, 1863-02-18
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

the Sepntc--Pro.pectH In tho House
Gan9ss'nE agn1n.' rScs, thS GsSfStuMo
portation Mcport.,Tcrrlblo Revola-
1tons OF Corruptfon-SEorHo Unrc.
VAN iturcn in New 9ork-GoId Com.
fort for Illinois Eopperhcndn-OuKh
DfH1OyA3 Journals to Circulate III tho
Army f-TnJk oi iExcluJfnEt tho World
and Herald, nH we'll NJ Chicago
Times.
Especial Correspondence Of tho Chicago TrIbune]
WASHINGTON, Feb. IL, 1868.
THE HANK D1LL IN THE SENATE.
Tie Bank bill has Just passed tho Senate by
the yotcs Of at least three men wl,o say that
they arc opposed to 1t, mud Of others who
lave no fifth In its efficacy. It seems to hare
been reported against the views of the ma
jority of the Finance Committee, Of whom
Senators Fcssenden, Sherman and Howe
votcd yca, while. Senators Collamer, Cow
an, 1lcDougall and Rice voted nay,
Ncsmlth Was the only Democrat who ven
turcd to cast vote in the affirmative. The
only man who seemed to take real in-
tercst III its passage WAS Senator Sherman,
under whose auspices 1t was introduced. The
host Of its other friends, when driven to the
wall in argument, either take refuge behind
glittcring generalities, or piteously ask: III
the Secretary says that he can carry on tue
Government under this bill, and not other
wise, wl1as is one to do but oblige him:" or,
Indignantly calculate: "If this plan be not a
good one, why don't you critics suggest bet
ter2"-thc last c1ass preferring, apparently, q
Quack medicine to none.
ITS CHANCES IN TIE HOUSE.
In the House the bill Is said to hare gained
ground, butt lad and has much to gain, since
It never commanded more than thirty-onc
votes. Still, the influences at work In Its fl
vor arc very strong and persistent, and it is to
be feared that members will not read that
part Of Senator Collamer's speech, yesterday,
in which lie shows how much more dangerous
and vicious the system is than was the old
United States Bank, how much more power
It bestows on the Secretary Of the Treasury.
He might hare carried out the analogy q
point further, and shown that these objcc-
iions-real or fancied-arc such as will take
hold Of the popular mind and form dangcr-
ous rallying cries for an opposition party. Tie
Copperheads know this; hence they lie low,
talking little, but steadily voting against the
measure, the fruits Of which will, they hope,
vnurc to their benefit.
CONGRESS AND TIE cAB1SEr-w1LL CHANGE
CONE!
Tic fourth Of March is approaching, and
the Cabinet still stands. Fresh disclosures of
Stewards diplomacy arc made, each Of which
should be enough to oust the author, but he
still retains his portfolio. Senators talk and
caucus, and call upon tic President and in.
troducc resolutions Of inquiry-but effect
nothing. They have not the courage to nrc-
sent the Indictment against the Secretary of
State, and set forth the facts which prove the
truth Of tile several courts in open session
where alone their voices are potent, where
alone they can speak rs representatives of
States. It is the same with the House. In
both bodies the fuW that arc brave allow them
selves to be controlled by the many, who arc
ti,nid. Unless Il change bc made before the
adjournment or immediately thereafter, It Is
to be feared that It will nut be made at a!l,
But the probabilities Of such an event seem
less and less.
SEWARD AND MErC1EK,
There Is much speculation touching the
probable consequences Of thu issue Of fact
which Secretary Seward has made with N.
Mercicr, the French Minister. Those verscd
in diplomatic history express the opinion that
a cessation Of official Intercourse, If not tho
recall by his Government Of N. Mercler,
must result. Seward las not given Mcrcicr
tho lie direct, to be sure; hut lie has made to
the American Senate 4 statement which en-
tircly conflicts with that Of McrcIer, III Ills
letter Of April 18th, to the truth OF which lie
intiElates that Lord Lyons can testify. Less
causes than this lave bred wnr, more tllun
once.
SENATOR GRIMES TRANSPORTATION REPORT.
Senator Grimes report concerning the busi-
ness transactions IN Baltimore mud Pliade-
I'hia Of Mr.. John Tucker, late Assistant Sec.
rotary Of War, and his subordinatcs and asso-
eiatcs III the matter Of procuring transporta-
tton by water for the Department, creates no
little excitement. The public stand aghast at
afraid to hare 1t printed II 1t were not bet
ter that free people should know how they
have been plundcred, than that the process
should be continued. The question which
men are asking each other now is, how far
back the rsponsibtlltS ought 10 be car
ricd:-whctllcr Secretary Stanton is otjustly
answcrablc for tho nonfeasance or malfcasancc
Of Tucker, upon whose confirmation he in.
sisted after he had been warned of his char-
actcr, and Quarterinastcr Gen. AIeigs for the
shortcomings Of Assistant Quart cr1nastcrs,
lis suhordiaatcs? Questions which gather
the words Of the Baltimore -dn.erican, have
only renctrntcd the outer circle Of the frauds
committed in that Department, IN assertion
equally true Of the other Departments into
whose operations the Committee yenturcd to
Inquire. Had II been for the public interest
polite should lie probed more dccply,a and that
all the corruption discovered should be
brought to light, q record might have been
made rs much worse than that Of the report
as that is beyond What was ever dreamed u
by honest people. So am credib]y informed
JOHN VAN BuRES FOR THE wAn-REDuKE OF
cOPrEEuEADS.
The President is reported to have said re-
Gently that Horace Greeley has done more BY
tion in certain contingency, to aid in the
successful prosecution Of the war than hc
could have done III any other way, for that lii
course, had, on the principle Of antagonis1n
made the opposition urge on the war. I'll,
correctness Of this opinion ia confirmed br tht
last sreeeh Of John Van Buren, which is Of IL,
entirely different complexion from his pre-
Vjous uttcrances. He not only distinctly
| plants himself in opposition to the doctrincs
which Mr.. Grccley-to the great regret Of his
friends and his rarty-has Of late apparentl,
esrouscd, but he also reprovcs your Illinoi:
Copperheadss. and declares that it would bt
| holly to call n national convention for ths
| reason that ''the people Of The South do moi
choose to see the thing in this light" On1
friends in Illinois, says Prince John, true a:
their resolutions may be, well as they are put
patriotic us their purpose is, to negotiate Will
the South, and endeayor to have a convention
will find that II is barren mission, because
these men are determined not to return to tht
Confederacy as it Was bcfore, and until tllt
Southern nlcn have tle power 10 rise and pli;
down the men that brought them to this con
dltlon, this var must 70 on, and the mar
who attempts to stop it will be overwhelmed
IN ny humble judgment, by Il torrent o.
This sentence, with number of others scat
tered through tile speech, thoroughly con
| firm what wns told me fortnight :iro. Tht
Wood. Van BuTen party have sent eclssarie:
to misunderstanding with Or without passe:
from the Secretary of State am not prepared
to say-Tho have returned discounted The
rebel leaders said to them privately what thc}
had said time and again publicly, in official
IaleEs, in Congressional debate, and in all
their newspapers, that the one condition oi
peace is ''separ:.tion," 'Tle suggestions, i
says Prince John, "wlich tlltn f-auring
tho FALL campaign" made we're received with
very moderate 1ayor at the North, aud with
none at all ut the Soutli.'
John Van Buren, and Fernando Wood are
better informed tlian your Springfield Copper
heads. They fHosr that the rebels mean what
they say. They admit that the war must 20
on until "tlc Southern men have the power
10 rise and put down the men that brought
them to this condition ''-as they are doing
nov! in the mountains Of Georgia and on The
banks ofthe Rio Granlle, Mr.. Van Buren, and as
the have been doing for months in East Tenn.
ncsscc. Van Buren, cannot avoid this ad.
mission, since while declaring himself-agai.,
to quote from lis speech" unqualifledly op-
posed to foreign Intervention in any shape,
either as advice OF. Interference and with
equal heartincss refusing to "aln,t the indc-
prudence Of the South. ind eouccdc that they
have right, when they choose, to scccdc from
the Cnion.". Prince John, speaking by tue