The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-02-03
TnE DAILY DISPATCH
.sTnsp1Y MORNING. FEBRUARY lass.

SATURDAY MORNING. FEBRuANI .e-9-
r.. rs Sc.Sx rs CoSaREssI-The late
seand.,eus scene In Congress, cursne' sisins
,he lie. and regular eight IN thai oooy' nas
nrensred as hereafter, to submit with meek.
nass To ANYTHING that foreigners may say OF
the uuciyilized and savage character OF our
Americans. We have heretofore felt deep
indignation when such scenes occurred, even
,bon yb the actors in them were publicly re-
primsnded for their conduct. But this last
outrage has added the last drop to the cup OF
bitterness. Indignation has given place to
the most profound humiliation ard mortnt q
.;on. In what deliberative body in the world
except in France during her revolutionary
frenzy, could such scene occur as that
which, in the American Congress, has lately
disguised and nausested a wronged ana out
ragged nation7 No American can contrast
this beautiful spectacle with the decorum and
dignity of the British Parliament, without
grief and pain Not long ago, one of the
sneakers in the House of Lords referred to a
statement of his opponent as "a misrepresen-
tation." Even this was harsh and unusual
language in that assemblage "The noble
lord" said one of the speakers, who followed
Linn, .has characterized o statement made
here as Misrepresentation. Misapprehen-
sion is the word in use among gentlemen.
Place by the side of this, the recent outrage
in Congress: "You are liar" "you are
id lar and their actual blows, regular
pugilistic encounter, and other members hur-
rying up, some of them anxious to take part
in the row. and none of them, so far as any
public action has been taken on the subject
seeming to think that the reputation and dig
nifty of their country, lay trampled in the
dust
We confess that, after this. when the story
of our shame shall be trumpeted through Eu-
rope, when even the Russians look upon us as
q less civilized people than themselves, we
shall feel as if there were some warrant Tor
che disparsging idea, and that we have no
right to be offended with those who bring the
charge Still it is unjust and unfounded.-
These men are not the representatives OF
American Intelligence and decorun. The
same House of Representatives. when Clay
and Stevenson were speakers, was dgnified
and respectable body. Our people have GER
tainly not retrogaded in civilization. In the
private intercourse of gentlemen, at least in
the Southern States, there is as much courte-
~ and urbanity as in the most refined circles
In the old world. We are not savages; the
North American Indians are not yet in posses
sion of the continent, even though barbarians
have possession of the capital
What is to be the remedy We know
not Obviously, the two offenders ought as
q matter of course, to be at once expelled
from Congress. A mere apology for such an
outrage, will not atone for the wrong they
have committed. Nothing short of their i'm
mediate expulsion will heal the injury infict-
ed upon the reputation of the country. But
this will not be done, and, no penalty being
attached to such transgressions, we may ex-
pect recurrence of like scenes at any time.
We shall not be surprised hereafter at any
thing which members of Congress may do
If they choose to get up general melee eve
ry day in the week, or to commit any other
atroei.y unheard of before in Il representative
body, they may do it with the assurance that
they will astonish nobody. New srtheless,
they have done more, by such scenes as that
between Lane and Farley, to bring republi.
can governments into general contempt, and
make the name of America an object of de-
rision and scorn throughout the world, than
all the hired foreign traducers of American
character and institutions could ever have
affected.
"WHo READS AN AMERICAN Book!"-The
New York Times says: Barmune's Autobiog-
rophy and W,kQt's Coartshap-f nothing