From Washington

To-day is a general holiday i i all the Departments. The muuicipal offices are olosed. AU the foreign ministers aud army and navy officers paid their respecta to the President, after which the citizens ! generally were admitted. A few Union and secesRÏou cockades were seen in tho crowd. The receptions were cheerless, and the greetings lacked the earnestness j of former occasions. But few meinbers of Coogress were present. Washington, Jan. 2. Au earnegt address to the people of the United States is prepared, reeoininonding thein to rally to a compromise on the basis of the propositions of Senators Crittenden and Bigler It is already tsigned by u number of Senators aud Kepresentatives The most intimóte friends of tho President say his present dutermination is not to reinaud Maj. Andersou to Fort Moultrie. The report that troops have been sent to Charleston creatcd great indigtiation ainong Southerners If any orders had been given for such a niovemeut, they have been revoked. The sloop of war Brooklyn is at Norfolk, and 8 officerod and manned for any emergency. According to the present prograrame, the President' message em body ing the proposition of tho South Carolina Commissioners, will be sent to the House, and will probably be tabled. The Deputy Arms ia now in New York, summoning wituesses in the Baileycase. ilussell will be tried to-day. It is not true, as has been reported, that the coinmittee of thirty-three have , accepted Mr. Crittenden'B proposition, but some of the meiubers are yet hopeful that they may an-iva at some general agreement A Washington dispatch to the Jy Y. Times, says that a high authority evinces that the policy of the administration towwds the secessiouists is eutirely changed. Heneef'orth it will ba conciliatory, but finn iu the executiou of the laws Tho sloop 'f ii' Brooklyu and anoth er vessel at Norfolk, were yesterday ordered to be in readiness for immediato departure for Cliarlostoa. Cipt. Churlos Stoue has boen, on tho recommendutiori of Ge. Scott, aplu.inted Inap. ctor General of Mihtia ID the District ot Oolumbia. He is to organize the miliüa of the District, ropel invtu-ion uppres insurrection, aud preserve the public property. The rumor gaMis credence that the important Southern posts will be immediately reiiiloiced with iroops. The majoritv ot tho Houso Committee of Thirty-three have afreed upoti and will report a plan of Ijiwtmeiit - Thore is a wery ourrent rumor that a rai.l from tho South upon the city of Wa-bi toi sin cni.tom, lation at any tiiirly ti;iy. Aspciil dispstch to the Pst says ihat B CoUeotor tot the port of Charleston will be Bomioatod u-duy, to Mipereede Colcook. An explosión is e speuted in tho faénate. A procla.nuti on and no; a epacial message is expectea frOW the PrwueMBJor Anderson informe the Govornment that romíoroe.neots aro not needed at Fort Sumpier A Bpcoial dispateh to tho Commercial Jthtrtistr pnys that thcro i a much better foe'ing in Washington. It ii well understood that act ing Secretar of Wsr H'-lt, and Attorney-General Stanton, aro ai liberty to take whatevor measures they muy deem necessarr for the public good. They are taking mcasunas tu maintain the honor of our fla?, and to protect tho public property. The armory, infantry barracks, and sevcral stores were burnt this nioruing. Tho runior that an attompt had boea made to assassinate 8euator Wado ia uuíüiindod.