Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1860-02-29
- For the Standard.
FROM OUR OCCASIONAL WASHINGTON
CORRESPONDENT
WASHINGT0N. Feb. 90. 1860.

WASHINGTON, Feb. ~, 1860.
Doings and Sayings in Congress -"the speetness OF
Adrersity"- -Naseppa Forney-Gaities Of the
Netropolis-Sec. 1hompson's Grand Party-
North Carolina Diamonds Glitterinq-Douglas,
Senators Bragg and Clingnaan-Smgular course
Of North Carolina as contrasted with her sister
States tomards her sons-Literary Clubs of the
Netrvpolis-Statue Of Washington.
The last three or four days have been in legal
parance, dies non in legislation as the Senate ad-
journed over from Thursday and the House from
Friday till to-day. 1t seems to be foregone con-
clusion, that the franking privilege so literally
used and sometimes so outrageously abused, is to
60 overheard. The Senate with great unanimty
have passed bill abolishing it; and on test vote
in the House it is ascertaned that this abuse will
he discontinued. 1t will be great relief to the
members themselves, as we'll as Kidding the Post
Office Department of an incubus that now weighs
down its vitality and usefulness. In the earlier
and purer days of the republic the idea was
that the Postotfice Department should be selfsus-
tanning. This was General Jackson's determina-
tion but now it requires millions to carry on the
Department-and the evil is still increasing. This
is not so in other governments. The Queen of Eng
land has to pay her penny for every letter her royal
hand pens, and has no more privilege in this regard
than her humblest subject You have seen and
commented upon the Committees of the House as
sheared Sherman, and the country may expect par
tizan and exaggerated reports on every question
presented to operate as ammunition for the black
Republican forces in the coming campaign. The
INSCRIPTIONS prescription of old and tried officers
of the House caused many desolate homes and desti
tutedepenlanis, and lisa Sigh premonitory symptom
of what the country may see should the election of
President terminate in their favor. All the ap-
pointments made nearly every one are from North
ern and the non-saveholding States. Mr.. Aaseppa
Forney in 1852, when elected Clerk, put to the
knife nearly every unfortunate Whig. He now
turns out every Democrat. His arrogance and i'm
pudencc in recent speech to his allies, has excited
the indignation of every decent man in the country.
1t is sad evidence of the decline of morals, when
mere servant of the servants of the people, can
stand up in the public places and denounce the ven
erable head Of the nation as dishonest and faith
less man. Will not Mr. Clarke Of Missouri, or
some gentleman in the House, move resolution of
inquiry if the speech of Forney is correctly report
ed and if so, to expe him from the place he SO un
worthily fills The country would approve and
applaud it-for however depraved the partizan cal
umniator may be, the nation has too Icuch respect
for the divine injunction "to honor rulers" to
tolerate such mendacity insolence and bilingsgate
abuse. --- e., ---r
The election for Printer of the House will be ter
minated probably to-day. This is only another
proof that where plunder is at stake, the black Re
publieans are at swords points, and quarrel among
themselves With the same majorities that elected
Speaker, Clerk, Postmaster and Doorkeeper, their
candidate for Printer Defrees) cannot defeat the
Democratic candidate, Glossbrener;) the reason is
obvious; each wing Of their party want the lions
share of the rich spoils that await the public
printing gs7 '''s7Hlse| 81 cf t5 g" 1'st
But canemus paalo ma;ore--let us strike more
agreeable and higher subjects. In two months,
"two little months p as Hamlet would express it
the Democratic party will meet in convention, to
select candidate for the Presidency. Never in the
history of the nation has so important an event
been near its crisis, and the public mind so little
excited, and so much diversified, on SO important
an OCCASION. The President General Lane, Judge
Douglas, Breckenridge Guthrie, and many other
Richmonds are in the field II is reduced to GER
tainty, from counting the delegates already chosen
that as they now stand. Douglas has 109; Guthrie
70; Andrew johnson 10 jefferson Davis 16; Cobb
10; and Lane 8. The whole vote of the electoral
college being BOG. II will require for tKothirds sO4
to select nominee. Conjecture H all that can be
now used and experience goes to prove both in the