New-York daily tribune., 1858-03-02

| the imputatiOns upon his fidelity TO the cause OF
popular liberty in Kansas, nor has he exhibited the
least disposition TO recant any opinion or TO sban-
don any position heretofore expressed or taken
when the rumors Of the alleged charges were frst
circulated from this city, by stipendisry of the
| Administration, everybody knew the wish was
| father to the thought, and the fabrication had an
object Of deliberate deception. Gov. Walker stands
DOW where he has hitherto stood, and his bluDder-
ing accusers ought to know that no step backward
| even if inclined to be taken, could retrieve him
with the interests in power and its hackers, whom
he has offended beyond any possibility Of Teconcilla
| ton. With the motives which prompted these IN
generous assaults we have concern, but the facts
are public property and legitimate subject of crit
| icism. INDEX.
| From Our Own Correspondent.
| WASHINGTON, Friday, Feb, 26, 1853.
| Soon after the House opened this morning, Mr..
Potter of Wisconsin and called attention 10 a
scurrilous and mendseious article IN The Norfolk
| 1rguS giving an account of a fracas between him
self and Messrs Wright Of Tennessee and Elliott of
Kentucky, on the night Ofthe great Grow and Keitt
battle. The article was in the shape of Washing.
| ton letter, and gave minute description of the
fray, describing with particular detail how Wright
and Elliott kicked Potter to their hearts content
| while the gentleman from Wisconsin stood cowed
| and trembling meeky taking his chastsement with
| out resistance. The House exploded with derisve
laughter when this petty but characteristic spec
men of o-Savery spite was read aloud by the
Clerk. Mr. Potter pronounced it fasehood from
beginning to end, utterly without foundation of any
kind. He was proceeding to call upon hessrs.
Bright and Elliott to contradict it, when some one
on the Slavery side of the House ungenerously OBJ
lexcd to his speaking at all the subject. AS he
could go on only by unanimous consent, no was of
course obliged to desst, and the matter was
dropped. Mr.. MisOn of Virginia who represents
the Norfolk District, Immediately came over to the
Republican side of the House and requested to be
introduced to Mr.. Potter, to whom he expressed
regret that letter palpably false and malignant
should have been admitted into The Argus, the
editor of which is highly respectable gentleman,
who wOVld not have suffered such calumny to
appear in his columns if he had had the least sus-
picion of ts true character.
1t is scarcely necessary to add that the letter in
The Norfolk argus was a fiction made from whole
cloth SO far from having had any quarrel or diff
Guilty with Messrs. Wright and Elliott, Mr.. Potter,
am informed has never spoken to those gentlemen,
and hardly knows them by SIGHT. have gwen more
space TO this mater than IT deserved had II been con-
fined to The Norfolk Argus. But the lie has already
been copied into other papers and is travelling north
ward where it will doubtless soon make its appear
anee in the ProSayery papers.
The speech making in the Committee of the Whole,
on the Kansas question, vas begun to-day by MIR.
Smith of Tennessee, who seems TO be reckoned one
Of the great guns of the Pro-Slayery party South.
His speech was tOleraby ingenious resume of the
Administration side of the Kansas question: consist
ing of course, mainly of grOundless assertions with
here and there fact or citation distorted or per-
yerted by separation from it, s,cOntext. Though be
claims to be Union man and to dislike to hear
or speak of disunion, Mr.. Smith got of a
good deal of the usual gas about the dreful
results to the eonfederacy if the Pro-Savery part
of it should not be allowed to dictate 10 the rest
He vented great deal of nonsense about the state
Of affairs i'll Kansas, attributing the troubles there
wholly to THE n. Y. TRIBUNE and the Republican
leaders in the States. He read extracts from The
Kansas Herald Of Freedom, TO show that the people
of that Territory we're satisfied with LecOmpton,
and when Sherman of Ohio asked TO be allowed
single minute TO state to the House the true charac
ter and position sf The Herald Of Freedom, Mr..
Smith refused to allow him. He was evidently
conscious of the awkwardness Of the ground on
which he was asserting that the people OF Kansas
were for Lecompton, and did not like TO have it ex
posed. Harris of Illinois made occasional nterpO
atons during Smiths speech and at IFS close prom
sed to reply TO it if he could get the floor.
Mr. j. Clancy Jones of Pennsylvania, Chairman
of the Committee of Ways and Mesn,, who is
always making praseworthy but generally futile
efforts to expedite business, with some difficulty
Committee, and then bill to appropriate money
to pay Denmark the obligations incurred by the
United States in consequence of the abolition of
the Sound Dues. When this was effected, Mr..
Giddings got the floor and said that his health was
such that he had written out what he wished to
say, and would read il to the House in a conver
satioual tone. The Members accordingly gathered
round him, and the honorable gentleman read
speech on the Kansas question His VOICE was 50
feeble that at first only here and there word was
audible in the reporters gallery, but es he warmed
with his subject could perceive that be was max
ing scathing exposition of the atrOciOus and un-
christian nature of the peculiar institution. When
he ended he Was warmly congratulated by the Re
publican Members, nearly all of whom pressed for
ward 10 shake his hand and TO offer their comph
ments-
The motion Of Mr. Hoard of New York to raise a
committee TO inquire into the case of Mr.. Burns OF
Ohio was postponed for Yet another week. doubt
whether it will result in any practical measure, and
perhaps it might as we'll be allowed tO rest as II 49,
Mr.. Burns and his course on LecOmpton are per
fectly well understood and appreciated by his con
stituents and the country. 1t is not likely that be
will be returned to Congress, or even renominaed;
and be is not in any way of sufficient consequence
10 be made the subject of national discussion. lie
ought himself, for his own sake, to demand an IN
vestgatioD. He has failed to do So and appears 10
rest contented under the imputatOns upon him.
As be alone has been damaged by the charges made
against him, he alone is concerned in their lnvest
Cation and refutstiOn, if they admit of refuaton.
EXECUTION OF A SLAVE IN VIRGINIA.
Corespopdence Of The N Y Tribuna
WAsHIyGroN, Feb. 20, 1885,
Hearing that slave woman was to be executed in
Alexandra to-day thought would make an effort TO