Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-02-12
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

names of the members selected by the Speaker
to serve on the special committee on the Lee
compton Constitution, raised in pursuance of
the resolution of Mr.. Harris, of Illinois, that
was the subject Of the protracted struggle on
Friday night last. We were then without space
and time in which even to mention the fact
that, in attainments, legislative experience,
and other attributes Of successful legislative
craftsmanship, the committee, as whole, has
perhaps never been surpassed in the history OF
the House of Representatives its members on
one side being equally as effective as on the
other. As We understand the position Of its
components upon the question in issue, eight
are for the admission of Kansas into the Union
with the Lecompton Constitution, and seven
against that policy. Some of the Republicans
about Washington are, however, tickling them
selves with the notion that this count is erro-
neous, though it has been substantisted more
than once, Of late, by the recorded votes Of all
those gentlemen. They base that opinion on
the slender foundation of the letters of the Re-
publican-party letter-writers, who have been
busily claiming Mr.. Stevenson, of Kentucky,
Notwithstanding his votes,) as being with their
side in his private sympathies and personal at
flistions. Those who know the blood that
courses in his veins must be we'll aware that
his defence against such allegations of theirs is
hardly necessary. While up to recently a warm
Douglas man, rs he may have been in his inter
party affiliations and still, it may be, the warm
personal friend of the distinguished Senator
from Illinois, the distant public may rely ont
he is too true a Kentucky Democrat, and far
too sensible n man, to be found falterng in his
duty to the cause Of the Democracy i'm such a
crisis as the present.
We, therefore, announce tie political COM
plexion Of the important committee as we ex-
plain it to be above; and assure the Star's
readers of the correctness of our judgment upon
il.
The Fort SMELLING SALE INVESTIGATION.
From the best information within our reach.
we have every reason to believe that the te-
dious and already protracted sittings of the
House Committee Especially charged with the
duty OF examining into and reporting on the
circumstances Of the sale alluded to above,
have resulted in q settled and unanimous
belief that the party worsted by it were the
purchasers-not the Government. Nothinghas
yet appeared in evidence before that committee
tending in any manner to criminate either one
OF the many gentlemen whose connection with
the sale or purchase has been the subject of in
vidious newspaper comment
Apropos-a gentleman, who is a landholder
in that neighbOrhood, offered for sale in our
presence yesterday, considerable quantity of
land, situated nearer "The Falls" than the
reservation in question, which he proposed to
guarantee as being of better soil, more avail
able, and in all other respects more desirable
as an investment, for s. per acre From this
fact we draw the conclusion that the Govern.
ment In getting rid of the, to them, useless res
ervation at something more than Sl2 per acre.
were In special luck, indeed We have very
little faith in Congressional investigations
ordered under such circumstances-such allie
gatlons-and the result of this one, 50 far,
strengthens our impression of their utter hum.
buggery, generally.
The SUBSTANTIAL IssUE.-Nothingg goes fur
Their to confirm our impression of the fact that
the real issue before Congress in the Kansas
imbroglio, as it now stands, is simply whether
another slavehOlding State shall be admitted
into the Confederacy under aDy circumstances
whatever, than the conversational comments of
persons around us sympathiuing with one wing
or other Of the opposition to the Democracy,
who seem unanimously to hold that a consider
able difference in the vote Of both Houses upon
the acceptance Of the Lecompton Constitution
will DO made by the fact that the slaveholding
or non-slaveholding party may have carried
the Legislature On the 4th ult a. may be- The
plain English of such anticipations is, simply,
that some OF the pseudo popular sovereignty
Democrats and Republicans who now oppose
the Lecompton Constitution, will cease to op-
pose 1t If satisfied that the powec and influence
OF the new Kansas Legislature will be found
to be in the hands of the Topekaites Or, in
other words, it means that such gentlemen will
vote to admit no more slaveholding States in
the Union under any circumstances whatever
30 long as this position was occupied only by
the comparatively few members of Congress
who formerly avOwed ii as theirs. the danger to
the permanency of the Union involved in il
was afar of. Now, however, when it has come
to be occupied by almost, if not quite, half the
House OF Representatives Of the United States
1t cannot fail to awaken the Ietharsic South to
the necessity Of guarding her material rights
and interests at once and effectively. We re-
ject all professions Of opposing the Lecompton
Constitution on the part of nominal Democrats
as so much " soft sawder," designed only to
blind the eyes Of the South to the fact that
they now shape their votes ON questions affect
Ing vital Southern rights and interests wholly
to propitiate the sentiment of fanatical aboli-
tionism On their part, the tergiversa ton is
simply proclamation of entire fealty hereafter
to the behests Of abolitonism to the extent of
deliberately ignoring the fact that the South
ern section of the Confederacy has any pre-
tence of rights whatever remaining under the
compact Of union.
A GRAVE MIsISTERPRHrArIoN. Below we
print an interesting letter from the pen of the
Hon. Henry Winter Davis, embracing virtual
dec'ension to essay to deliver the next annual
address before the literary societies of the
Virginia University as it had been arranged