Miscellany: Impressions Of Texas: Washington--Halls Of Congr...

Desiring to see the representative of itssovereignty and the capítol of the Republicjwe proceeded io Washington on the Brazos. We entered a small vil lage of rather mean houscs, mostly log cabins, containing some five or six hundred inliabitants. We found lodgings at the principal hotel, which embraced a barroom, a long unplastered eating room and a kitchen on the groundfloor; and at night we were ushered into a long unfinished garret, where one could lay and study the art and mystery of building, by contemplating the naked beams and rafters, and iheir relations and proportions toeach other;and if at all curious in such matters, he could have counted the rows of shingles necessary to cover a roof of like dirnensions. At one end was a window scarce sufficient to betray the approach of day light. Here we were bedded quite promiscuously with about twenty other inmates of the house, some of iv hom we disco vered before morning, were most vociferous snorers, and others regular subjects of the night-mare. We were reconcilcd to our accommodations by the reflection that we were occupying the places just left vacant by the magnates of the land.In the morning, we went forth to view the legislativo halls and public offices. - The Representative Hall we found to be an unfiished loft over a drinking shop, in a frame building, 50 by 20. After the adjournment of Congress, which occurred a few days previously it was taken possession of by the Treasury Department, and at the time of our visit, it was divided into various compartments by screens of unbleached factory cloth, stretched across it in various directions; and by the side of the passage way into each división, was pinned to the cloth a label, on which was written, "The Treasurer's Office"- "Comptrollei 's Office" - "Auditor's Office," &c. Having exnmined this structure, and reflecting to ojrselves that though less imposing in its architecture and finish, it had resounded with tones as grandiloqucus, and speeches for Bunkum as fulsome and bombastic as any that had echoed through the dome and pillars of its prouder sister capítol on the banks of the Potomac, we went in search of the Senate Chamber, which we found some three hundred yards off, over a grocery in a small building,rather in the decline of its being, on which no great expenditure for paint had ever been made. The chamber 15 by 20 Ceel, unfinished, though a few gallons of whitewash had apparently been spread by no very practiced hands, over the rough board ceiling, was rented for the session, at the extravagant national expendihire of 83 per week. A flight of steps which displayed no great expenditure in their construction, nor of artistical skill in ornament, run from the exterior of the building to a platform from which a door opened into the Senrle Chamber, which spared their Uonors the necessity of entering the august assembly through adirty grog-shop. We next proceeded to the War Department, which we found to be a low, 16 by 18 feel log cabin, blessed with but one glazed window. lt was divided intotwoapartments, the front one contalned an oíd and a shabby looking bed fora single gentleman, which at the moment of our entrance a black boy was giving its usuí 1 morning airing. The rear apartment, where we found the acling Secretary was occupied, besides nis honor, by a small pine table, three oíd chairs and a handkerchief full of papers; the chairs being jast equal in numbcr to our party, the Secretary politely took'his seat on the corner of the tablej andalthough not elegant, things seenied quite coinfortable and convenient; sis panes of 8 by 10 glass admitted considerable light fromthe west, and the room was sufiïciently luminous to see to read and write without any very great lax on the powers of visión; a bright the was blazing in the chimney, and a "smart" efTort had cvidently been made to chink up the worst crevices in the logs, both on tho out and inside, with mud, to protect the inmates against a "Norther." Since the fear of Me.xican invasions has subsided, the business of this department does not appear to be pressing; and the chief clerk was the only clerk, and discharged all thedutiesof acting Secretary and the subordínate bureaus at the same time.We noxt pnid our réspects lo ihe Secretary of State, whose department we found in a building, whícJh I at first, in my simplicity, mislook for a carpenter's shop; though moro stately, it was less comfortable than the war office; for, being a frame building, it wassimply weatherboarded on the outside, and the winds of heaven were sifted through the innumerable cracks. As diplomacy was quite active at the time of our visit to the capítol, aflairs in this department appeared to require a uiuch largerarray of assistants, nnd a great deal more display of official importance and dignity. It was evident that the occupants of stations here, feit tliatin their little clapboard shop cvents were evolving which fixed the attention of the world.President Jones ís a dignified and courteous gentleman, and was formerly a respectable physician in the western seclion of Massachusetts, and in his nalive stale probably never would have been known beyond his own neighborhood. TheConstitution prohibitsthe President from holding office two terms in succession, and Dr. Jones is a locum tenens for General Houston, by whose influence and personal exertions on the stump he was elected. He has a slronger disposition to control the legislation of the country and make his own will the law, llmn General Jackson or John Tyler ever exhibited. Of 120 bilis passed by the late Congress he pocketed thirty-six of the number.Although he does not openly avow his sentiment, he is evidentl y opposed to annexation, as is every member of the administration, and almost every subordínate oíficer of the Government throughoul the country. The official paper, the organ of the executive, is decided ín its hostility to the measure, and is appealing to the pride and prejudices of the people to rejert t!ie overtures of the United States. In Washington we could not find one cilizen who approved of the proposed bans and through the country there is already a large and increasing party opposed to a unión wilh the United States.The politica! parties in the country have heretofore been the Houston and the anti-Houston partic?. The former has been the predominant party, and Sam. Houston has governed the country by his personal influence since the organization, except during the administration of Gen. Lamar, to whom he wasopposed. "Old Sam," ashe is famüïarly denominated by his partizans, is a man of many noble, generous qualities, and has at the same time some of the most debased and degrading vices; he has a majeslic person, a lofiy bearing, and noble presence; in manners and address he is courteous and manly; in the presence of a multitude his power to sway and direct them,is irresistable; but he too ofíen abdicates his proud station, and sinks in an hour by a besetting vice, to a brute and blackguard. - Even in his degradation, however, there is a lingering respect for the lofty nature of the man, and his faults are paliated by those who most condemn and deplore them. He has every where enthusiastic partizans, and his name "is a host of itself," and in or out of office, he directs the course, in a great measure, of the Executive. He has been suspected fora year of beingsecretly hostile to annexation, but from a fear of the people, or awe of Gen. Jackson, has not daredopenly to avow his opposilion. By the letter of the English Charge d'Afiair.s, recently published, ít appears that he lias secretly pledged himself to oppose the measure. The publication of this letter is likely to defeat the object which its author had in view; for the partizans ofannexation iti Texas have had more fear of the disguised hostility of Houston and Jones than open oppositioii. They have dreaded the intrigues and evasive delays of their own cabinet more than the noisy oppoüition in the United States to the measure; - and it is believed if the matter of diplomatic negotiations under the provisions of Mr. Benton's bill, ihe project would be defeated, by some indirect mcans, by their own Executive.Polk and Houston ure Gen. Jnckson's "two boys," as he has ahvays called tliem They are his 'eleves;' - the matter is now iu their hands; - the old General's influ once over "Jim," as ho calis him is stil unbroken, and if "Sam" has not en tirely thrown off the paternal authority Oid Hickory willyetaccomplish ihetneas ure through his "boys." "Sum" is loth to resign lus sway over his independent principal ity, and would rathor be Chtef among tlio Choctaws, than a Peer of the British renltn; and may, therefore find means to deceive his old master, and accomplish his purpose, without oponly spurning parental comrnands.The citizens of American origin, who are interested in lands and slaves, are unanimously in favor of anncxation. - And the present Congress, in wliich every county has at least one member, and in which some counties having not more than 15 or 20, and others 40 or 50 votes are represenied, and where consequent ihe interior counties and landed interesls have a preponderating infloence over the commercial towns and counties, has a large majority in favor of annexation. And if the resolutions of Mr. Brown be proposed by our government and honestly submitted by the Texas Executive to their Congress, that body woulddiately accede to the mensure, or cali a Convention, in which themembers wouid be apportioned in the same ratio as they are in Congress, which Convention would adopt the measure. On the contrary, every citizen of Eu rope an origin appenrs to be opposed to annexation, particularly the more recent emigrants; this is the class of citi'zens now flowing into the country, while the American population is diminishing. The Europenn emigrants, with the aid of the towns, and the partizans of the Executive, form a party which very nearly equals in the number of voters, though they cannot elect as many representatives under the rotten borough system, as tho advocates of annexalion. This will explain to you the difference in the views of the Executive and Congress on the subject; the President is elocïed by a majority of all the voters of the country j - Congress is chosen by the connties. If the measure of annexation can be déla ved orstaved ofF for one or two years, the influx of European emigrants will change the votes of several of the western countics now controlled by the American party, and a majority will be sec u red in Congress against the measure. If the subject be submitted to negociation by the commissioners, the Texan Executive will procrastinate and evade, till they have secured a majon'ty of the European party, and then their Congress will reject any terms of annexation that may be ofTered them bthe United States. The consequence will be that the American population will abandon the country, and it will becomean European province, or an independent nation of Germans and Frenchmen; - in which slavery will be abolished, and it will fall under the rule of Prince de Somms, or some other oí the sprigs óf Germán nobility, who are now so busily engaged in inlroducing their countrymen.The success of the measure therefore now depends on the choice made by our Executive in he mode of affecting it. The present Texan Executive would not dare delay submitting the resolutions to Congress which accede to the overture. But f negotiation by a commission be proposed, the Texan Executive will have the game in his own hands, and will be sute lo defeat the measure.