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About The Oregon Argus. (Oregon City [Or.]) 1855-1863 | View Entire Issue (March 5, 1859)
t w. L. antui, aoiToa anu raoraiKTo. 0BJ3O0N CITY: SATURDAY, MARCH 5, IMP. To the Republicans of Oregon. Thrre will be Convention of tho Uopublictiis of Oregon at SAI.KM, on Tin seotv, Tux Tritmv rixr UAY o Aran., IS.'iO, fur the purpose of nom inating Delegate or llepreiiefiuilive lo ('onurrx, in I fr tlx purpw- of transacting tnch oilier buei mil mny come before tin C'onveiilinn. Tht Committee 'f!f"t tli.it the following nppor-I'omn-iit bo adhered d) iu electing delegate : Curry I, Coot I, Jucknun 4, Jiskphiu 5, Dou gla I, I ' nip iirt 3, I. a ne 6, I .inn 0, Kniton 4, I'olk 4, Yamh II 4, Marion ?. Clackamas 5, Wash Ingion 3, Multnomah 4, Column a 1, Clatsop 1, Tillamook 1, (inl Wasco I. The Conmi'tlee also enmeitly reiUwt lliat a full n't complete orgmiuuion of tlio Itepiiblicune be peif. eted in every county at an early day, end thitt the clialinun uf each counly commute iin-rneJiuU-ly sen J his name ami post-office addnt to W. C. Joiinmin, Cleik of the Central Committee, at Or go City. W. T. Matlock, W. C. JollNSON, U HoLMES, I.. 11. WsKKFIKLD, Rep. Cen. Com. W. L. Autu; Jan. 23. W9. The tNatlonaWi to be HeettoaatUcil. The Standard of this week lias tuken the advice tendered by us two weeks siuce, and bus concluded to let tho ' national' organiz ation slide. Near tlic close of a leading ar ticle upon the future course of the Stundurd, it thus gives its advice lo the 1 nationals': " We therefore advise that the Xatinn.il Demo cratic organization be i.bandoiiecl ; that the mem ber of lb party will honorably aid in the proinnl gitinn of true Dunocrat'c prini'iplea, and pledge their unqualified support lo properly chosen ii"iniii eeeof the Democratic Convention whieh it to meet at Salem, on the 20th duy of April next." Our national friends arc thus plainly ad vised to a retrogressive motion backward into the kennel of the once hated ' federal clique,' instead of a progressive motion for ward into tho rauks of tho Republicans. Wo have carefully read two articles iu the lust issue of the Standard, and then turned back to its files fur 1858, in order to dis cover the reasons given for its zigzag course in leading on tho party of which it now claims to be the ' sole organ a parly which last year it rallied with all its zeul to an ut tack upon the citadel of the Suletu cliqui, a citadel which tho Standard represented to be filled with little less than political thieves, ' bogusites,' ' blue-light fedcrulir-.ts' and a ' prescriptive junta.' Wo have peeped into the files of this paper in order io see how its past, present, and future courses could be reconciled, as well us to discover what kind of a torch-light was to head tho column of such 'nationals' as choose to follow the Standard in its future turnings and twibtings through tho dark labyrinth of fog and gloom through which the black democracy is now wading to a still darker destiny. Our researches have led us to exclaim with the preacher, ' Van ity of vanities all is vanity!' The whole thing is a bundle of incongruities, inconsist encies consequently profoundly 'demo cratic.' Now wo havo no desire to quarrel with tho Standard or find fault with it for its courses. Its icriodical political 'courses' may be as regular cs the changes of the moon, and all brought ou by established laws that govern all democratic bodies which revolve around the U. S. Treasury laws only known to such political philos. pliers as have given their whole time to researches into ' the time-honored usages of our party." In fuct, wc honor the Stand, nrd the more for having forsaken the na tional fold, whero it has ulways been uppa- rcnt to us that it was bedded on little else than Shucks and .fed on Shucks, for a warmer sty und more comfortnblo quarters, with soiuo little prospect of an occasional car of corn when Uncle Sam's crib shall be emptied in the troughs of those Democrats who are all actuated in their movemeuts by a common purpose, governed by a common creed, and united by a common sympathy. From tho time that the Standard took sides with the Administration and favored its Lcconipton iniquity ns against Douglas, we have seen that it litis been slowly und surely drifting back toward that same ' Sa lem federul faction' which it once denounced as a despotism, but which wo havo ulwnys told our readers was the best representa tive of tfuchannn Democracy in the Ter ritory. AVc prefer to see the Standard nnd all other papers range themselves on one sido or the other of the two political par tics which nro now marshaling their hosts to a conflict which is to decide the might iest issues that have ever yet divided the .American people issues between the polit ical animus of tlia Declaration of I tide :pcndcncc on the one side, and tho soul of toryism that prompted a few Americans to .stigmatize our Revolutionary fathers as " rebels,' and induced Fettit to denounce the Declaration ns a 'self-evident lie' is sues that will decide whether this Govern ment is to be ruled by a national, economi cal Administration that is willing to build the Pacific railroad, foster iuternul improve ments of a national character, encourage free white labor by protecting tho poor man in the Territories against the degrading and crushing influences of a slave capital aristocracy, put down agitation on the sla very question by putting1 a stop to slavery extensiou, and executing the laws against piracy an Administration that will culti rate friendly relations with foreign (towers by treating them with respect, recognizing their rights, and enforcing our just demands; or whether we are to have an Administra tion that is so sold to the slave-breeding se-' cessioniits tlwt every contract for carrying eren an overland mail, and every move for it Pacific Railroad, shall be either made a sectional enterprise and funned out to stock jobbing schemers, or crushed out an Adiniiilhtrution that sneers at Freedom as sectional nnd regards Slavery os national, Ruptmrts the Constitution as a mnnimotb Juggernaut on which shivery rides Into the Territories with a standing army to protect it, crushing whito labor ' squatter sover eigns,' who riso to resist it, into the dust an Administration which in a time of per fect peace can use up an annual revenue of nearly a hundred millions and run the Gov ernment in debt from twenty to forty mill Ions per annum In rewarding party whip-pers-ln, In carrying elections, and iu curry ing on wars against ' popular sovereignty' iu one Territory and ' domestic institutions' in another au Administration that keeps the whole country convulsed by agitations on the nigger question, gotten up by filling President's messages, communications to officials, and diplomatic papers, with nig yrr, nigger, nigger an Administration that, to strengthen tho slave power, holds out In one hand a hundred and eighty mill ions for Cuba, while it brandishes the sw ord in the other, accompanied by a threat to tako it by forco if it cannot get it by purchase. These are some of the issues between the Sectionnlists and the Republicans, and, when such issues are to be tried, bow silly for men to be getting up pnrtics on per sonal issue's where no principles are in volved ! That the issues between the 'softs' and bnshites have been merely local and personal, us wc contended last spring, the Standard thus acknowledges: "The trouble existing in the Democratic party of Oregon can bo traced directly to local or indi vidual cauaet. Let ua coat this petty quarreling wi.hin the ranks.'' Xoie, the trouble iu the ranks heretofore is traced back to mere ' local or individual' (personal) causes. The Stundurd of June IT, 1858, used the following language: " Aa we have before said, the inane between the Nat'oiwU and Hie Salem faction Inn been ono of prino'ple, afll'eling every citizen of the government. It haa been almost the only real inane in Oregon aineu the adoption of our Constitution. It would have been well then that had all the cilizena in nil the couu.iri tuken their position upon this iaaue, nnd not have forced a tranu'ar contest by intro ducing a foreign iaaue. Then we should have been able to know with the precision of malhema-ti.-inl demniialratinn bow deeply haa been imbedded in the minda of the people of Oregon, during the re git und tcnohingf ef the Sulrui Junta, Blue light Federalism, which wns ao rank in John Ad am' day, but wh ch via ihomughly exploded by the teachings and example of 'l'homai JerTcrtjii, the great fu.her of Democracy ." So then this terrible wur w hich was car ried on between the nationals and the clique, and which was regurded by the Standard iu June lust as a fight on 'principle' so im portant that it affected every cit'zen of the government,' is now viewed through tho spectacles worn by the Standard of March 2, 1859, as a mere ' petty quarrel,' growing out of 'local or individual causes' a quar rel so insignificant nnd boyish that it ought to be 1 dried np' immediately. The Stand ard of June IT, 1858, told us iu the fol lowing extract how long the issue should be kept up: "TIlii inane muat bo kept before the people, until every Federalist ia forced to shrink from the public arena and drsinl from asking olliee at the huudauf a people whom he ia constantly aeeking to deride, iusuk and oppress." Note the Standard proposes that the 1 shrinking' be all done by the nationals instead of tho ' federalists.' ( Here we tal off our hut and halloo, Bravo!) Rut hero is nioro of tho 'principle' in volved iu the fight of June, 1858: " The Sn'cm Federalists have adopted and reaf firmed, and now urge aa a part of their creed of luiili anil aa n teat ol fellowship in their party, the following resolution : ltrsolaed, That we repudiate the doctrine that a Representative or Delegate can, in pursuance of tnt utunes or Janciea interests of the district he represents, go into or remain out of a caucus of hia party, and refuse to support the nominations thereof, and still maintain hia standing na a Demo crat." The same Standard, after quoting from the rennsylvuniun to show thnt a Demo crat was bound to obey tho instructions of his constituents or resign, says: " In thia quotation, a respect for instructions or wish, s of n constituency is umdc a test of democra cy, while in the Salem resolution ditobedience to iii'tructions nnd wishes of a constituency, consti tutes A test of Democracy. Give them bambi with an occasional shot of gran unJ cannier, to the bitter end." Now, that the Standard has crawled into the fold of tho 1 caucue sovereign federal ists' wc suppose tho 1 bitter end' has come, and the nationals may cense giving them 'bombs, grape, nnd canister' and commence giving them vote a change of tactics truly refreshing to tho 'federalists.' Tho Standard of lust Wednesday gives tho fol lowing highly satisfactory excuso for its conversion: " We recede from no principle which was enter tained lent yenr, wo offer no upology for our course in mat ctnrpaign. lint the Democracy or Uiegon havo iud c.ilnl their displeasure at the existence of two sfpuralo Deniocrutio organizations, and it ia but proper tliut one ahould give way. The Na t onal organization beinj youngest, and least com plete in ita domestic management, ia beat entitled to withdraw." . Here two Democratic, organizations are recoguized, ono a full-grown . one, and the other rather young, somew hat green, nnd ilightiy unhealthy. Now let ns see what tho Standard of May 6, 1858, thought about this young ' national' calf, which has shriveled into such "diminutive dimensions thut it is proposed to ' withdraw' it from the ' rack' where the bushite federal bull is feeding: ' hi the first place, the Nationals are the Demo crnliu party of Orepon and the only party who stand upon a l'eniocratio platform. Any man who has a thimble full of brain, will re.id.ly acknowledge thia, an I hence there ia no necessity for a lengthy argument in supp rt of thia assertion. In the same article, the bushitcs are de nounced as ' the iniquitous, antidemocratic inquisition aud tyrannical juntei.' aVotf, this ' iniquitous anti-democratic in quisition nnd tyrannical junta,' is recognized as tlie oldest democratie organization, mott complete in its domestic tnngtnrnlt and one which from Its superiority has a right to cull on the national one to ' withdruw,' Xoie, Cznpkny's orgnn will no doubt take into full fellowship him whom it for merly denounced as a ' Know Nothing,' a ' California adventurer,' ' political trickster,' Ac, Ac, All thoso who havo hitherto cluiined to belong to tho Democratic party, but who havo becomo disgusted with the Iniquities, bribery, corruptions, nnd inconsistencies of what is fulsely culled the Democratic party hero and elsewhere, are cordiully invited to unite with tho Republicans, who will give them a permanent, wholesome, nnd consist ent platform to stand on. Tint Yamhill Trade. Tho Hoosicr Is now permanently attached to tho Yamhill trade, running ns high as Mc.Minrille ns often as practicable in tho winter. Copt. Swcitzcr, of the Elk, has got a charter from the Legislature for construting a lock at the mouth of the Yamhill, and tho prol ability is that ho and Copt. Miller, of tho Hoosicr, will unite in building tho lock aud building a new boat cxpessly for thnt trade. The Hoosicr will during low water this summer bo kept running from Dayton to tho mouth of the Yamhill, connecting at that point with the Elk. Although these Captains will then hare tho sole right of navigation, no fears need be entertained of an unreasonable increase of the tariff of prices. Neither of these gentlemen would tako a cent wrongfully if they had the chance. We hope that tho growing trade of Yamhill will amply remunerate them for all their trouble iu trying to accouimoduto tho Yamhill people. Bad Memory. The Oregouian quotes a pointed paragraph from tho People's Press condemning the assault ou T. J. Dryer iu Suletn, and then says: '' It is the first and on'y expression of eundem nation which nny newtpajier in Oregon boa dare 1 to breathe agaiust the moat cowardly and dastard, ly act of brutality imaginable." Those who read our ' expression of con demnntiou' just after the affair happened, will be at a loss to account for the above. We ore disposed to be charitable, and ac count for it from the fact that friend Dryer forgot what we had said about it. Temperance Revival. We are truly rejoiced to be able to chronicle the fact thut the Temperance cause is prospering glori ously In this city as in other sections of the country. The Sons have had numerous nnd valuable accessions to their ranks In this city, nnd others whom wo had long since considered beyond tho reach of hope ore thinking seriously of embarking in the glorious cause. We feel a new attachment to such as hnve quit the poisoned bowl und set out on the path of temperance, prosper ity, and pence. Emigration. We lately astonished a friend by telling him thut there wns a pros- p?ct of forty thousand emigrants to Oregon next fall. We see a correspondent of a California paper estimates tho emigration to the Pacific coast this season at a hun drcd thousand. The waters East arc troub led, nnd we shall ere long have live settlers rolling over our mountains in swarms. , Convicted. Charles I. Roc, who was arraigned before Judge Boise last week, in Sulem, charged with murdering his wife, pleaded guilty, nnd, niter the examination of a few witnesses in order ta-detcrmine the degree of guilt, the Judge decided it to be murder in the first degree, nnd sentenced Roe to bo hung in Sulem on Saturday, April 2, 1859. Back Again. We reached home Into tflis week, after nearly a month's tour over terrible roads and through almost incessant storms of snow nnd rain. We have made only tho circuit of Multnomah, Washing ton, nnd Yamhill counties, mid, owing to the bad weather, wo shall defer tho remain der of our journey till near the close of April, when we hopo the roads will be pas sable. In the mean time, we nsstire friend Pengra of the Press that we will ' suit those horses' occasionally, so that they will be on hand about the time we get ready to start sure. Communications. Upon returning home we find a heavy file of communications on hand, which we will attend to soon. Removed. The Post Office in this city has been removed to a room in Moss's building nearly opposite Charman & arner s. For the Argus. Tbe Prratdeat Kansas. Affair. Mn. Editor Sir: In addition to other things which came by tho last mail to com fort or afflict, to solace or distress, the pa triots of Oregon, was the President's Mes sage. And ' when, in the course of human events,' it becomes my duty as it is the privilege of all good Republicans to no tice it, I shall at least try to do him justice, keeping in memory the grave and learned precept, somewhere in the Bible or out of it, to 'give the devil his due.' Ilts Excellency recapitulates for about the fifth or sixth time his old sophistical anil pettifogging story about Kansas af fairs, as familiar to every gentleman and lady who 1 reads the papers' as household words. And since he deals mainly in the past of Kansas, and Congress, the body addressed, is as well posted in its history as himself, why did he not stund upon his per sonal and official dignity, as all great men do, and leave the Republic to make its own comment npon ' the poxt,' ' relying on the justice and intelligence of the people' ? Or, if he must retrospect, why not tell the truth? Ills conduct reminds mu of tho reply of an Irishmuu who manifested soiuo alarm on being brought into court to bo tried for crime: ho wus requested to bo as composed as possible, with tho assurance that in thut court he would bo sure of ;'ui' lice; ho replied, ' Oh, faith, and by St. Putrick, that's what I dread!' Ti truly humiliuting to contemplate the unenvluble predicament in which the Exec utive is placed by his iniquitous and diubol ieul efforts to force a spurious constitutional government on tho people of Kansas, In violation of the known will of a very large majority of Its Inhabitants, to sco him lubor between wind and water to weavo a ' fig-leaf veil, behind which ho and party may shield themselves from the public gnzo. For tho light of truthful history (over in tho direction of Kunsus) Is to him and party as 1 tho worm thut never dies,' tho 'fire thut Is never quenched'; hence tho inqicrutive necessity of fulsehood, slander, sophistry, egotism, which stund out In bold relief, each in its full and weil-develoed proKrtious, in every general statement about Kansas. Justice, however, demands tho concession thut the messnge is In soiuo respects an extraordinary document: not, however, for its profundity in'thc science of government, its truth, its candor, its logic, or its sagacity ; nor yet for its classical and literary style aud associations but ou nc count of its enormous length In dull, prosy, circuitous detuils, apparently to avoid the withering disgrace aud odium which, like an adhesive plaster, sticks, nnd will con. tintic to stick, so long as the faithful pages of history shall be preserved for future gen erations, to detuil tho unequaled jicrfidy und villainy of his Excellency and subordi mites In their murderous efforts to muk Kansas a slave State, in opposition to tho known and acknowledged will of about niuo tenths of its people, and consequently in violation of the fundamental principles of our form of government. And yet he the standurd-benrer of Democracy!! A pink of democracy, indeed! 'I would ra ther dwell in the land of sinners than among such saints.' All tho abettors and defenders of the KnnsAS-Xcbrusku act, while pending be fore Congress, pleaded that tho poople (of a Territory) the people (what a lovely and cuchanting word!) were left entirely ' free to form and regulate their own do mestic institutions iu their own way' by which everybody understood that the set tlers or citizens of a Territory might nt discretion legislute upon all matters that were proper subjects of legislation in a State, such as the location of the capital, penitentiary, common schools and colleges, crimes aud misdemeanors, mills, State banks, slavery, tic, 4c, free from adven titious restrictions or external pressure hands off iu every direction leaving the people frco to legislate with tho freedom and latitude of a State. And, notwith standing all this, instead of extending tho liberties und privileges of tho ' dear people,' thut very act orguniziug the Territory cur tailed nnd circumscribed the privileges of the 1 dear people' far more than nny other organic act for the Inst twenty ycurs. It contained more lutent villainy under a plau sible guiso than all tho other organic acts put together. They were frank, open, and candid, speaking what, and only what, wns intended by them ns Congressional acts; but this was nothing better nt its highest orb than a ' white lie' promising to the car what it broke to the heart; promising in theory, in cunningly-devised verbal garb, to extend nnd amplify the liberties of the poor backwoods settlers in tho Territories, when to curtail and blast those liberties were the absolute designs; ns clenrly evinc ed by its effects in Kansas (by their fruits shall ye know them) nnd by the subse quent declarations of its passionate admi rers while pending before Congress, and by the absolute provisions of the bill itself. J Squatter Sovereignty' was the watch word of tho party, a sine qua non, the lummum bonum, the very essence nnd quin tesscneo of civil government. That was Democracy then; I mean, of course, verbal Democracy. But what is it now ? It is repudiated and denounced as ' the most childish conception,' as ' the most unconsti tutional and impracticable humbng,' by the Washington Union, the organ of the party. It says ' one of the great merits of the Drcd Scott decision is the total extin guishment it gives to the dogma of ' squat ter sovereignty' in the Territories.' 'It utterly negatives the idea that there is any original jurisdiction or legislative authority in the Territory, and asserts that all au thority therein is derivative, coming from without, and not inherent in its inhabitants or tribunals.' See the Union for Nov. 13. 1858. Near two columns of tbe Presi dent's organ are devoted to the total extin guishment of the dogma of squatter sover eignty in the Territories.' Mr. Buchanan was the first man who put his foot on squat ter sovereignty which the intelligent reader can see by reference to his first mes sage, designating the time when a Territory could legislate on the subject of slavery. The gentle reader will please bear in mind that Territories had all along enjoyed legis lative privileges, but nnder limitations and restrictions, nnd this act (the Kansas-Nebraska act), as asserted by its friends and believed by the masses of society, took off these restrictions and limitations threw all these Congressional limitations and impedi ments to the four winds of heaven and left the settlers in a Territory entirely free to legislate ad libitum; consequently the subject of slavery was one of the subjects, und ierhiips the subject, more cscclnlly contemplated by the act as an additional privilege or favor now granted to tho clth zcus of a Territory; and this is snfllcieiitly proven from the course which tho Presi dent's bogus Legihlitturo took In Kunsus under his patronage anil protection, ns they did ' legisluto on aluvery.' Aud thoMi very luws are note enforced in Kaunas at tho point of tho sword, when he and party aud tho Supremo Court are duclaring by all sorts of statements and arguments nnd lu dicrous raillery that tho jicoplo of a Terri tory cannot legislute' on tho subject at all, ' until they becomo sufficiently numerous to frame a constitution fur admission into the Union.' Sco Buchanan's first mcssuge, and tho Union ns above. And at the snmo time, as I will show, tho President Is throwing out a bait, and tenoning tho doc trine of squatter sovereignty hi the most palpable terms. Doubtless this swivel In the chain, this 'nil things to all men,' this positivo contradiction, this blowing hot and cold with tho snmo breath, can bo explain ed only by a knowledge of tho fuct thut tho Democratic party is a pro-slavery party; Democracy Is pro-sluvery, and pro-tUvcry is Democracy; these two words stund for tho same idea, consequently it is a proper subject of legislation, provided oh! herds tho tug of wur provided they legisluto in favor of slavery! But if against it, then it Is a subject thut a Territorial Legisla ture cannot touch ' until its inhabitants be como sufficiently numerous to frame a con stitution for admission into the Union'! t When men under the solemnities nnd re sponsibilities of high official positions arc giving such examples of hypocrisy, of un bridled Iniquity nnd official corruption, we cease to wonder at the alarming increase of official villuiny in their subordinates, whoso very tenure In office depends upon Its pros titution to the use of the donor. Aud even now, while Mr. Buchanan is laboring through his orgnn, the Union, to disprove the doetrino of squatter sover eignty nnd render it even contemptible and ridiculous, he in his lust message (as food for the ' simple-minded') asserts the doc trine in. plain, unmistakable terms, lie says: " But acting iu an official character, ueither myself nor nny human authority had the power to re-judge the proceedings of the convention, nnd declare the consti tution it hud made to be a nullity. To have done this, would have been a violation of the Kansas-Nebraska act, which left tho peoplo of the Territory perfectly frco to or und regulate their domestic institu tions in their own way." Who can doubt thut he intended by the above declarations to teach squatter sov ereignty in its mast ample dimensions ? This one of the faces presented to the 'simple-minded'; but now for the other face, fixed in the back of the hi ad, nnd of course exactly in an opposite direction; here it is: "subject only to the Constitution of the United States." Will any man say, or can nny intelligent man believe, that the fore part of this quo tation nas not intended to tench squatter sovereignty in the most acceptable terms to its admirers? and tho latter part to endorse tho Drcd Seotl decision in disguise, which, tho language of the Union (tho President's organ), 'extinguishes the dogma of sqnnt ter sovereignty in the Territories' ? But, it was no port of Mr. Buchanan's duty ns President to ' re-judge' the pro ceedings of nny legislative body, . cither Stnto or Territorial, rror was he a judicial officer to pronounce them ' a nullity.' Then he need not insinuate that these things con stitutcd nny part of his duty, or nny part of tho public expectation, ns a consequence of not making application for thnt Lc conipton swindle. As n patriotic and faith ful officer of the Government, and protector of the people, ho should either have been wholly silent, leaving it to the justice nnd wisdom of Congress, or have spoken of it ns a spurious fraud, as a villainous swindle, us he well knew it to be. Feb. 3, 1859. w. For tbe Argus. AVa&Ulaiilen's Itlrtn-Day at Oakland. Mr. Editor: Knowing that yon take a lively interest in whatever tends to elevate your fellow-man in the settle of moral aud intellectual worth, I send you a brief state ment of what I witnessed yesterdny at the above-named place. On nenring the school house, my attention wns drawn by a splen did array of horse-ten ms. I noticed one wagon thnt had six fine horses attached, four of which had the Stars and Stripes waving over them, and their proud pranc ing gait seemed to say they were not igno rant of the honor conferred npon them. For a moment I was puzzled to determine whether I was indeed in the French Prai rie or back in the States in Harrison times. Not being able to discover any coons in the crowd, I was forced to the conclusion that it must be Oregon after all. I then turned my steps toward the school-honse, which was crammed to overflowinpr. The door was open, and I could distinctly hear the voice of Rev. Ncill Johnson as he opened the exercises with an appropriate prayer. Dr. Magers was called for to de liver the oration npon Washington, which he pronounced in a gentlemanly and inter esting manner. I have not space to give you even a synopsis of the discourse; suf fice it to sny it was every way worthy the man and the occasion. As he concluded, the band struck np ' Flail, Columbia,' to the infinite gratification of all present, and though the band were but few, they ap peared to make up by diligence what they lacked in numbers. Jos. Engle was next called upon, who spoke of the character of the men of the Continental Congress and here I will observe, that, without intending any disparagement of the numerous speak ers, Mr. E., in my judgment surpassed them all. I noticed one blunder, however, which I trust I may be pardoned for pointing out. Hiong that galaxy of Illustrious"' nam, irown i kt Him Hh.it it..t nm our looked by the s,kcr. The vocal .? ' the choir favored i .Ml?1 opening until tho eloshig of tl? I havo never heard equaled ontheP,S coast, and seldom surpassed anvwhir. .t AnHl.,lh,tlw.Lofa"JJ ere. s i declamation npon the Imjiortai li youthful application, that wouldf Un honor to uu older heud, H mirZ nmrkiibly well: his iminly .write hi? ed every ono iu the home, nn(j took his sent ho received ul ion ho well imrilcd-the approbating X l lhero .was plenty of cdibh, M ground, furnished by the lhVrnlity of h. citizens. Everybody seemed Well , J und certainly no osscmbh.go of cmml T could have conducted itself ft mm eonilng mi er. Tjio choir, with l)r Adnirutits head, gave a concert Inthi evening, which wus well attended Tliera wus a bcutitiriilly.ptiintcd mm mf speakers' stand that would constantly Z mind one of tho States and I unhwiui Ingly pronounce tho mun who got it Dp u artist of no mean pretensions. I willcloa by offering this sentiment: The WasLii ton Literary Society of French Prairie 0 T., A credit to themselves, and au honor to Marion counly. Feb. 23, 185U. " Further AllaiUe !. Tin recall of Lord Napi.r is now alt,ibuj h the iH-st-iuformrd circlet, lo French Influent,'.!. The French Kmperor reKar,li counlr; t4 distrust and dlslke, and wulclus with interest , indication of a arowiuj friendliness tf fctlin tween ua and Kiiglaud. 8a far as pulaical iala dices art concerned, lit ia neneully aware Hut England and tht V ailed States bare far mors ia common than KiiKkiud aud Franc. Hi, Miajtw her hn louj teen that Lerd Xaf BM jtM moie, by far, than any other British Minister Iu. ever done, lo render an Fnglwh alliance pepalar in this country ; and he hat been eoireapeadioily anxiout for hit withdrawal. This U has at last acenitplishad. Lord Napier's successor ia a disk, mcitist of the red-tape tclmol. Tht Secretary sum i)k number of teatwi la the naval service ia that authorised by law, namely 8,500. Number of murines, including non-cs m'asloned officers, musicians, drummers, ftfeniai privates, 1 ,HU5. Number of other employe aadtr clinrjFB of the Navy Department, aa near at eaa be ascertained at the aeecial Navy-yards, 8,671.. There are Iu the Navy 10 ahips-of-liw, 10 frigstit, 21 t'onpi-nf-vrar, 3 brig, 1 schooner, 8 Rrew tiennieit of the first class, 0 of til second class,! of tho tliird c!ni, 2 acre lenders, 3 tidc-whril attaint rs of the first class, 1 of tin second class, S j Im third class, 1 aidu-wliecl lender, 3 store Teasels, nnd 5 permanent sloro and receiving ships. The lotul number of vessels ia 88. The Tost-mastcr-General stalti that tinder lb pwtagi) law of 1615 the revenues and expenditure were about equal. Since th psssag of the la of 1851, fit'tig the present rates, the eictssii i pcuditures bus been regularly aud largely iaenat iug. Tlicso facts obviously sii'ccst, if Congrtsj it determined to make tho Department seV-sit. jng, tli.it the surest menus of doing so would be It return lo tlie law of 1845, or five cents postage Us distances under, and ten emit for distances our 3,000 miles hence he furors the passage of t kill Introduced iulo the Semite at a former srssios. This, together with hit suggestive amendmeat ia regard to the malt of inviting pn-puab for any ing the mails, and substituting postage stamps (er tho franking privilege would render the Depart ment sclf-Kiista'ning in all that relates to its rrgo lar nnd proper operations. Two tela of Mrv.ee were called into ex'stcMc by reasons tf State aa I lie IVific, the other the great Overland reatt ts Cnllforn a. The former, alter deducting Ihe potl ugx-s, will cost $3rGt.fSG per annum, and the Utter, wheu the Salt Ukr line shall be added, $I00r OtlO, for which there will not probably be sufnVitat postage revenue lo puy. It appears from a pubiio document thai thf amounts puid nnd incurred by the Eiecutive of Kt' tnt on account of elrardi.iry cspendilure wer by Governor Geary, $G90j by Governor Walkers $l,IOGnnd by Governor Denver, 11,343, lo gviher with S6U7. Tli Secretary tf Stat rcconv mends un appropriation to meel the indebtedness. The Secretary of the Treasury lias submitted Congress his plan for reducing tht enpensee for the collection of the revenue to tlie extent of $400,. 000 per annum. He propotei Ihe re-orgaotiatwa of tlie collection district, the reduction of the tnt hundred and lixteeii port! of entry lo eeveoty-firi, nnd tho diacontlnunnce of twenty-on of th H"r six pot to of delivery th salaries of officers t r ninin Ihe tame, as under.lhe recommendation ft dullet would bo increasod. Tub Kansas Gold Reoios. The Law rence Herald of Freedom gives a of Charles Nichols, who has just rctumett from the gold mines. Mr. N. say i there is a country there extending over 800 tw of territory north nnd south, in which titer is some gold, nnd he has explored .lie wins for n hundred miles from eust and west. How rich it is, ho cannot sny. In plnc. it will not pay at all; in other places will pay very well. To say how mocha man cun make is preposterous, as it matter of elinncc on the one hand ana in dustry on the other. There are bbwJ there from nil parts of the worldr89 from California, others from Georgia in Australia-each of whom say that Kansas mines are different from any otter deposits they have ever seen. W sou, strata, 4c., is entirely different, and M jslat bottem, which was common to Australia. Mr. N. prospected from the B'Jl", the Arkansas, through the ent.re regm . J country thence on his route to theBooa Platte; but gold . found - IP-JJ abundance on mo rmw, n. above the mouth of Cherry Creek, jw thinks there is plenty of gow r; ' Creek, but there was not water sufficient to work with. . - .. TvnllVS. BT Seizure of v essels ; - . ri the arrival of the Constitution Capt A- Gove, .this morning, from on, learn that the brig Swiss Bay, or P Francisco, Captain Weldcn on her "y .. t,-J nJcA n Victoria, with a car- go of lumber, sprung aleak, and on ary 31st put into -itnatSound wbfrt came to anchor in 21 fatnoros o. Captain having the it.tcnt.on the vessel and making repairs. W " Inst., the vessel was boarded several hundred Indians, who ping, and the action of fire sent we Lt over the side. They also -Ibgj W cabin, and robbed the seamen t J were held prisoners iw -nj timately managed, by promng to m A