The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-28 00:00:00

TBE ITAUTED STATES.

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A letter from NeN York, dated Dec, 13, says :
Congress hasbeen in session more than a week with-
out any choice of a Speaker. The house has been
entirely occupied, during the hours of public ses-
sion, with the discussion' of the slavery
question.
During the recess each poly has been trying to
devise means to attract to its'elf the outside support
necessary to secure a majority' for its can didate for
•
Speaker. There are five distinct parties in the
house—the Republicans, who only need six votes
to give them a majority ; the Democrats • , the
Southern Know-nothings, whose sympathies are
anti-Democratic, and who coiesequently sympathise
with the Republicans ; the Northern Know-
nothings, who sympathise with the democracy
and the Anti-Lecompton DemocratiGre whose gene-
whose
ral sympathies are with the democracy'
bet u
at re with
feelings and views on the slave questio_
Re pub-
the Republicans. Out of all this mass this s
e
licans have to gain but six votes to seceirs.'
th
Speekership ; the Democrats, on the contrary; have
to gain over 30. Not only are alsoi chat ces
with the Republicans, but so,, I suspect arc t;."3
political combinations. Unless there should be
scme speedy change in the count, the election of
a Republican Speaker is quite probable before the
next packet leaves. The slavery question and
the John Brown affair have been warmly discussed
in Congress. Members have thus had a chance to
ventilate themselves, and as soon as the voting in
earnest begins they will probably proceed to the
work, and elect a Republican without any further
noise or difficulty. The debate, however, has not
been without decided and important preliminary re-
sults. It began with the Republicans cowed, not-
withstandingtheirnumbers. They gathered strength
as it went on, and now they may be said to have re-
gained all the position which they lost, and I believe
that they have the choice of Speaker in their own
hands. It may be delayed a few days, but in the
end it will probably take place. "The "Democratic
policy is delay, in the hope either of gaining the
South Americans, or of forcing the Anti-Lecomp-
ton Democrats to an open alliance with the Repub-
licans. The debate has been, on the whole, more
nod rate in its tone than might have been expected.
The Republicans have generally kept quiet. The
Democrats alsohave left their talking to the second-
rate men. The time of the House has been mainly
taken up by the middle men in defining their posi-
tion. The debate had risen to the level of a general
interest but one day—Saturday last—and the New
York journals have repaid the speakers by giving
them a leader. Mr. Clark, of New York—an anti-
Lecompton Democrat, whose words carry weight,
as well from the personal character and social stand-
ing of the gentleman himself as from the constitu-
ency which he represents—on that day seceded
openly from the Democratic organisation, and de-
clared that he would not act with " those who, in
the event ,of certain men being elected President,
however obnoxious they might be, without waiting
for some overt act or violation of constitutional right,
would deem it a sufficient ground for a dissolution
of the Union." Mr. Smith, of Virginia, assumed to
speak for the democracy. He argued that "there
was an absolute necessity that the South should
present itself as a unit, not as a means of preserving
the Union, but as a means of preserving itself."
The leading speech on that side of the question was
made by Mr. Curry, of Alabama. He argued that
the real cause of the agitation was because it was
held at the North " that property in man is a crime,
that the African is the equal of the white man, that
ho is a citizen of the United States, and that he is
entitled to the privileges and immunities of other
citizens." There are great differences between the
different classes of persons at the North holding
these opinions. Entire Abolitionists justify vio-
lence in severing the relations between the master
and the slave, but the Republican party proper is
not responsible for such excesses. But whether
resisting slavery by violence, or moderately and
constitutionally, persons holding such opinions are
equally hostile to the South. "If slavery be a
crime against God and against humanity—if it be a
curse of society—if it contains the fruitful source of
irremediable veees,eit isas Taint() talk of moderation,
and the constitution, and non-interference with the
rights of the South, as it would be to propel a skiff
up the surging cataract of Niagara." The practical
result which the orator drew from this philosophif
reasoning was announced amid cheers from the De-
mocratic benches. "If the North elected Mr. Se-
ward, or Mr. Chase, or any other member of the
Republican party on a sectional platform, such an
election was to be resisted, to the destruction of
every tie which binds together the great confede-
racy." Such sort of speeches have, however, da-
maged the Democratic party. The third party men
are beginning to question whether gentlemen who
say that they will not submit to the results of a
popular election, but will go out of the Union if
their candidates are not elected, are either very good
Democrats or very good Union men. The friends of
the Union are holding large meetings in the princi-
pal towns, to assure the South of their detestation
of the murderous attempt of Brown. Mr. Everett
addresses the solid men of Boston, and Mr. Inger-
soll talks fel. Philadelphia. New York is also to
have a larger meeting than either town. But such
speeches damage the friendly movements of the
Northern merchants greatly. The counter-feeling
which it excites is dangerous and prejudicial.
Where, they ask, is the benefit of Republican insti-
tutions, if the minority will not submit to the ma-
jority ? Where the freedom of the North if they
must vote only in obedience to the South ? Ques-
tions like this, adroitly put, and persistently urged,
inflame the public mind, and drive it
faster
and
more obstinately forward in the directions which it
is quite ready to take without the help of such
stimulants.

The discussion yesterday took a more personal
form. Mr. Hickman, of Pennsylvania, and Mr.
Haskin, of New York, anti-Lecompton Democrats,
each spent an hour in defending his course in op-
posing the Administration. Some parts of Mr.
Hickman's speech were spicy. I give a short ex-
tract to show you the temper with which this dis-
cussion is conducted :

" Coming to the subject of dissolution, if dissolu-
tion means the dividing line of sentiment between
the North and South, and virtual non-intercourse,
why, we have reached that dissolution, for Northern
men cannot now travel in the South, and, as I un-
derstand it, any postmaster in any village of the
South, where the receipts of the office would not
amount to five dollars, can, if a letter bearing any
frank goes into his hands, open it, examine it, and
burn it. We have reached that dividing line be-
tween the North and the South, But if dissolution
means that there is to be division of territory by
Mason and Dixon's line, or by any other line, I say
No.' I express my conviction—whether false or true
the country can judge—that when I say No' the
North will never tolerate a division of the territory.
(Sensation and applause from the Republican
benches.)
" Mr. Gartrell (Democrat), of Georgia, rising
amid great sensation—l should like to know how
you are to prevent it.

" Mr. Hickman—l will tell you. lam neither a
prophet nor the on of a prophet, but I express my
conviction that there is as much true ceurage in the
North, though it may not be known by the name of
ellivalry—(sensation)—as in the South. I do not
use the word contemptuously, for I admire chivalry
everywhere. There is, I say again, as much true
courage at the North as there is at the South. I
always believed it, and I will therefore express it;
and I believe that, with all the appliances of art to
assist, 18,000,000 men reared to industry, with
habits of the right kind, will always be able to cope
successfully with 8,000,000 men without these auxi-
liaries. (Sensation and applause and some hisses.)"
With all the talk and bluster about disunion, the
movements of the party managers on neither side
lsok as if the thought of it were entertained for a
moment. The Democratic party was never more
busy than now in man etivres for a candidate. Mr.
Lane, a senator from Oregon, familiarly known as
Joe Lane, has just now the inside track. He was
originally a wood chopper, then became a flat boat-
man, then a hero at the battle of Buenovista, then
the founder of a State on the Pacific. The popu-
larity acquired from such a life is supposed to be
greater with the masses than the more solid reputa-
tion of statesman. Mr. Cobb, the present Secretary
of the Treasury also has many friends ; and I sus-
pect that when the day of nomination comes it Will
b.:" found that Mr. Breckenridge, who has just been