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Harper's Weekly 04/04/1857
WASHINGTON MOVEMENTS.
THE NEW GOVERNOR OF KANSAS.
The Hon. Robert J. Walker, of Mississippi, is appoint-
ed Governor of Kansas Territory, in the room of Gover-
nor Geary, resigned. Mr. Walker will not leave for
Kansas till the first week in May, but his secretary,
Hon. Richard F. Stanton, of Tennessee, will proceed di-
rectly to the Territory, and will exercise the functions
of Governor till his arrival. Governor Geary had several
interviews with the President, and was examined at
great length by the Cabinet as to the affairs of Kansas.
It is said that he complains of not having been properly
sustained by the late War Department; and it is like-
wise rumored that he expresses dissatisfaction with his
treatment by Mr. Buchanan. There is reason to believe
that Mr. Walker had been selected by Mr. Buchanan for
the post of Governor some time ago.
SAD FATE OF THE UNION NEWSPAPER.
Mr. Appleton, of Maine, has retired from the editor-
ship of the Union newspaper. It is understood that,
after his selection on grounds of personal friendship by
Mr. Buchanan, an attempt was made to place him in the
position of editor with a salary of $10,000 a year; this
plan failed, and Mr. Appleton became one of the proprie-
tors of the paper. It is generally believed that the rea-
son given for his retirement—ill health—is merely a pre-
text; and that he makes way for some man in whom in-
fluential parties shall have more confidence. It is said that
the President will have no organ. But this has always
been said. The Union was emphatically repudiated as the
Government organ by Mr. Marcy, in reply to an interpel-
lation from a foreign Minister. The chances at present
are, that the Union will continue to be the organ of the
Administration, and that some new man will be placed
at the helm. Colonel Forney, of Pennsylvania, Edmund
Burke, of New Hampshire, and Mr. Banks, editor of the
Southside Democrat, have been mentioned for the post.
The printing, of course, if obtained, will be secured
through a coalition.
THE ?POILS.
The New York appointments have been made, as we
intimated in our last, on the principle of rotation in every
instance except the Postmaster. The Hards have the
best of the bargain. Mr. Schell is Collector; Young
America is represented by George N. Sanders, as Navy
Agènt; and Tammany Hall by Captain Rynders, who is
made Marshal. The list gives pretty general satisfac-
tion, but elicits no enthusiasm.
The business of the other appointments proceeds
slowly.
None of the great foreign appointments have been
made. Colonel Pickens, of South Carolina, is still prom-
inently put forward for the mission to England. Senator
Pratt is mentioned for the mission to Prussia. General
Thomas, of the State Department, is said to have applied
for the mission to Belgium. Mr. Belmont, now at the
Hague, is prepared to sacrifice himself another four
years for his country (meaning the United States), by
representing it at Paris. But nothing appears to be de-
cided as yet.
WHO IS TO GOVERN UTAH?
A new Governor is wanted for Utah, where things are
in a dreadful state. It is alleged that Mr. M`Mullen, of
Virginia, will have the refusal of the place. Per contra,
a northern man is to go to Nebraska.
LORD NAPIER'S DOINGS.
Lord Napier has given up the idea of living at George-
town, as he proposes to entertain largely. He has taken
Governor Fish's house, which is being enlarged and
fitted up handsomely. It is generally believed that he
has been directed to reverse Mr. Crampton's policy, and
to try to make himself as agreeable as he can. The nov-
elty will attract attention. He has already business in
hand. He is trying hard to persuade the President to join
the English and French in the operations against China;
with what effect can be best judged from the great suffer-
ing the Chinese are inflicting on our commerce. He came
here with four odd millions of claims against our Govern-
ment for the destruction of alleged property of British
subjects at the bombardment of Greytown. Two weeks
before the late Administration went out, M. Sartiges pre-
ferred similar demands on behalf of French subjects, re-
questing Mr. Marcy to leave them open for adjustment
by his successor; but he prepared a reply which is re-
garded as conclusive against our liability, and Lord Na-
pier, feeling its force and bearing upon England in its
application to Copenhagen and Canton, will withhold
his intended reclamations.
DIPLOMATIC AGONIES.
The new Spanish minister, Senor Tassara, is said to be
in the position of the Irishman who entreated his friends
to tread on the tail of his coat. He is dying to be in-
sulted by a proposition for the purchase of Cuba. It is
to be hoped the President will put him out of his pain.
Chevalier Hulseman has again got himself into a squab-
ble with the Government, and General Cass has been
obliged to write to him a pretty long letter upon interna-
tional law and the privileges of ministers. It seems that
the Chevalier had some dispute with the master of a ne-
gro woman whom he had hired as a servant, and the mas-
ter meeting her in the street told her to go home to his
house. The woman did so, and the worthy Chevalier
has invoked the interposition of the State Department to
defend his right as Minister Plenipotentiary of Austria
against interference with his servants. General Cass is
said to have demolished him in the Webster fashion.
Mr. Hulseman should be more careful.
Quite a flutter has been created in diplomatic circles
by the announcement that a new rule has been adopted at
the State Department with regard to foreign ministers.
Heretofore they have always had the entree at the De-
partment of State, to the exclusion of other visitors, and
enjoyed a preference, which was inconvenient to the Sec-
retary, and not particularly acceptable to the public. He
requires them before being admitted to an interview, to
request it in writing, and to state at the same time the
special object to be considered. This is the invariable
rule at foreign courts.
General Herran, the New Granadian Minister, has un-
dertaken the discussion of the pending questions between
this country and New Granada. They are very trouble-
some and difficult of adjustment.
THE PRESIDENT.
Just as the Cabinet had assembled on Thursday, the
President received a dispatch from Lancaster, informing
him that his nephew, Mr. Lane, brother of Miss Lane,
died that morning of inflammation of the bowels. Con-
sequently the Cabinet meeting was postponed until the
next day. Miss Lane, accompanied by the President's
private Secretary, Mr. Henry, left to attend the funeral.
The President was deeply affected by the sad intelligence,
for this young man was his especial favorite.
The President has had a slight return of his complaint,
and has been two days unable to transact business. Oth-
er persons poisoned at the same time are still suffering.
MR. MARCY AND THE MERCHANTS.
The merchants of New York, or at least some of the
wealthiest of them, have subscribed largely to purchase
a service of plate to be presented to Governor Marcy for
his regard to their interests while Secretary of State.
STATE LEGISLATURES.
In the Legislature of New York, the amended charter
bill has passed the House, and is expected to pass the
Senate without difficulty. Resolutions have been adopt-
ed providing for an amendment of the Constitution, so
as to abolish the property qualification now required for
colored voters, and to place whites and blacks on a foot-
ing of equality at the polls. The bill to repeal the usury
laws has been lost.
The Legislature of Pennsylvania has discussed and re-
ferred resolutions nullifying the decision of the Supreme
Court in the Dred Scott case. In the same State, the
Union State Convention (Know-Nothings and Republi-
cans) has nominated Hon. David Wilmot as the Union
candidate for Governor. Chief Justice Lewis, of the Su-
preme Court of Pennsylvania, has declined the Demo-
cratic nomination.
The Free State Convention, at Topeka, Kansas Terri-
tory, has passed resolutions adverse to any participation
in the election ordered by the Lecompton Legislature.
The State Senate of California has adopted the follow-
ing resolution:
“Resolved, By the people of the State of California,
represented in the Senate and Assembly, that the honor,
credit, and best interests of the State require that the
funded and other outstanding debts of the same should
be paid in good faith, and that immediate provision for
the payment of the same ought to be made.”
In a new case the Supreme Court has reaffirmed the
unconstitutionality of the State debt. It is declared il-
legal and invalid, and it can not be recovered by any
ordinary means. Taxes imposed to pay the interest of
the debt are likewise illegal, and may be lawfully re-
sisted. The legislative and executive branches of the
government can not effectively help in the matter, for
their interference would also be “unconstitutional.” It
remains only for the people themselves, in their sovereign
capacity, to take any further steps which may be thought
necessary.
ANARCHY IN UTAH.
Matters are coming to a head among the Mormons.
Early in January, and just in advance of the meeting of
the Supreme Court, a party of the Mormons, in high
standing in the Church, and under the advice of Brigham
Young, repaired to the office of the Hon. G. P. Stiles,
one of the United States District Judges, the law-office
of T. S. Williams, Esq., and the office of the Clerk of the
Supreme Court, and took therefrom all the papers be-
longing to the Supreme Court, consisting of records,
dockets, opinions filed away, together with nine hundred
volumes of the laws furnished by the Federal Govern-
ment for the use of the Territory of Utah. The reason
given for this treasonable act was that Congress would
not admit them as a State, and that they would not al-
low the Federal officers to remain in the Territory, and
that what officers were now in the Territory must leave.
It seems now to be a settled fact that the laws of Con-
gress can not be carried out or put in force in Utah. The
only law known or obeyed is the law of the Church, and
that is the will of Brigham Young.
OREGON PREPARING FOR ADMISSION INTO THE UNION.
A letter from Oregon Territory says: “The Legisla-
ture of Oregon is now in session. Its complexion is al-
most wholly democratic. Having no opposition of any
moment, the Democrats are dividing. The schism is rap-
idly increasing between the Standard men and the States-
man clique (the two rival journals of the party), or, as
they are now being generally designated, the `Tender
Feet' and `Putty Heads,' and now promises to be a reg-
ular New York `hard' and `soft' game, only on a diminu-
tive scale. A bill originated in the Council, and was
passed, excluding negroes from the Territory, but was
almost unanimously defeated in the House. The defeat
of the bill exhibited quite a feeling in favor of the `do-
mestic institution' on the part of most of those who voted
against it; although Delason Smith, a graduate of Ober-
lin, and a minister to South America under Captain
John Tyler, voted against it. But this, undoubtedly, was
from a strong fellow-feeling, as he said in his speech, that
we needed negroes in every town, and that individually
he was deadly opposed to slavery. A bill was passed sub-
mitting the question of State government to the people
in June. The people will undoubtedly vote for it, and
you may expect Oregon in less than a year asking for ad-
mission into the American Union. The question of slav-
ery will then be submitted to the people, and the result
is very doubtful. Unquestionably the pro-slavery party
are gaining ground and numbers. The large donation
of land to early settlers (640 acres), with the sparse popu-
lation, will greatly influence many to vote for it who
otherwise would not.”
MINNESOTA DOING LIKEWISE.
On the first Monday of June next the people of Min-
nesota Territory are to elect delegates to meet in conven-
tion, on the second Monday of July following, to determ-
ine whether it is the wish of the people of the proposed
State to be admitted into the Union; and if so, to proceed
to the adoption of a constitution and the organization of
a State government, in conformity with the Federal con-
stitution, subject to the approval and ratification of the
people.
THE WAR IN FLORIDA.
A letter from the seat of the Indian war in Florida,
says: “The ball is now opened; we have received In-
dian news at last. Yesterday a party of Johnston's Com-
pany, Florida Mounted Volunteers, arrived here from
Fort Centre, having a squaw and child about a year old,
whom they captured on the 4th inst. The day before,
a warrior was shot (the squaw's husband), after being
four times called to surrender. Both of these occurrences
took place twenty miles north of Istokpoga Lake. This
morning an express arrived from Captain Stevenson, com-
manding in the Big Cypress, stating that Lieutenant
Freeman, with `G' Company, 5th Infantry, who were in
advance reconnoitering `Garden Hammock' near Bow-
legstown, were fired on by the Indians, Lieutenant Free-
man was wounded very severely in the right arm, etc.,
and three privates wounded. Captain Stevenson arrived
at the scene of action next morning with the remainder
of his command at the Hammock, and made an attack,
driving out the Indians, who fought gallantly for fifteen
minutes. The loss of the 5th Infantry is 4 killed, 6
wounded, and 1 missing. Loss of Indians not known,
though they were distinctly seen carrying off a number
of bodies from the Hammock. Captain Stevenson is of
opinion that the Indians are going to make a stand there.
Great excitement here, sending out troops, etc.”
A NEW TRANSATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.
A new company has just been started in London, under
the title of the European and American International
Telegraph Company. They propose to lay a submarine
cable from the south coast of England to Cape Finisterre
in Spain: thence through the Atlantic westward. The
following are the various points to be connected, with the
approximate distances:
Lizard to Cape Finisterre
Bordeaux to Cape Finisterre
Cape Finisterre to Cape Rocca
Cape Rocca to San Miguel
San Miguel to Flores
Flores to Cape Cod
Total
It will be perceived that the distance between the two
continents is only 1800 miles. The entire work is to be
completed during the year 1858.
A CASPAR HAUSER STORY.
A Western paper draws upon the credulity of its readers
to the following extent: “A wild man was caught last
week, and brought to town. He was surrounded in a
sort of lair, beneath a dense cluster of undergrowth, like
the habitation of a wild beast, and filled with the bones
and skins of cats, which seemed to have constituted his
principal article of food. For this strange diet he has a
peculiar penchant, and eschewed almost every other.
He hunted cats with an avidity prompted by an extreme
voracity, and it was in the pursuit and slaughter of these
animals that he was first discovered. Frequent attempts
were made to capture him, but his agility and speed
were such that he appeared to run upon the tops of the
bushes, and fences offered no impediment to his headlong
course. At length, a great number surrounded and se-
cured him. He attempted battle, but was overcome.
When brought to the court-house he presented the stran-
gest appearance conceivable. His height was about five
and a half feet; his hair long, reddish brown, and
matted; his eyes large, gray, and restless; his finger
nails as long as the claws of a tiger; his deportment
crouching—half-timid, half-threatening; and his gar-
ments consisted of a thousand tatters of cloths, barks,
cat-skins, etc., bound together by cat-guts. He said he
was from the State of New York, and had been in the
woods thirty-six years. While he was being examined,
and was permitted to stand unbound, he made a sudden
spring over the heads of those who surrounded him, and
darted away with the speed of the reindeer. The crowd
pursued him, but in vain. Over the hills he fairly flew,
before both footmen and horsemen, until he was fairly
lost to them. Nothing since has been heard of him.”
Look out for this wild man at Barnum's.
DEATH ON THE STAGE.
One evening last week, while one of the largest and
most brilliant audiences ever seen in America was enjoy-
ing the splendid performance of “Linda di Chamouni”
in the Philadelphia Academy of Music, there was a scene
of startling contrast behind the curtain. A very worthy
member of the female chorus, whose services, from her
long experience, were very valuable, died suddenly in
the green-room, just as the opera was about to begin, of
disease of the heart. It was a shocking and solemn in-
cident, and created a great deal of agitation among the
performers, especially among the choristers, who had so
long been associated with her and accustomed to follow
her directions in the performances.
It was some time before the singers could recover their
composure sufficiently to enable them to go on. But the
vast audience before the curtain knew nothing of the sad
tragedy that had occurred, and it was not deemed ad-
visable to inform them of it. There was a delay of ten
or fifteen minutes in the commencement of the perform-
ance; but then the curtain rose, and the Swiss villagers
appeared, smiling and gay in their rustic costume, and
no one thought that within a few yards of them lay the
corpse of one of their number, arrayed like them in the
bright dress of the canton. The prima donna and all
forced down the emotions that the tragedy excited, and
went through with their parts with apparent composure.
The audience were more than usually enthusiastic and
gay. Cheers and bravas greeted the prima donna, and
bright bouquets were showered at her feet. To the few
who had heard of the grim intrusion of the King of Ter-
rors into the temple of mirth and festivity, the scene be-
fore the curtain had in it something of the awful.
A HORRIBLE BRUTE.
A few days since, a wretch who lives in Byron, Ogle
County, beat a child in that town in a most brutal and
shocking manner. His name is Livingston; he recently
married a widow with two or three children. On the
morning in question it appears that, at the breakfast-ta-
ble, the child made some remark, at which he flew into
a passion and struck the child. The mother then inter-
fered and told him to desist, which he did, and apparent-
ly was sorry for the act. In the evening he had his wife
put the children to bed, and then invited her to go out
with him to call upon one of the neighbors. While at
the neighbor's he made some excuse for leaving, and
returned home alone, went to the bed where the child
was sleeping, aroused it, and commenced beating it
with his flat hand. Its cries alarmed a Mrs. Canter-
bury, a near neighbor, who, looking through the win-
dow, saw the proceeding. After beating the child with
his flat hand until he became apparently tired, he held
him up and struck him with his fist in the face and
head at least a dozen times, and in fact until he became
perfectly insensible. He then deliberately washed the
blood from off the bedclothes of the child, and returned
to the neighbor's, where his wife was staying. On re-
turning home with his wife, and when she discovered
the situation of the child, he appeared to be much sur-
prised. It was not until Saturday, when the child was
considered in danger, that the neighbor, Mrs. Canter-
bury, told what she saw. The man was thereupon ar-
rested and held to bail to appear at the next Circuit
Court. After these proceedings were over, the citizens
seized and took him into the street, and there gave him
such a castigation as he will probably remember to the
day of his death.
A SLIGHT INDISCRETION.
Considerable interest is excited among the friends and
relatives of a certain Miss Jaquett in Philadelphia. The
lady in question has made application for a divorce.
The circumstances of the case are peculiar. Miss Ja-
quett, about a year ago, was at a party with a certain
Mr. Batchell, where the one challenged the other to get
married by way of a joke. The banter was accepted.
The gentleman and lady jumped into a vehicle, posted
off to a neighboring clergyman, where the knot was tied.
But the lady, having shown her spirit, declared she would
carry the joke no farther. Both parties soon found they
had gone too far. Mr. Batchell was a gentleman of prop-
erty in Ohio. He could no longer make title to his real
estate. The young lady, who reigned as a village belle,
soon found she had been trifling with a serious matter.
It was an act of youthful indiscretion, for which the law
had provided no remedy.
WAKED HIM SUDDENLY.
A Mr. Halsey, living in this city, was awaked one night
last week by receiving in his thigh the contents of a rifle
loaded with powder and ball. It appears that in the ad-
joining house lives a man named Charles A. Moore, who
has been drunk for several days past. Yesterday morn-
ing he got up in a delirium, as is supposed, and fired the
rifle at Mr. Halsey's house, with the disagreeable result
recorded. Mr. Halsey was seriously injured, but is now
doing well.
A WOMAN BEATEN TO DEATH.
A most brutal murder has just been committed in
Alabama upon the body of Mrs. Wadkins, wife of Wilson
Wadkins, and daughter of Isaac M`Elyea, by a man of
the name of Roland. The circumstances are that Roland
and old M`Elyea were engaged in a fight; Mrs. Wadkins
came to the relief of her father, when Roland turned
upon her and brutally beat her to death, her body, from
her abdomen to her head, having been beaten almost to
a jelly. Roland is from North Carolina, a stone-mason
and a chimney-builder by trade; he is a tall, thin-visaged
man. He has made his escape, but it is hoped he may
yet be arrested, and brought to justice. Reports in the
neighborhood say he recently fled from North Carolina
for the crime of murder.
MR. BUCHANAN WANTS A CHECK CASHED.
A tall, gentlemanly, kid-gloved personage entered the
Chief's office on Tuesday last and informed officer Mas-
terson that he was James Buchanan, President of the
United States, and had come to the City Hall, which he
understood was the United States Bank, to draw his year's
salary. He presented a check on the Ulster County Bank,
drawn in favor of James Vanderburg for $25,000, and
wanted to see the cashier. The officer replied that he
was the cashier, but could not pay the draft at that mo-
ment, whereupon Mr. Buchanan expressed his regret, and
stated that he had been offered the money at the Mint,
but as it was in coin he declined taking it, as being too
unwieldy to be portable. Mr. Buchanan talked very flu-
ently and sensibly with the officer, and assured him that
the country would be safe while he occupied the White
House. He left, promising to call again and get his
draft honored next day. The officer was incredulous
enough to believe that the party was insane, and that his
friends ought to look after him.
THE BRIDGE ACROSS THE EAST RIVER.
A bill is now before the Legislature to throw a suspen-
sion bridge over the East River from New York to Brook-
lyn, with a span higher than the skysail of the tallest
clipper, with one terminus near the Park on the New
York side, and the other far enough back in Brooklyn to
secure an easy grade of ascent. The plan is pronounced
feasible, and within the cost of a profitable investment,
by Mr. Roebling, the architect of the Niagara suspension
bridge. He is probably one of the best bridge engineers
living, and his judgment, both as to cost and durability,
is entitled to respect.
FOLDING PAPERS UNDER OATH.
The following oath is said to have been administered
in the Iowa Legislature to a little boy ten years of age,
chosen to fold up documents:
“You do solemnly swear to support the Constitution
of the United States and of this state, and to fold papers
to the best of your ability, so help you God.”
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