The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-02-28
THE HON. ROBERT C. WINTHROP.

Last Thursday, while the House was in Com
mittee of the Whole on the state of the Union,
Mr. Winthrop delivered a carefully studied
speech in defence of his official and personal
character against the attacks Of anti-slavery men
on one side, and of pro-slavery men on the
other.
He seemed to be well prepared with smoothly
rounded periods, apt quotations in prose and
poetry, from Burke and the Bible; and his par
oxysms of scorn, contempt, and indignation,
always found highly elaborated phrases for
their expressions, at just such moments as
served to heighten the rhetorical effect.
II sas scholarly display Of wras&, 1sa29s,
however, with due discrimination. The Wash
ington Union had fercely assaulted him as q
cuprit equally guilty with Joshua r. Giddings;
MIR. Johnson of Tennessee had bestowed upon
him the larger portion of an hour, charging him
with unfairness and gross injustice towards the
South, and attempting to sustain the charge by
various statements and arguments Messrs.
Cabell, Toombs, Stephens, and Morton Wings
of high repute from the South, had refused to
support him as the candidate of the Wing party
for the Speakership, and had been at no pains to
conceal their hostility to him but his Southern
assailants and enemies he treated with commend
able moderation, manifesting proper consdera-
ton for their feelings refraining from the appli-
ton to them of the language Of rebuke or in
vectve Towards his Northern assailants, his
bearing was imperious On their devoted heads
he rained the FIRE of his fercest Indignation. No
sarcasm was too cutting, objurgation too severe
no invectve too decorating, no epithet too viru-
lent for them.
That the accomplished Ex-Speaker could de-
scend to personalities almost without parallel
in that Hall, we had not believed. That one so
remarkable for the selfpossession, the dignity,
and quiet force with which he had presided over
the deliberations Of the House, could 80 far lose
the command of himself, as to betray the wounds
which were fostering deep in his hearts core,
expose the workings of mortified pride, bitter
disappointment, and implacable revenge, and sur
pass even the most unrelenting Of his assail-
ants in the palpable grossness of his anger, sur
prised and deeply mortified US For, though
one of that class whom he denounced indiscrim-
inatey as calumniators, revilers, demagogues,
destitute of personal character, mendacious, trail
tors at heart political poltroons, we had never
abused the Ex-Speaker, never DETAINED his char
acter, never misrepresented his acts, never ques.
toned his motives, but on the contrary, had
almost offended some Of our friends by eulogizing
his course as Presiding Officer, and giving
him credit for constituting one Committee Of
the House so as to favor the sentiment of the
North. And now, while we retract not one word
we have ever said as to his administrative qualities
we must confess that the speech delivered by the
gentleman last Thursday has very materially
changed our opinions of the man. polished
exterior is deceptive.
If anything were wanting to justify the Free
Sellers in refusing him their support as candidate
for the Speakership, that speech has amply sup
piled it. ----
The speech was adroit, but unfair, and consid-
cred as an answer to the main charges made
against him by Free Soil men, entirely unsatis-
factory.
But it is not our purpose to take part in the
controversy between that gentleman and his OPP
ponents. We intended chiefly to comment upon
his bitter abuse of Free Soil Men, by whom,
we presume he means the three hundred thou
sand Of his fellow citizens who voted for Martin
Van Buren,. He makes no discrimination among
them They all fall under his vindictive anathe-
mas They are all, in the estimation OF Robert
q Winthrop, the leader of the Administration
party in the House, set of calumniators, traitors
at heart, mendacious, political paltroons. On,
what a precious Free Soil candidate was he!
Can it be possible that he was willing to be
chosen Speaker by the votes of these mendacious
people, these base calumniators, these traitors at
heart He ought to have favored them with his
opinions pending that election. They might have
been won by his frankness.
Very grateful to his lacerated feelings must
have been the disorderly applause which fell on
his ear when he was indulging in this unmitigsted
abuse of Free Soil Men. The editor of the Union,
who had hunted him down rs Free Soiler, was
in ecstasies over this part of the performance
and the slavehoding members showed by loud
demonstrations, how deeply they sympathized
with him. IL was glorious spectacle. An ex-
Speaker, leader Of the great Wing Free Soil
Party in the House, standing up with daring
heroism, and winning the shouts of two hundred
and more members, for his magnanimous abuse of
a party represented in that Hall by only nine
members With what proud emotions his great
heart must have sweled at being sustained by
some two hundred and twenty Representatives,
not to speak of divers Senators, in his brave
onslaught against few members, who are
feared and hated because they dare say what
they think and do what they say. We shall
expect hereafter, that the two old parties should
they succeed in carrying any point against the
nine indomitable Free Sellers, win forthwith ad-
journ over one day for the purpose of celebrating
their extraordinary triumph
word more in reference to this speech II
contained the first distinct avowal of adhesion to
the policy Of General Taylor on the slavery
question, made in the Halls of Congress Mr..
Winthrop, in closing bis speech, made the follow
ing declaration
This speech will not be reported till the Era
shall have gone to press and we must omit the
declaration till next week. II justihes the CON-
ment that follows
II Is obvious that he has renowned the policy
Of the Ordinance Of l7s7--the organization oil
Territorial Governments with the Wvmot Pro-