Southern shield., 1847-01-09
Correspondence of the Baltimore Patriot.
 WASHINGTON, Dec. 22, lS46.

In the House there were comedy and 1 farce enacted to the life. After Mir. Morse. | of Louisiana, had finished his speech on the Presidents Message-which speech | was not very brilliant or interesting, the floor was awarded to Mr. Barclay Martin, | of Tennessee, who represents the District formerly represented by Mir. Polk. MT. Martin is a tall, square-buit, dark-complex toned man, with long arms, large dark eyes, | and dark look altogether He has a roaring voice. and his style of gesticulaton is sui generis! He was formerly Baptist clergyman and can quote scripture, barring its grammar, all day long. When he speaks, ho never fails to getup scene and produce merriment. By his grimmaces, gestcula- tions. contortions of face, and the manner in which he clenches his fists and brandish- es them aloft and round about, one would think tha: he was rabid and going 10 bite somebody. But he never bites!
 To-day he replied to his colleague Mir. Gentry, and if his speech could only be reported just as he delivered if, the public would have a feast in preserving il By the way, for religious man, he used some most astounding and extraordinary Ian
 guage, though he might have essayed to use it in scriptural sense. But even in that case am inclined to think the words "help' and "damnation" occurred rather too often not to offend against good taste. Mir. Garrett Davis followed on the other side, and if ever member of Congress n fringed upOn that clause of the Constiu- ton which prohibits the inficton, in certain eases, of cruel punishment, then is Mir.
 Davis justly chargeable with having in- 1 hicted that same upon Mir James K. Polk!
 It was terrible He referred othe quota ton in the message from the Constitution, where Mir. Polk insinuates that those who call in question the propriety of his conduct in relation 10 the origin and progress of the war with Mexico, are rendering laid and comfort to the enemy, and therefore guilty l of moral treason, and then illustrated how this treason against the United States might be committed in the way of affording "aid and comfort to the enemy! He asked how came Mir. Polk to enter into an intrigue
 with the bloodest tyrant in Chrlstendom, Santa Anna, who had been banished from hIs own country, 10 get him and Almonte and number of other distinguished Mexi
 can Generals to go back to Mexico? Why ! ulu iiC SiNc AbeII q IT CC pass lHI ChSI uul l blockade2 Why did he call upon Congress to plaoo in his Land r,iIlione of dolIare ] 10 help him ii this scheme of rendering laid and comfot" to the people and cause of Mexico2 And this was the man, who. after rendering such laid and comfort" 10 Mexico, now daed 10 proclaim to the world, in an annual message, that those who found fault with his conduct, were thereby render, ing laid and comfort' to the encmy- Twice as muci guilty of treason 10 our country and oui cause was this very man, as those againstwhom he made the charge!
 MT Davis rang out the changes upon this subject with great force and effecl- Where now would the Mexican army be, if Mir. Polk had not intrigued with that arch Dictator, Santa Anna, with view 10 get him and the Generals with him back into Mexico, where they are now aiding and abetting the Mexican cause against the U. States The "aid and comfort" which Mir Polk has extended to Mexico in prosecut-
 ing her war against the United States ought never to be forgotten by him or the Ameri- can people! Itnever will, it never can be! And he is the man who charges the Wings, who think he has done wrong and say so. with rendering laid and comfort to the enemyl
 Mir. Davis handled this branch of his sub ject with great ability. Mir. Calhoun was in the House listening to him very attentive ly, while his eyes sparkled like diamonds
 After the speech a message from the President in answer to Mir. Davis resolu- ton, respecting the territorial governments formed by Kearney and Stockton, was read and ordered 10 be printed. MT. Polk takes the back tr0ck. As was anticipated, he backs 0uh He never gave Kearney and Stockton orders to do what they have done One of them has done wrong he admits and the other has not done right. But he gives reason for not informing Con gross on the subject, without being called upon 10 do so, that he had net received off cial information of what Kearney and Stockton had done, in the matter of annex ing territory in Mexico to the United States, and erecting territorial governments there on, when his annual message was ready to send into Congress!
 What pity it is that Mir, Douglas and others did not know that the President was going to disavow these high-handed meas ures, before they so boldly defended them! What will they do now!
 Mir. Benton's Military Committee has not yet reported on Mr. Crttenden's resolution to have the pay of non-commissioned off cers and privates in the Army increased, and to bestow rewards of merit upon them when deserved. Why was there any ne cessity to enquire into the proprety of re- porting such law? The act would be just and meritorous one-every body knows it would be. Why then delay, post pone and enquire?
 The people cannot fail to see arho are