New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-02-13


this letter-oven with better luck than usual this
Winter-can reach THE TRIBUNE office by Mail;
and as i do not know, and have not sought to
know, the composition of those Committees, the
reader NAV then test my nferences by the light OF
ascertained facts.
The last House was strongly Democratic and
Linn Boyd of Ky. was chosen its Speaker. TWAS
his undisputed right to give his political associates
a majority on every important Committee. lie
constituted them, politically, as follows;
Elections Dems., Opposition.
Ways and MeaHs........7 Dems., Opp.
Commerce Dems., Opp.
Public Lanas.............6 Denis, Opp.
Post. Office. Dems., Opp.
Judiciary .................6D Denis, Opp.
Foreign Affairs ...........7 Denis, Opp.
Territories. ......7 Dems., Opp.
Indian Affairs ............7 Dems., Opp.
Knight continue the list, showing the same dis
parity in Committees of secondary consequence;
but the above will be generally recognized as the
Committees of most Importance. A magnanimous
conqueror might have allowed the vanquished OPP
position chance to come up and breathe soms-
where; Mr. Boyd gave us no chance at all. And
the disparity of numbers was by no means tho
only Objectionable feature of the allotment. For
instance: On the Committee on Territories, the
two Opposition Members appointed were John l..
Taylor OF Ohio and Z. Wilder Farley Of Maine
neither of them generally supposed to be particu-
lar as to Kansas becoming Free rather than
Slave State
Of course, we expect different cast of Com
mittees from Mr. Banks; and yet l trust the cur
rent report-that he is inclined 70 evince unusual
hberality toward bis oppOnents-will prove we'll
founded 1t was not right in Mr. Boyd to make
his Committees 80 thoroughly and uniformly one
sided: and it would not be right in Mr.. Banks TO
make his so one-sidcd as Mr.. Boyd might justifably
have done. 1t is not fair that majority Of Anti.
Nebraska Members shall be placed on the most
important Committees; but 1 trust bare majority
will be taken, and that, beside conceding the
largest possible minority to our opponents the
Speaker will take care to put their strongest men
on the most important Committees. II would be
easy TO preserve the semblanee without the sub
stance of fairness by placing such men as Gov.
Cobb Col. Orr, Messrs. Stephens, Clancy Jones,
Humphrey Marshall, Letcher, &C., on the secon-
Diary Committees. / feel sure no such course will
men Of either party will be placed where strength
is most needed and will most avail l believe
Mr.. Banks has contemplated giving even Chairman
ships to eminent Members who steadfastly opposed
his election and if he does not, shall infer that he
has deferred to the urgent remOnstranceso political
friends. If so, shall believe that bis generosity
was wiser than their policy l do not believe a
good cause was ever yet injured by the magnsnim-
ity of its champions, and ! know that Gov.
Aksen has said since the election, that had he been
chosen Speaker, he should have felt bound, under
the peculiar circumstances of the case to consult
the leading men of all parties and make up his
Committees under their advice, Of course, he
would not have given to the Republicans pre-
ponderance on the Elections Territories Judiciary
or Ways and Means; but have no doubt that he
would have made up the Committees with decided
liberality. No Member enjoys in higher measure
the respect and esteem of oil parties than does Gov.
Aiken.
The Union, perceive, corrects mistake into
which was led by common report in making Gov.
A. native of ireland. 1t was his father who cana
over from the North of Ireland, active, intelli-
gent young clerk settled in Charleston, s. c.,
became merchant there, grew rapidly and vastly
rich, and left large fortune TO his son Willism,
now one Of the most extensive landholders and
shareholders in the South. Gov. A. doubtless
knows how the belief that be was himself native
OF Ireland grew out Of one Of his own msappre-
hended observations. For my own part, presume
that bis father just as good an American as he
s, while he is as good one as any of those who
make ever so much ado about their Americanism.
The Union adds that Gov. A. is not a Secession
st but National Union Democrat. Judge that
be will not be grateful for this championship. l
have heard Gov. A. characterize himself as Con.
sentative, aud Ipresume that is the term which
most clearly indicates his position With nearly
all his colleagues, he processes almost entire indie
pendence Of party, attends no caucuses, and acts
and votes on his individual responsibility. vi
course, as q Conservative he has no wish to secede
from the Union so long as the power Of the Union
is welded to extend and perpetuate Slavery but
should it, the contrary, be used to render Free
dom national, Slavery sectional" why then no
would prefer to "let the Union slide,' as
Mr.. Banks is said once to have ex'
pressed himself / infer this from the fact that he
represents extreme Pro-Slayery District
whose delegates have repeatedly resolved in sub
stance Just this. No man could be chosen from
that District who not, in the contingency con-
templated, Secessionist. 1t is but bubble to
pronounce Gov. Aiken Union Democrat" and
one which / ain sure he would not cOuntenance.