Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-03-17

Gj = correspondent of tie Springfield
/ Republican writes as follows, about the con-
duct III the United States Senate, during the
! night session when the Nebraska question
/ wap disposed Of
W q have before rs, at the present writing
a description Of the debate and the night
scene, from the Washington Union. Had wc
net known the title of the paper, we should
have supposed that the paper was IL number
OF Punch, or come either Ch0rirGrt journal,
whose whole aim was to write burlcsque
description. The Union says, - Mr. Fesscn-
den made rank abolition speech This we
deny. 1t was II calm, digniied and temper
ute speech, worthy of Il northern man and
gentleman. The Union further says, " We
heartily wished that the democrats who con-
tributed to his election could have been pres
ent to have heard him. We wish 50 too,
and If they had heard him, we do not think
they would haze regretted his election.
Weller of California followed, and talked
Tor about half an hour in a coarse, vulgar
manner, without presenting any argument or
TACT bearing upon the question The nUn
says, " His speech was one of rare eloquence
and force, and given with such effect that the
galleries and the grave senators joined in
rapturous burst of applause" Now, what
was the fact Mr.. Weller, having apparent
ly nothing to say on the bill, took occasion to
comment on the appearance of the galleries,
and the presence of the ladies, and turning
IN such way as to address the galleries, re-
marked that he did not hatter himself that
they had come to hear him, although hc was
an unmarried man. Atwhich assertion some
laughed, but more, think, felt ashamed that
such butfoon had found a place in the
American Senate. lie then went on to speak
of his position, and assured the Senate that
he held neither demands or debts against any /
body, and " he wished to GJd that uubody |
had any debts against him." AT which there |
was more rapturous applause y
After he had concluded, Houston, Seward /
and Fessenden made few remarks, when Mr.. |
Douglass took the floor for the purpose of |
winding up it being then about one clock |
a. m. We were much disappointed in Mr.. |
Douglas. His speech was in great measure
invectlve and bitter. His manner was most |
ungentlemanly and coarse, particularly |
towards Messrs. Sumner, Chase and seward. !
lie frequently addressed the two first named ,
gentlemen personally pointing delibcratclvat at .
them with his finger, and using no other term /
Ol designation than 'these abolition cuntude- !
rates. All others he addressed as honorable |
senator's" Mr.. Seward was frequentl on his
feet Tor the purpose of reply. The contrast be- .
tween the two was most striking Seward, /
precise effect Of every word he uttered, and |
replying with the greatest effectiveness to /
every point affecting his position. The Union .
says, " he sunk abashed and confused in his .
seat To us, he seemed the cUnqueror and .
We would not have wished to have had him
placed in a more triumphant position. We
were proud of Senator Seward that night.
We do not think that Senator Douglas can
gain much in popularity among the conserya-
tive people Of the United States by such
speeches, as that Of Saturday morning. We
think he would make more abUlitOnists and
free soilers in one hour, than all the anti
slavery orators could in month of constant
argument. As we heard his contemptuous
sneels at the North, uttered coarsely and with
most bitter feeling, we felt our blood almost
boil within us. Said gentleman beside me
in the gallery, stranger,-'' If he spoke to
me as he does to Sumner, | would get up and |
knock him down" Has it come to this, that |
a regularly elected senator from Massachu- |
aetts, gentleman and man Of attainmcnts, /
cannot be addressed in debate without hav- |
ing insulting expressions attached to his
name, whenever it is mentioned Weare no |
supporter of Mr.. Sumner, but we cannot but |
feel that he holds his seat by the same tenure |
as all other senators, and that insults delibe- |
rately applied to him are as good as applied |
to his constituents