The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-03-01

The Revolution IN Washington-Dread
ful Condition Of Things.
The President elect, In his late remarkable
overland journey to Washington from the
Illinois prairies, said In one Of his many face
dous little speeches en- route. that 'nobody Is
hurt" nobody is suffering" aud that ''this
crisis is purely an artificial one," and intimated
that 1t would soon blow over. Since his arr
val in the federal capital, however, the veil
has been lifted and he sees that altho l. h an
artificial, this is not a superficial crisis, but
crisis deeply charged with the combustibles
and dangers Of rev olution dissolution, anarchy
and civil war.
In this transition interval between the out
going and the incoming administrations. when
old things are to be done away with, old par
ties, old principles, old platforms, old poll
ticisns, old Office holders, old lobby and kitchen
favorites, old tricksters and hucksters, old
fashions and old clothes, old kettles, pots and
pans, and when all things are to be new, and
when "Old Abe" is expected to play the rege-
nerative role of Louis Napoleon, he would indeed
be q dull scholar if he had not already learned
that he has tough job upon his hands. Ac-
cording to our information he il at last wide
awake to the exigencies and the necessities of
his position. He Is the rising sun and the
living lion of Washington, for within day or
two Mr.. Buchanan will be on the same private
calendar with our meditative ex-Presidents,
Van Buren, and Tyler, and Fillmore and poor
Pierce; and all the power and all the spoils
in rcversion that have not been lost, stolen,
or carried of, or given away, will fall into the
hands Of "Old Abe
But what is the condition of things before
him in Washington, in this busy interregnum
to the ins who are preparing to 60 out, and to
the outs who are pushing to get in? Dreadful
to contemplate. There are two contesting fac
tons in the republican camp for the front seats
at the new festival the peace faction and the
war faction. Strange, too, as it may appear,
the chief of the '.irrepressible conflict is the
head of the moderate faction, or the Giron-
dists; while Horace Greeley, late the model
non.resistant, has become the veritable Ana
charsis Clootz Of the red republicans. Thus,
as between the upper and the neither milestone,
the President elect Is in danger of being ground
to powder. Office seekers, retainers, drum
mers, pipelayers, kitchen solutions and scamps
| Of both factions swarm around the royal pa
yilion. A hard fight, long siege, long fast
and hard times, have multiplied these camp
followers by thousands, and they are now ga
thered and are gathering in Washington like
jackals, wolves and buzzards in the wake of a
wasted army.
All these cxpectants Of spoils and plumber
are barking, bowling and scratching at the
doors Of the new fountain of power. Mr.. Lin
coin stands at bay like man in a dream
Which way shall he fly? To the Capitol? The
regular troops which daily parade the streets
infantry, dragons and artillcry-under the
| regulations Of General Scott, admonish the
President elect that treason is still afoot, and
| that he had better keep within doors. No Guy
Fawkes has yet been detected, fixing his thirty
| six barrels of gunpowder under the portico of
| the Capitol, where the Inauguration is to take
place; but where there is 30 much smoke there
must be some fire. 1t cannot be that five or
| six thousand men under arms in Washington
| for the last month, and all the police arrange
ments from that city to this, and the mysterious
midnight visiter to Mr. Lincoln at Philadelphia,
| and sold Abe's" ride by night, in that Scotch
cap and long military cloak from Harrisburg,
are chargeable entirely to foolish fears and in
ventions. No. In addition to republican mutt
| MICS, Mr.. Lincoln has to confront the dangers
Of revolutionary conspiracies, desperate seccs-
sionists, rcmorselcss fire-eaters and revengeful
democrats expelled from the rich pickings Of
the Treasury.
All the revolutionary sections and factions,
and causes and consequences, North and South
being now represented in Washington, it is the
very place and time for the President elect to
comprehend the task before him; for all these
discordant elements are pressing around him,
hoping, promising, protesting and cursing and
swearing. Meantime the poor people Of Wash
ington cry ont TO these political disorganizers,
like the frogs in the fable that though this
business Of throwing stones may be sport to
you, it is death to us" "Our property goes for
nothing; We have nothing to do, nothing to SELL
nothing with which to buy; we are under
military despotism, and Northern and Southern
fireeaters threaten 10 level our city to the dust
With all the troops quartered amongst u.s. and
with all the police arrangements Of Superin-
tendent Kennedy, Of New York, we cannot walk
the streets alone by night for fear of reckless
traitors, robbers and murderers. We arc suf.
fcring the combined evils of martial law and
unbridled ruffianism. Our streets and sinks are
infested with gamblers, pickpockets, burglars,
robbers and soldiers. Are these things to be
our portion? Mr.. Lincoln, we look 70 you for
relief. Save us, or We shall be destroyed"
Such are the difficulties. the materials and
the grievances which Mr.. Lincoln in Washing
ton realizes as the troubles which affiict, or
which threaten TO aifiict, the whole coun-
| try and every section Of the country, un-
less he shall open up the way of de-
liverance. What picture for this late united,
great and prosperous confcdcracy. Here we