Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1860-04-11
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENCE.
WASHINGTON Cry. April 6. 1860.

The manly and dignifed protest of the President
against the action of the House in instituting its
star-chamber Court is beginning to have salutary
influence in opening the eyes of the people to the
unscrupulousness of black Repubcanism. Several
opposition journals, have openly denounced the
course pursued as illegal and unwarrantcd by any
precedent in the whole history of our country while
the eloquent remonstrance of Mr.. Buchanan receives
their cordial appreciation. Yet this unconstituton-
al procedure will be persisted in under the direc-
ton of John Covode both the accuser and the Judge
Perhaps no man is better fitted for the dirty work
undertaken than this same Covode, who, if his own
State journals are to be believed is an INSCRIPTIONS
partiZan wholly destitute of every honorable instinct
and perfectly reckless in the of means to attain
his party ends 1t is asserted that since the open
ing of the campaign of $50, no less a than
hundred thousand dollars has been disburSed by
him. treasurer of the black Republican fund, for
eectioneering purposes, and that this sum was ex
pended in manner from which an honest man
would have shrunk. The sinister des gns of this
miscreant vlltier are becoming transparenty dis
gushing in their ofensiveness to elicit from some
few of his own party presses strongly condemna-
tory editorials; even Greeley of the tribune is ap
paed at the lengths to which this mans partisan
malice and fiendish personal hatred is hurrying him
on In his examination of Collector Schell of New
York. he insisted among his other impertinent re-
quirements, that Mr. Sche should produce list in
his possession of all contributors in New York City
to the fund raised to. carry Pennsylvania for Mr..
Buchanan at the October election in 1856. This
| Mr.. Schell peremptOrg refused to do, when the
committee at the instance of Covode, determined to
invoke the power of the House to cOerce him to &C.
liver up this paper. The arbitrary exercise of ire
| spons6le powers, now sought by these star-cham-
Der inQuisitors will he appa, ent, when it is under
| stood that the collection and disbursement of this
| money occurred when the noaC Collector was then
| priUate citizen of the City of New York. and in
way amenabe to the federal government for his &C
| ton in this matter.
Listen to Greeley, commenting this proceed
ing: lf the object is to fish out evidence which
| to base prosecution, object that the mode is
| illegal, unconstitutional, and the whole procedure
fraught with danger to the rights of every citizen.
We speak thus freely because the subject is of the
gravest Importance while our relation to the parties
| in conflict enables to do without exposure to
| misrepresentation the committee who are pressing
them to the wall are political friends. But right
| is right, and this procedure to us quite an
other thing: 1t is an attempt to make party capt.
tai by an abuse OF pouer-G dangerous stretch or q
doubtful PrerOgat're Tie Jact may as nell be stat
ed that this ch0le business Of dereLOping political
scandal by Legislative Investigations has been about
run into the ground. Intelligent, tair-minded men
are groring sick gift" Exactly, Horace, you and
your entire party Of woolly head liberators are
growing sick of it." Quite likely, since none of
the many investigating committees have been able
| to elicit any testimony rejecting upon the admins
tration Of affairs by our venerated President.
The bill for the prevention and punishment of the
practice of poygamy in the territories of the United
States and disappearing and annulling certain acts of
the Legislature of Utah, has passed the House in the
form reported by Mr.. Nelson of Tenn The bill pro-
vdes for punishment on conviction of polygamy
fine not exceeding $500, and Imprisonment not less
than two nor more than five years; and annuls the
ordinance of the provisional government of the State
of DeSeret incorporating the church of Jesus Christ
of Latter Day Saints passed in 1851 and annuls all
acts and laws which establish, maintain or counten-
ance the practice of polygamy called spiritual mar
riage, however disguised by legal or ecclesiastical
solemnities, SacramentS other contrivanceS. The
vote stood ayes 49, nays CO. Leach, Vance, Gil
mer and Smith voting in the affirmative, and Messrs
Rufiin and Branch in the negative. Mr.. Craige was
not present, being confined to his room by ndispo-
Stion, and Gov. Winslow being, l believe, paired
off This bill has yet to undergo the ordeal of the
| Senate and trust may be defeated so amended
as to obviate serious objections to it in its present
form. The power of Congress to pass penal act
of this character is more than doubtful and the pre-
cedent it establishes is unsafe and dangerous one
| The substitute of Mr. Branch, of n. c., which was
voted down, seems to me to 60 far as Congress
can, legtmatey, and at the same time it would
doubtless prove eficacious in suppreSSing poly
gamv. His substitute proposed to repeal the law
of Congress establishing the Territory of Utah so
far as take from the people the powers of egisla-
ton and vest them in legislative council to be ap-
pointed by the President; and disappearing and an
nulllnS tne law tne Latter SAINTS.
This it strikes would have been the least ohiec-
tonable and most prudent mode of disposing of this
troublesome evil. The present bill WILL as the Utah
delegate declared, only these people to a
bloody resistance if its provisions attempted to
be enforced, and instead of applying corrective,
we may only increase and complicatc the difficulties
already attending this vexing question.
After the passage of this bill, Sherman of the
committee of Ways and Means reported a loan and
tariff BILL when Parson Lovejuy, of ILL.,, obtained
the floor and delivered spec h, which, for basphe-
nous raving and outrage upon every sense Of de-
cency, has parallel in the history of our repre-
sentative body, dsgraced it often has been by the
disgusting defamation and manners of republican
lunatics The most reckless and impious express
sions that dropped from the lips of the hoary
headed traitor Gddings, or the vilest and most
damnabie doctrines that promulged by
the incendiary Wendall Phillips, are almost con-
sentative in tone and sentiment, when compared
with this negro-stealers speech of yesterday. For
obvious reasons would not quote some parts of his
speech they are too offensive and horrible to be
scattered abroad; but will merely give specimen
of few of his moderate expressions Speaking of
the Democracy unfolding and defending slavery he
declared that it the doctrine of born devils and
aft carried out in the universe, it would justify the
angels in enslavng man because superior to man
it would Justify the archangels in enslaving the
gels in turn, and transform Jehovah into infinite
juggernaut rolling the huge wheels of his Omnpo-
tence axle deep amid the crushed and manged bo-
dies of men ;" he declared that the South had only
been saved from barbarism By intermarriage Nth
northern aoomen !; that he would steal negro when
he could lay hands upon one, and gloried that
he was now written down" thief; and that he
would bridge over the chasm that yawns between
the hell of slavery and the heaven of freedom with
the carcasses of his oppressors A scene of the
greatest disorder and excitement manifested
during the delivery of this infamous speech, and at
one time a general collision seemed inevitable
"liar -" scoundrel" and like epithets sounded
amid the din and uproar; the Chairman sent for the
Speaker and reported the state of affairs when par
tial order restored. This man Lovejoy is rep
resentative man of the majority of his party. A