New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1846-04-09
From Washington.
Things In Washington.
Correspondence OF Tse Tribune
WASHINGTON, April It'll, 1876
- o'clock midnight {

%
Jyantto give you some idea of Sir. WEgsTER's
o,raa, sneech today in defence OF himself and his
oubIic reputation-and yet dare hardly trust my
ppaIf N sneak of il under the excitement which II
bas created in my mind have read specimens Of
invec,ive beth in the original languages and IN
,ranslations from, Demosthenes and Cicero have
read the nvectives of Burke and Sheridan and other
orators in the British Parliament and elsewhere, but
think that there never was delivered in this coun
trv or ia Europe anything at all approaching that OF
Mr.. WEBSTER to-day, under the influence OF which
am still laboring. Since and during the delivery
have felt sensation of awe as have felt when
,,agriscept thunder storm passed over me. have
almos, fell the lightnngs wing as it shot past me-
CIIowed ips,an,aneously by the thunder crash, and
Tbare felt swed by the majesty OF the exhibition,
while I have felicited myself on being fortunate
enouph TO be 10 the center of the war of elements
Some people will be apt to say that the punish
,oon, vas too severe the vengeance too summary,
-.L;oh Mr. WEBSTER inflicted on his adversaries TO-
5ay acknowledge that it was severe-dreadfoi-
10 so-but we must not forget the provocatlon we
nnst weigh the punishment in the scale against the
offence thai provoked the retribution.
For four long years Mr. WEBSTER with ms irea'
70 has been made the butt OF Loco Foco rloaidry.
Asa Western Loco Foco Senator informed hie To-
1av II was a common practice among their party,
,,bsr ,hev crew wearied in heaping charges upon
the w higs and when their assertions were contra
dicted. 10 launch out against Mr. Webster ana the
Ashbur,on Treaty. This was sure TO bring down
the plaudts ofevery oafer who was SOBER enough
10 clap his hands Every oar-rooin anu sroSse,y
resounded with malediction upon Gen. Harrison's
Secretary of State, till the foulmouthed libelers
began actually from off repeating them, to beleve
their own falsehoods The pigmy POLITICIANS nave
goadod the giant into action, and with one stamp Oh
hs foot he has crushed the whole brood into puiVer-
lied non cntity-if your readers will allow me 10
use that expression. Who can blame Dim lor such
acrashiug retribution?
He seemed determined to make no half way work
OF the matter. He had lifted his OF vengeance,
and il mu utterly annihllate whatever II TELL upon.
The sun of his intellect had been looking upon the
mists and vapors OF political degradation, and
eload gathered il.ef his face. thunder storm
ensued seldom eqnaled in Northern climates. The
dark cloud Of hung upon mis- brow to-day,
and the forkcd lghtnngs played from beneath
There was one dreadful flash and thunder clap,
which shivered every thing into atoms-roar after
roar followed fash after fash The FIRST had laid its
victims out crushed and broken monuments OF its
fary succeeding ones played around the wreck only
lighting up ihe ruins that their predecessor lad
created.
The first sqoall that struck the vessel dismantled
her. leaving her helpless wreck, but still the light
nings of heaven danced round it, and the war of the
tempest made music through the widespread DESC
ston
When the tempest ceased, tho echoes PLAYED
round the dome of the Capitol and walled requiem
over the killed and wounded in the march OF death
A Southern Loco Foco remarked that when MIR.
WEBSTER sat down he looked like nothing 30 much
as q wild beast who had grown tired tapping blood,
and ceased from WEAKNESS, rather than from pity.
Some may think me extravagant In my descrip-
ton bat have looked it over coolly and l do not
think that exaggerate. Some propose to erect
monument 10 Messrs. Dickinson aud lNGERsoLL,
before ,ey sink clean from the memory OF man.
But that is useless Mr.. WEBSTER has today made
liz. ~
live elooueuce on record is read the object OF that
invec,ve will be remembered TOO.
Some members of Congress think that MIR. w Eb
srKR ought not to have gone SO Tar, being great
Constitutional Lawyer, for the eighth article OF the
amendments TO the Constitution otthe U. States pro
yides thar there shall not be "cruel and unusual
punishments inflicted All will acknowledge that
The punishment was severe. AS it has no parallel IL
was unusual.
/ gave YOU as good sketch OF the speech as l
could by the evening mail. The Senate die NOT ad,
iourn ,ill near four and ! had TO take dinner and
finish the sketch by Eve o'clock. What sent you
Yesterday and to-day will give you an Idea OF the
speech but YOU sbould republish II as soon as you
sse an authentic copy II is the most successful
seifvindic ation on record.
I gave you some of his expressions about MI IN
oERsoLL but had not time 10 give you some he useu
shon, Mr. Dickinson. He asked the honorable
Member from New.York whether II was tar Just
and honorable TO embody in his printed speech wha'
be Mr. Webster had pronounced al the time Whoi-
ly fase-an ebullition said he, foul ana
ed as any thing elected from the mouth o, any
Ains standing on two legsl And yet he SAID ini'
Senator Dickinson had franked these speeches OF hs
containing Mr. Ingersolls libel. by the thousand
He would venture 10 say that there were enough
of them sent into Broome county TO MI parh anu
mighty poor fodder at that said he
He said it was no pleasure for him TO use such
language, but his public character had been attack
L. - nv
hard toll here. II dear to him as his lie ana
from what quarter the attack may s s nc
that reputation shall be stricken down. LII lie
is extinguished, defend it.
He complained that the conduct OF Mr.. Dickinson
in publishing SANDER from the other House, after
Ii was publicly pronounced d falsehood, was not eX
actly in accordance with Senatorial bearing.
Two or three times Mr.. w WEBSTER remarked thai
be would keep his temper-but The sheer would
creep over his features. Anybody who could have
rot Daeuerreotype likeness OF his face while he
was ridiculing Mr.. lngersolls venerailon Tor Massa
chusetts would have made fortune oy IL
TWAS new field for WEBSTER and he hal
shown himself fully master of it. He has been Ell
gagged in rrea. contests of intellect where ne lei
that he srappled with men worthy oil his creates
exertions-bat here he stood upon high point AM
seemed 10 look down with contempt upon 'ne VIC
tins of his whitening invectlve.
doubt whether the play is over. Senator DICK
iNsoS has the door for 10 morrow he Is loofharo.
enough 10 provoke still farther the anger OF IN
reused lion MIR. WEBSTER will probably repl,
again. If Mr. ALLEN replies to Mr. WEBSrEl
there will be little left OF him in the encounter
Mos, of the Senators ieicitatins themseive
that they were ncI the objects OF his wrath today
They say they hsv, seen in tropical climates SIX Q
eight 8Asbes OF lightning strike poor animal whic
was had u: stiff by the FIRST and they don't want
have Gpy ptacti al experience of the operation.
DAxISE WzssrER is a great, big Electrical Ms
chine. Tbs position he has got in bar-rooms ant
other rnapuiac,ores OF Loco Focoism, has excited
the electricity. The machine is now fully charged
any one who touches ii will get q shock.
II believe made mistake about Mr.. Levin
, amendment to the rifle bill to-day, in the House.
was that the Regiment should guard only Na'iv
smigran;s 10 Oregon, in place OF offering II wit
V2tives He or his amendment, however. is OF iis,l
.; mi, l understand that he raised quite iaugl
as himself today by stating that Benedict AT
.ssg isa foreigner! This also is of litle account
The Cumberland Road Bill was rejected io,da.
~ayote of loo 10 20.
Understand that there is some news OF interest Il
i,y from Mexico tonight, which will probabi.
ear in 10 morrow's Intelligencer.
che Oregon debaie appears 10 be yet far from
aclusion in the Senate Mr.. MAYcUM, MIR MORE
sKAD, Mr.. CR1TTEsDES, Mr. HUNTIsGTos, Mr. Al
n and others m cpaak pf,nr this branch