The Daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1845-1850, 1850-03-05
THE HON. ROBERT c. WINTHROP

Last Thursday, while the House was in Commit
tee of the Whole the state of the Union Mr. VIM
throp delivered carefully studied speech in defence
of his official and personal character against the at
tacks OF anti slavery men on side and of pro-
slavery 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 paroxvsms of scorn
contempt and Indignation, always found highly ella
borated phrases for their expressions Just such mo
ments as served to heighten the rhetorical effect
1t was scholarly display of wrath, made, how
ever, with due discrimination The Washington
Union had hercey assaed him as culprit equally
guilty with Joshua X. Giddings Mr.. johnson of Ten
nessee had bestowed upon him the Iarqer norton
OF an hour, charging him with unflirness and gross
injustice towards the South, and attempting TO sus
tam 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 the candidate of the Wing party for
the Speakership, and had been at no pains toacon-
cea their hostility to him; but his Southern assail-
dnS and enemies he treated lcih comDlendabLe mo-
derattoa, maniestng proper consideration for their
feelings rerainng from the application to them of the
language ofrebuke or inyective. Towards his North
era assalants, has bearing imperious On their
devoted heads he raned the fire of his ercest ndig-
nation. NO sarcasm auaS too cutting, no objurga-
ton too seUere, inuectiUe to Lacerating no epie
too uiruleat for them.
That the'acconpiished Ex-Speaker could descend
TO personalities almost without parallel in that Hail.
we had not believed. That one so remarkable for
the seltpossession, the dignity and quiet force with
which he had presided over the deliberations of the
House, could so 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 mplacable revenge
and surpass even the most unreenting of his assa-
ants In the pabe grossness of his anger surprised
and deeply mortified us.
lfanything were wanting to justify the Free Soil
ers IN refusing him their support candidate for the
Speakershp, that speech has amply supplied it.
The speech was adroit, but unfair, and, consider
ed as AN answer to the main charges made against
him by Free Soil men, entirely unsatisfactory.
But 1t Is not our purpose to take part In the conto
versy between that gentleman and his opponents
We intended chiefly to comment upon his bitter abuse
of Free Soil Men, by whom, we presume, he means
the three hundred thousand of his fellow citizens who
voted for Martin Van Buren,. He makes no dscrm-
nation among them. They all fall under his vindi-
cative anathemas. They all, in the estimation
OF Robert c. Winthrop, theleader ofthe Administra-
ton party IN the House "A set of caunniators traitors
at heart, mendacious political bathrooms. Oh what
precious Free Soil candidate was he ! Can it be
possible that he was willing to be chosen Speaker by
the votes OF these mendacous people, these base cal
favored them with his opinions pending that election
They might have been won by his frankness.
V cry grateful to his acerated feelings must have
been the disordery applause which fell on his ear
when he was indulgng in this unmitigated abuse of
Free Soil Men. The editor of the Union who had
hunted him down Free Soiler, was in ecstases
part of the performance and the slavehoding
members showed, by loud demonstrations howdeep-
ly they sympathized with him. 1t was glorious
An loaJa IF H.
Free Soil Party in the House, standing up with dar-
ing heroism, and winning the shouts of two hundred
and more members, for his magnanmous abuse of
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 ofdivers Sena-
tors, in his brave onslaught against a few members
VINO 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 sue
coed IN carrying any port against the nine indomita-
bic Free Soers, will forthwith adjourn over one day
Tor the purpose of celebrating their extraordinary
triumph
A word more in reference to this speech 1t con-
tanned the first distinct avowal of adhesion to the DO
hey of General Taylor on the slavery question, made
in the HaAs of Congress
1t is obvious that he has renounced the policy of
the Ordinance of l787-the Territorial Governments
with the Wlmot Proviso; and that he stands in the
House the Representative, not of his constituents
but OF General Taylor.-.Nationdl Era
MURDER TRIAL AT CAMBRIDGE. Daniel
ii. Plerson, formerly porter at several hotels and
waiter in private families in Boston, was put on ri-
al on Tuesday, in the Supreme Judicial Court, at
Cambridge, charged with the murder of his wife and
twin children at Wilmington, on the night of the
10th of April last Mr. Train in opening the case
stated the principal facts expected to be proved as
follows
That the prisoner married to Martha Foster the
deceased some years ago, but for several of the
last years of this period they had not lived much to-
gether, owing to unhappy relations between them,
although he continued to provide for his family The
two children murdered at the same time with the
mother were twin daughters, about years old -
the prisoner having idea that they were not his
own, and in consequence had previously proposed an
entire separation from his wife. 1t would be shown
that the last person who called athe house ON Tues