New-York daily tribune., 1856-03-19
FROM WASHINGTON.
THE TRUMBULL AND DOUGLAS DEBATE.
Editorial Oouespondencs Of The N Y. Thbuns

Editorial Correspondence Of The N Y. Tribune.
WASHINGTON, Friday, March H. 1856.
did aot hear all Of Mr.. TRUMBULL's speech in
the Senate to-day, and consequently am not quito 30
enthusiastic in its praise as our friends who did
hear it. 1 can concede that Patrick Henry, or
Burke. or Webster, may have reached higher
plane OF eloquence yet feel sure that few first
efforts in the Senate have surpassed this in the
attention il commanded, the admiration it elected.
1t was plain, straight forward, searching, truth
telling hard. hitting review of Senator Douglass
late Report on the condition of Kansas, taking up
the statements of that document paragraph by
paragraph, point By point, and scrutinizng their
facts their assumptions their morality, their
logic. doubt whether Report ever received
more patient circumstsntal, conclusive over
hauling.
Messrs. Trumbull and Douglas, though they both
belonged to the Democratic party until the Ne.
braska bill was go changed as to embOdy repeal
of the Missouri Restriction on the Extension of
Slavery seem formed for antagonists rather than
colleagues. They are physical and intellectual
antipodes. Mr.. Trumbul is tall and thin Mr..
Douglas Is short and thick; Mr.. Trumbull is pale
and nervous; Mr.. Dougas (usuaHy) robust and
ford; Mr.. Trumbull looks like q clergyman,
while MIR Douglas is manifestly ''one of the
b'hoys" Whoever sees and marks the contrast be
tween them will easily credit the current report that
they have never joined the Mutual Admiration SO.
ciety, whose members, should they admit one Of
the pa- must ever after be careful to keep out the
other. II is probably "The Babes in the Woods"
of whom the poet feelingy singeth No love was
/" lost on either side" but it might with equal
truth and pertinerce have been said Of the present
Senators from Illinois.
II was very late when Mr. Trumbull closed, for
he had spoken some three hours but his colleague
at ooce rose. He was evidently in bad humOr,
but think without reason. True, be complained
that Mr.. 7. had chosen 10 attack him in his ab-
sence which seems to me most absurd. Mr.. T..
SO a Dew minority Member, could not have ex-
pected the Senate to set apart special day for
this matter: he had to improve bis opportunity
when il offered, and the motion which came up
this morning to print extra copies of the Report
gave him the chance be was looking for. He did
not know that Mr.. Douglas would stay away; but
suppose be had known it He sought to criticise
not 8 man but a public dOcument-a document ly-
ing in plain print on the desks of Senators, as his
speech viii be lying there a day or two hence.
What possible odds could it make whether Mr.. D.
VISA present Or absent
Mr. Douglas began by asking the Senate to set
apart day for bis repiy-an early day after Mr.
Trumbull's speech should be in print-and on sug'
geston that he might take bis time, he fired up
afresb, and reiterated his old charge that Messrs
Sumner and Chase had asked him, on his finally re-
porting the Nebraska Bill to permit it TO- lie over
week for their and Others examination, and had
employed the interval in circulating libelous ad
dress which they bad already prepared, denouncine
the bill and its author. Mr. Sumner when be
could obtain the fOor, reIuted thb story, thoVgt