, 1861-02-06

Especial Correspondence to the Chicago Trihune.1
WASHINGTON, Feb. cd, 1861.
The prospect Of settlement Of the ycxed
que stlon grows small By degrees and beantl-
fully less: Even the lcaden weight Of halftho
old political fossils and eunuchs in the coun-
try, who, for any length Of time between
decade and quarter of century, have not
been able to make ripple on the ware Of pub
lie opinion, when thrown into the Ecale Of
compromise" amounts to nothing. These
sutiauatcd cdgent1emen mostly with gold-headed
canes and the look Of Jolly living, are here in
great numbers. They are busy, but never
more SO than ut dinner, When with napkins
under chin and wine glass in hand, between
1soations to the Great God Money, they invent
spccIiirs to save the State, They Sec nothing
in all this imbroglio but a prospective loss on
stocks, shares, bonds and the hundred sorts Of
bills receivable which they have safely slowed
away in lieu Of treasures laid up in Heaven.
They are the Gradgrinds Of politics. who hare
not been afflicted with such foolish thing as
q Sentiment since their hair began to grow
grey; and who have only that vague idea OF
liberty which pictures her Goddess on can-
yasz, to be exhibited on Fourth Of July occa-
sious in the North, or to be hooted at as drab,
at all times, In the Kingdom Of South Carolina,
aud the monarehial States thereto adjacent.
They admit In genernl way that the Slavery
question must be settled sooner or later, and
when you corner one Of them up, where es-
cape is Impossible, he will assent to the propo-
sition that Tie longer settlement is deferred
the more dangerous ana difficult it becomes.
They do not hesitate TO dec1are,-thereiu
agreeing with Mr. Douglas in his conversations,
that the Republicans are right to take pos
session of the. government in obedience to the
will of the people; and that the men Of the
South are lashing themselves into frenzy for
no cause whatever. They can be made TO get
glimpse Of the danger Of q compromise ct
this time in the face Of menace; and doubtless
most of them have faint conception OF tie
impossibility Of perpctuating institutions
which are quadrennially to be shaken to their
foundations by their clamopons threats Of the
defeated party. But their motto Is, ."Atter us
the Deluge." These respectable gentlemen
would 60 through this world dry-shod. They
have antetypes In history from whom they
might learn lesson.
What particular method fogyism, fossilism,
OF, to use the moet fashionable phrase, con-
servatism, has made to hush this strife Of opin-
ion, to arrest this crash Of material interests,
to pacify these different civilizations, no one
knows. The rol1.headed gentlemen gave a
supper, at Wizards, last evening, to which
Titel. and to which, generally, they did not 20.
Wine aowed freely: but there Yas no Wit.
Graacrind nercr lanebs. excent lie makes &
GOOD bargain. and that. In this case. was not
contaminated. There was talk chiefly Of our
uo,orions un,on ), hnt mt n word Of thosc
eternal nr;nc1n1es of tnstice mon which It TN.
founded. there were many appea1s for The
North to give nav. but not an invitation to
thc sonth 1o a,,a,c It's nrefens;oru. There UNA
I'm ,,e,,1 ,t.h,a o1,o,t fr.tarn,1 fca3;,o- hrot
erhood f1,e ncon7c e;sterhooa of The States
co,,mo-ce f,at+o1, md co,nn,oo,;se. hn+ W.
ta-o ~ ,,a.-d +1.t ,,r ,nan -ra. In, , onornh
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tr-i.s corern,nept ,ta hoIea :; th1 1ntnre
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~ ,bo ,-o,11 md tno ,,,nr,,,e.s or r,.o.;ra
fron, +bo h,nds or +ho snn,1or hv vhou ;+s
,,(c IN ass,;1ea IL tba oh;ect NV before ~
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1ue oo.us- et-.ss tAI !. -. ~ '.sus e'. y
'ue .el'4lo14n aasslon - 1us uasl' VI ns plop.
oaAioa' .AoA4ou y, otAs notAn ~ ~
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'on.o =. 'e'A. 41.e. No"' ~ e'ase1s 10 sl1e'as
-ls0,1n.a' ~ ~ .@. ~ q nls1. -
-sem msA1e'' "A'eo 1ss ''e 1nos' a1.o:io"s u
'aA n'As sl'se.'aee eu'e noposol - ~ sn'
eotsolnen' " 'nAt 'Se1stAtAoA' "ua' Va ,
q" e1.apns1'nen' u els'e's ~ 'As supreme
la". - 20 uos comnaano hor lo'lte you 10
aencrcach on my domain, " says Air. e., "but
II will tic my hande, SO that If you 60 On and
"make yourself at home there, shall have no