New Orleans daily crescent., 1860-12-10

WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENCE.
Special to the New Orleans orescent.l

r 4
I the Crescent and to commune with its many read
8 ers The pleasure is marred in great measure BY
the fact that, in all probability am the last cor
Q respondent the Crescent will ever have in Wash
ington as the Capital of the United States of Amer
lea. For, while am opposed to the longer exist
! ence of the Union on any terms which the North
in justice to its recorded legislation, past history
/ and undeniable opinions can offer, cannot shu
out the terrible truth that we taking step into
the dark, a step whose consequences to ourselves
and the world at large no human being can pre-
tend to conjecture, But the step naust be taken
There is no escape literally none. And inthis con
nection, permit me to express my individual thanks
to the Crescent for the gallant stand it has taken
for the high spirit the true Southern fire, combined
with sound sense and philosophical reasoning
which it has displayed. Would to Heaven the
Wing newspapers of my own State of Virginia
had acted as promptly and nobly. &
! Preached here yesterday morning early. 1t was
bitter cold day, and, as usual, q high wind was
sweeping the Avenue. Most of the day passed
in Browns hotel, watching the arrivals, noticing
the faces of people, and picking up intelligence of
all sorts that | could find. First came the day
break dram,drinkers with blueish red noses, hast
ening to the bar; then travellers with dirty faces
standing over the registers to get warm. Then the
early rising members of Congress came down the
steps, and disappeared in the direction of the bar
room. Soon, waiter after waiter ran down the
steps and hastened back with cocktails and milk
punches. Now the newspaper man opened his
concern in the corner near the front door, and boys
came in TO sell the Consultation. Residents, clerks,
claim agents, and the like, made their appearance.
hpAG Gt,ish fhair hrnn1
fast, walked leisurely down to the Office picking
their teeth, hawking, and blowing their noses in
consequential manner. They were instantly sur
rounded by acquaintances, little groups were
formed, and the business of the day, talking, be-
gan. Everybody wanted to hear something and
nobody had anything to tell. The message would
contain this, the South was going to do that, the
North would yield and SO, Hunters position was
as follows, Seward would make such and such pro-
positions.
As the day wore on, the crowd in the hall thick
ened, and the conversation became more and more
animated. Person after person took person after
person by the elbow, walked them off little way,
and began to humble earnestly and gesticulate
exeitedly to them. My man, Stuart the we'll
| known clerk and universal fayorte, came out of
unknown regions suddenly, aud rose like an agree
/
he was dressed in the latest mode, and lust as ac-
commodating and obliging as ever. Old Marshall
Brown began to circulate about, looking not as
rosy about the gills as usual. Dick Wallach, said
to be leaning towards Republicanism, in hopes
thereby of attaining the ambition of his life, the
Mayoralty, became visible, and so did his most ex-
cellent and inestinabe brother, Dug, the editor Of
the Evening Star. College students, more or less
elaboratel3 dressed, took part in the scene Here
and there stranger, evidently i'll at ease and not
knowing what to do with himself. or what to make
| of the spectacle around him, might be detected
Finally, all or nearly all of the Washington habit
ues made their entrance, and last, but not least
the perpetual Beau Hickman, after gazing in at
the window for some time hobbled in, clad in the
same short, cast-off gentleman's talma, the same
shocking hat, the cane the same horribly-tft-
ting breeches, and began warming his neither man
over the fue.
But at no time during the day was the hall as full
as customary on the day before the meeting of
Congress. Nor did the people manifest as much
excitement as might have been expected in view
Of the speedy dissolution Of the Union and the in
evtable destruction of the prosperity of the fed
eral city. The truth is they have been SO often
and so dreadfully excited about the Union and
everything else that it would take an earthquake
or stroke of lightning on the head of each ndi-
vidual man to arouse them.
I did not gather much news. The Message,
which will not be out to-day will oppose the right
of secession, but will not advocate resistance by
the Government if secession takes place. The
President places the oalos where of right it ought
to rest in Congress- MFR. Cobb finishes his illus
trious financial career by leaving the Treasury ab
solutey empty, and gives the pretext of his
presence being necessary at home. So signal has
been his failure in administering the public fsc,
that now, when some Sl300 and mileage is due
each member of Congress, there is money enough
left to pay only half the $1,000, and none at all to
pay the mileage. 1t is not known whether Floyd
and Thompson will resign. The buzzards that
swarm around the former ineorruptible funetonaFy
will not permit him to leave the carcass of the
Government until they have picked the last scrap
Of flesh from the bones. 10 say that the brazeu
papable system of theft which has been carried on
by the present Administration, and more especially
in the War Department, has helped more than all
things, only the unadj9stable nigger question,
to destroy this Republic is but to tell the simple
TRUTH which Democrats themselves have not the
hardihood to deny. / have some shameful facts
bearing on this point which oNght to be known all
over the Republic as they are known here. Space
will not permit me just now to dwell upon them.
Hunter will have letter in to-day's Richmond
Examiner. 1t is sort of last appeal for the
Union, of which he has little hopes. hear he de-
votes much space to the defense of the constitu-
tiona right of secession, and urges Virginia to Join
hand and heart with the South and not to DELAY
about it. ] own that as Virginian have been
bowed to the earth with modification at the shy-
shally course Of my State, and have been espe-
caIy grieved at the donothing policy Of the Whfgs
with whom | acted up to the last moment. But
come allowance must be made for 0dEhortgrass
as you Lousianians call her. Like all large
bodies, she moves slowly; but when she moves,
hes movement is decisive. She will come out
rigit in the end. Be very sure of that.
&nong the plans mooted for restoring the Union,
already Dissolved in the opinion of every man who
thnlsssat all, is that of a double Senate, with
mutual veto power over all acts of Congress and
all appGs2tments-a modification of Mr.. Calhaun's
idea Of the dual Executive. should oppose this
upon Che ground that when simpe machinery, per.
feet in all parts and unnjured in the essential
portion of its structure in the day it began to
work, has haen meddled with and disordered by
bad men selected to manage it, and selected be-
cause it was slkHeSyn that they would meddle with