been freely used as one Of the parties largely in
terested In the purchase, as he is well known to
have been a speculator both for himself and on
southern account, in Minnesota and elsewhere
The committee will now probably issue
formal summons, and, If he refuses to obey, will
bring the matter before the House on a motion for
an attachment. The point raised by Mr. Rice
does not seem tenable. Minnesota Is not a State
In the Union, and, therefore, he cannot be Sen
atOr Of that State, or entitled to any Of the i'm
munites belonging to that position until the act
Of admission be cOnsummated. His credentials
would not save him from arrest under any ordin-
s here e, he might Be
his Credentials presented by Mr.. Crittenden, a
few days ago, with a view Of taking his seat at
once and testing his rights. They were referred
to the Judiciary Committee who have decI ared
adversely to the claim. This decision would
sGm to preclude the pretension of Dir. Rice He
o. ht to be summoned, IL for no other reason to
let the public understand whether he was A party
to that speculation.
The truth of the case is as follows. Viz ::
Mr.. Rice is here with credentials in his hand
as United States Senator elect from the State
of Minnesota, whose delegation maintain that
she is, in law, State Of the Confederacy
This position of theirs is disputed and they
are laboring to make it good. The special
committee named above, desiring his testi-
mony, summoned him to testify in a way in
which Senators and Representatives in Con-
gress are not required to give testimony before
such tribunals; making distinction in this
respect between him and Senator Stuart, who
had been permitted to answer written interrog-
atories in writing. Mr.. Rice, claiming to be
an United States Senator, replied that to obey
a summons which did not respect his alleged
Senatorial rights would amount to a voluntary
abandonment Of the claim of Minnesota to be
at this moment one Of the sovereign States of
this Union. Or, in other words, that he could
not thus voluntarily prejudice the import ant
case Of Minnesota now pending before Con-
gress.
In a letter to the committee he expressed his
perfect willingness to answer any questions
touching his knowledge of the late sale of the
balance of the Fort Smelling reserve, deemed
necessary by them (the committee) to the proper
elucidationbf the question and be also urged
that the committee should at once bring before
the House the question of his privilege" that
in that way he could procure an expression of
the opinion of that body on the, to himself,
most important question involv ed-on his right
at this time to the privileges of member of the
Senate of the United States.
Whatever may be our opinion on that ques-
ton, 1t is clear that the Hon. Mr.. Rice has, in
this matter, been governed wholly by the con-
sideration of the best means of accomplishing
his present errand to the Federal Metropolis
the speedy admission of Minnesota into the
Union as State. 1t would have been highly
improper for him to have voluntarily performed
an act which he thought likely to prejudice the
case of his State before Congress.
RooRBACK SHOT Down FLYING.-The fol-
lowing budget of fragrant falsehoods is travel
ing "the rounds of the opposition press of the
North and West:
"a FUNNY ADMINISTRATION BLUNDER.-The
people OF Minnesota are making merry over a
little peddling, characteristic operation of Mr.
Thompson, Secretary of the Interior This Cab
inet officer, it seems, had heard something az
citing the political soundness of a certain Col.
Mobiles, who has command of the South Pass
Wagon Road expedition, out among the Da :otah
Indians. or course, one Of Mr.. Buchanan's ad-
visers could not allow such rumor to 90 unno-
ticed, and so be FASTENED to write to ting Admin.
# al pxn1 innn cd
true, as reported, that Col. Mobiles Md, In pre-
vious years, ''made Abolition speseb{s IN Min
nesOtd, ~ and plainly intimating thai II the De
partment was satisfied Of .'the truthiof the allie
ga,ions," the offender would havf to walk the
plank.
1T so happened, however, thathnstead Of di-
recting this missive Of his ''inquiting mind" TO
the editor Of the Pioneer, he sentit to the editor
Of that strong Republican paper, fhe Times But
the latter lost no time in replying; gave Col.
Mobiles an excellent character as public officer,
admitted that he had once believed In that string
Of "glittering generalities," the Declaration OF
Independence, but affirmed that he was now a
cordial supporter Of the President The next
hea: d OF the matter was. that Col Mobiles had
been dismissed from office, without notice to
him The former belief i'm the Declaration of