Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1857-12-04

Itical and literdry magazine, it ia unapproacha'
BILE by any in this country.
SPEAKERsu1P OF TUE Next House. OF REPRE-
sEST4TIvEs.-We publish this morning letter
from Washington, purpOrting TO give us some
news in the matter of the next speakership OF
the House of Representatives. We hardly
think it possible that speedy organization of
Congress can be delayed-for the matter has
been so generally determined upon by formal
and informal Greetings of members of Congress
from differentSS States. But these are tho days
of strange happenings in every department, and
we are free to confess that is more than we pre-
tend to to be able to divine the future-to be able
to keep the run of the shifts of the political
winds. Things immaterial are said by philOso-
pliers to have their prototypes in things mate
Tial-and so these trade winds, whirl-winds and
sirOccos which sweep over and through the at
fairs Of state, are hardly more unaccountable
than those marked down in the biographies,
There is no doubt, as our correspondent sug-
gests, but what change has come over the spi-
rit of the public dream both in and out of Con-
gress, in the few day last past The manifestly
unjust and tyrannical scheme of the fire eating
Kansas law makers, to force upon the people a
constitution without their yea or nay upon it
could have only one effect-and that is, to dis
integrate and sectionalize parties in Congress-
The men who have been elected to Con-
gross, have no notion of offering themselves
up MS propitiations, and when it comes to
n choice between place and party, We are
apprehensive that party will be left to SHIFT
A. xFyhn
concerning the antecedents of the members
elect can anticipate no very exalted exemPlars
of lisinterested devotion to party. Matteson
& Co., who were caught up at their venal tricks
last session, were not sinners "above all they
who dwell in Jerusalem"-and there is no small
sprinkling Of the same sort of patriotism. To
get to Congress now is considered ia good
thing sort of an establishment-something
like the honor was to the illegitimate son of an
English lord or duke to get into the House OF
Commons. trass.
Ninety-one votes will certainly be cast in OPP
position to Col. Orr, and how many more will
come over, of course, can't be known. Mr..
Blair, of st Louis, is the prospective candidate Of
the Republicans. The St Louis Democrat has
quite an extended notice of him, from whichw we
extract the following:
The whole country is already apprized of the
exciting character Of the contest which return
ed him 10 Congress, as well Us Of the bold stand
which no was the first in n slave State to take
In favor of free Kansas While q representa-
tive from this city in the Missouri Legislature
he enunciated his views upon that subject en-
phatically and fearlessly, and subsequently h'
staked his election to Congress upon the issue
OF open and nvowed freesoism as opposed tC
slavery extension. In principle he has ever
been Democrat of the strictest sect, but ye
he has never permitted himself to be led away
by party names to violate or sanction the VIC
latiOn Of those opinions which he has so stead
lastly maintained. parliamentarian Of largo
experience, resOlute, decisive, of unquailinG
courage, and yet combining with it a rare
courtesy of manner, independent in his politi'
cal relations, whilst ever bold and unhesitating
in ayOwing his positions, he presents in his
character clements that would well justify his
selection as the champion of free Kansas, and
his elevation to the Spcakership. We cannot
us do some of our contemporaries, urge as a rea
son for selecting the presiding officer of the
House Of Representatives from Missouri, the
re7lal argument Of distribution of spOils. Our
State asks no honor for her sons on that ground
If offices and places and power are to be dis
tributed, let them go to the most worthy. The
representative from St Louis has won his lau
reIs in the front of tho great political fight and
borne calamity the heat and burden of the day,
and if he is to be made the candidate of the
party Of the people and the party of freedom,
let him be chosen for the qualities OF the soldier
which no possesses, and not for the subservien
cy of a sycOphant, which he despises