Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-01-02
WASHING NEWS AND GOSSIP.


one ever witnessed here. Especially magnif-
cent was the scene presented in the oval room
shortly after IL o'clock Precisely at IL O'Clock
the Pres dent, with his niece, Miss Lane, and
his Private Secretary, Mr.. Henry, came down,
and the reception of the foreign legations, cab
met ministers, &c. was opened.
Gen. CasS escorting Madame Sartiges headed
the line in entering the room the members of
the Supreme Court were preceded by the VEN
cradle Chief Justice fancy; then came the
officers of the Army, Navy and Marine Corps,
in full uniform; and when all were assembled
In the oval room, what with the brilliantly
cOstumed diplomatic corps, the smartly-uni-
formed officers. and not least, the display of
female lOveliness representing the beauty of all
chimes, and draped in apparel of the costliest
and richest description, ii may we'll be mag
1ned that the effect vas striking in the extreme.
The presentations to the President Of the
Diplomatic corps were made in part by Gen
Cas-; the Supreme Court was presented by
Marshal Hoover the officers of the Army by
Col. Cooper; Of the Navy by Commodore Shu-
brick; and the Marine Corps by Gen. Hender-
son.
At IL o'clock the great north doors were
thrown open for the general reception, and
for two hours the human tide swept through,
emerging by the usual windOw-exi ria the
East Room.
The President appeared in excellent health
and spirits and sustained the wear and tear of
the terribly hearty Misunderstanding visited upon
him for two hours without visible fatigue.
Charming Miss Lane won all hearts. She
was dressed, as usual, most tastefulIy, and
wore the most bewitching of bonnets, a new
feature, by the way, at receptions, but which
pleased everybody.
The general presentations to the President
were made by that urbsne official, Marshal
Hoover, and those to Miss Lane by our pop
ular Commissioner of Public Buildings, DR.
Blake.
SENATOR GwIS.-The Black Republican pa
pers in California and New York arc assaiIinp
Senator Gwin, because he has, like all mem-
bers of Congress from California, accepted
free passage from San Francisco to New York.
For the information of these cavilers we will
state that, from lS49 up to the present time, all
steamship lines from California to the Atlantic
coast, including the mail line, have extended
this courtesy to the members of Congress from
that State. Of the ten members of the House
and four of the Senate, Senator Gwin alone is
singled out for attack-and Why Because his
influence is felt in the councils of the nation
and the legislation he will secure for his State
will tend to cement the power of the Democratic
party. Hence he must be maligned, slandered
and vllIhed. But these assailaDts have singu-
larry missed their mark, in selecting Senator
Gwln acceptance of these courteses from the
steam lines as evidence Of his favoring that
mode Of communication with the Pacific; for he
Is known to be the most earnest advocate of
overland communication, as is evidenced by his
strenuous exertions in favor of the Pacific Rail
road and Wagon roads, and overland mail
routes We some days ago published an ex-
tract from one Of his speeches on this subject
at the last session of Congress, and now insert
another, as the most efectual answer to these
attacks upon him:
Mr.. GwIN.-Mr. President, ! do not intend TO
detain the Senate more than few minutes but
II seems to HE that the question before the Sen
ate has been entirely overlooked in a large nor
ton OF the discussion that has taken place to-
night. The question is, shall we have a mail TO
Sal1ornia! IL 80 happens that California has
oclOnged 10 thls ConfedeTacy for more than nine
years. and we have never had mail route To
that state from the Atlantic coast On the 81 of
March, Io4I, before California became a portion
VI hIc Nphlcuelery, a law was passed authOTiz-
ing the making Of cOntrac; to carry the mail for
ten years to Oregon. California was not then a
portion OF the CoRfederscy, and by this route w.
pf. uau OUT only mail communication with the
racine coast We have been dependent entirely
on mis- route that was established before Calf
fornla was member Of the Union
Now, Mr.. President, when that contract is
Tunnin1out we come forward and ask that in
htedo OF carrying the mail through foreign coun-
ties, We shall have a route through our own ter
t,u, "sntlemen may disguise it as they please,
Vhpfh he II.
carried by land TO California and the Pacific
COAST, or whether IL shall be carried by ocean
steamers. Sooner or later il must come TO that
now drclare-and intend to keep il up as long
a. am here-that | will make war in favor OF
carving the mail over ouT own territory and IL
,I,'rst VIII make war against carrying 1t
tnIUugh foreign territory, and by ocean steamers
dt All, which with the greatest guards you can
pTesslVc on the country.
was very much astOnishpd to hear the sen,
toi rom Kentucky mr.. CrittendenI alInde to
the manner In which we are To cary tt,. mail
@ thIs desert country a. he calls It. aud
,nny II was without precedent in our history
mat gentleman knows perfectly well thai in :,
Ease precisely similar, the Government of the
onL,ed states, after they acquired Louisiana
LiIane military roads Trough the Indian countTv
ION the great depot If the South New Orleans
tne rest OF the CniOn-doibg forty OF ffty wears
@so precisely what We ask 10 be done now that
OPeh communication with portion Of the
CohIedeTacy that has been broioLt int, ths
nIon az was Louisiana, by purchase The only
,bn Ti Louisiana had with the rest OF
the Union was by military Toad cons,,n,,.s ~
the treasure OF the United states ove, ,,i,ing
was conveyed through ho-tiIe Indian conn,g,
the man from tina. section Ofthe ninu ,o,Ls -,
OF the ConfedeTacy This event is u,noh -.
than that gentlernan's senatorial bi.tnr, -
goes very far back IL Is the settled policy oS tL
country, 10 which he says he wishes n. 70 "
Dack, thdi We are now advOcatin9-Inakin,, Mi
ltary roads through the territory of the Tnii.d
states, snd carrying the mails over the same
only six years ago, when WAS in thi. Hall :,
IhshIorL ItPt-sentin" California in the Senate
We paid forty cents on every letter sent IN m
coast, while other sections paid ten cents for
iher letters Vow We have reduced the postage.
%. suiI pay double what Is imposed upon OF her
sections Of the country. We had then a moD,hi,,
man, and as great favor the mail from san
Francisco 70 Panama was then made semi
ho3lhiy, as IL was fom New York to AspinwaII
al Tug Time and there We have stood ever since
WINE oihef sections OF the country have been
progressing The expense of CONVEYING the
mails generally has Increased In that period from
LIN.