, 1861-12-23

4 From our own correspondent
| WAaHNaToA, December 1s, 1861,
There has been an obvious change wrought
In political circles here within a few daya.
Senators and Representatives who, one week
since, were most eager to make clean sreep
OF feoel slave property, are to-day stammer-
ing and paltering and making signals Of dis
tress- I could write names in this connec-
ton which would appall the constituents Of
Inc gentlemen thus afflicted. They arc Re-
publ1cans. AL the Democrats, in or out of
congress, who hava made record on the side
OF emancipation or conascaticn, and vigorous
prosecution Of the Tar, arc heroically firm.
sa" John Cochrane Inst night. He has not
sVerTcd hairs breadth from bis sagacious
and manly position. Those gentlemen who
are seemingly preparing to fill down and
"aho", as SO many have done before them.
arc political friends of the Administration,
History may be searched in vain for q parallel
to the conspicuous dishonor and the craven
weakness which Washington exhibits in tic
sunlight Of this day of grace. God forbid
that should make the spectacle whit more
gloomy than 1t is! Two weeks, nav ono
week, since, he would have been accounted
an idiot who vcntured to doubt or question
thc speedy passage Of q bill takiag from
me rebels $ their greatest clement Of strength,
to Wi[thcir Slaves. Now, tho visest anj
truest men in Congress dou6tfulIy shake their
heads or frankly confess their despair Of tie
result. Amendments, commitments. DELAYS
aoages, recommitmcnts, disagreements be.
tween me TWO houses, committees Of confer
eace, @ an}onrnments and the whole category Of
5o"ttal5 5o GVaslons and saeaking hostility un-
aer the gnise Of friendship, loom up palpably
and grimly before Us. Tie people can save ia
from the body of this death, and thoT alene.
Inc most natural inquiry is, WHIST has pro
uueed tnN 1h1s 8, change: What, let me ask, Is it
Eaao.s1 1ttas u1soau5 produces such changes at the
drives the representatives Of the people intoo
submission to the behests Of slayerys What
Is II that has heretofore robbed them Of he
manhood which God entrusted to thoir M
afn Eeep1gx 1gga What is it that has
spinal columns in this debased md tebasin1
metropolis? It is not little rcmarkabio thaf
simultaneously with this apparent chsnre-
this evlde9t lowering Of Sentiment on the
WIN suoJects Of slavery and the war-iupor-
u AnI x a1scoveries have been made In the volume
to Congress in connection with the President's
in the several states,5 says ~ M
Seward to Mr. Dayton, (page 18N.
,a M!l remain Just The same, whether It [tho re-
bellonl shall succeed Of fail" Numerous
strnctions Of the Secretary Of State to Minis
ter Adams and Minister Corwin, 4 ludicrous
circumstance Is noticed in connection With
~. CorTin's mission. Mr.. Seward instructs
e1haa aim TO Keep out Of view any moral canses,
Inc strife between the Government and the
reoellious districts, but before rcceiyinp this
a1sPatch M Corwin writes that he has sedn-
tone1y iald before the Government and people
" "e1lco tne moral Gauges lying at tho bottom.
&c, esc:! Recurring to tho dispatch to Mr'
Layton, it Is quite generally remarked that ;fthe
rolaa.1n q slavery Is to remain just tho same,
under oil circumstances, and in every cyent'
measures must be taken to prevent any new
!eslslanon On the subject Else theinfal1ibili- |
Y q MI. Seward will be impugned. The views
oi Messrs. Chase, Cameron and WeIlcs, as
plainly expressed in their reports, differ din |
mctr1caliy from those held at the State Depart |
H1cnt. HOW stands the Piesidents I can t
onlJ say that the information given In pre-
source, hut that cannot undertake to bo rnorp |
consistent than my informant, He may hare |
been mistaken; II SO, I have been mi5taken |
also, and SO, the President more nearly coin |
c1des With Mr Seward than With Mossrs |
Chase, Cameron and Wellcs- The reader viii |
perhaps pronounce M this as mystical and ab- |
surd as an oracle ont Of Delphos. Lct It h.
replied that would do no Injustice to thr |
Fresident Of the United States, nor say ought |
which should abate the confidence Of The neo.
pie in him, for upon his shoulders rests an
awful responsibility. II, with tho means
placed at his disposal lie shall fail, his own r.
feetions will be more than he can bear: aud
let it not be said that my indiscreton placcd
any straws In the way By which the country
might have been saved. Let this stand IN the
place Of any more positive statements as to the
ground taken by the Executive.
have te1cgnphed you the principal foa.
sutcs su Of the report Of the Van Wyck Commit
tee, eo-called, which WAS submitted bT Mr. I
,Mashburnc, Of Illinois, day or two sfnce.
Ihe 11 astounding nature Of the revelations there
made made is not yct generally understood by tho
nc members Of Congress- The report, enbrac-
aog ao as8 pages, las been admirably prepared
ana 21e condensed By Mr. Waahburne from eoms
l,EO pages Of Testimony; yct such matters do
not roy become public here until they coma
back with The newspapers, with each itafn re-
duccd to paragraph which moy be compre-
hs9ded 1t giancs With all ihe diligence
whkh could be used by the representatives Of
tie New York and Philadelphia papars on
Tuesday evening, they hardly pcaetrated
through the crust Of the corruption, and honce