The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-02-15
Eztraots from Washington Letters.
The Cleveland Leaders letter saws :

To-day while the vote was being fakel
BY which J. w. Forney was elected Clerk O
the House Of Representatives for the 36tE
Congress, the old war-horse of freedom. the
Hon. ]. r. Giddings, who had Just been ex
amined by Senator Mason's Harper's Ferr,
Committee, entered the Representatives Hal
and wss warmly greeted BY athreng of friends
tom all parts, who Immediately gathered
around him. all seemingly anxious to grasp bis
band, snd TO have another look at the vener
able and manly form Of the man who, amidst
70 many trying scenes, had stood upon tha,
moor dauntless among his foes, and rconfided in
Dy the true friends of freedom for score oi
years. While group after group came 10 meet
BIN, I could but notice one incident, which
though trifling in itself psrhaps yet taken
with its connections was quite significant.
Hon. Frank P. Blair was sitting near Hon.
Thomss Corwin of Ohio, when some one an
nonBced that Mr. Giddings was in the Hail.
wneFeupon the gallant, true, and warm-hearted
Mlssourian Immediately arose, went forward
ana greeted Mr.. GiddiDgs most cordially, while
Mr. CorWln seemed to have no use of eyes or
ears, for he failed to even look in the direction
OF the spot where so many were paying their
heartfelt compliments to the noble old man.
Poor man, thought ], he is afraid-tbe
ghosts OF those unanswered letters haInt him
and who could ask him to meet the author of
the Episties of Joshua while he had not cour
age enough 10 answer them Z
Senator Mason, chairman of the Harners
Ferry Investigating Committee, with true
Plantation, vulgar hauteur, refused even a
formal, personal recognition of Hon. j. R
Giddings, when that gentleman appeared be-
fore the Committee. The Leader correspon.
dent says: g f @ s
Senator Mason came sweeping do wn the
passage with a pomposity of manner that
would have done credit to the greatest digni
tary Of any Eastern despotism Indicating IN
every step that he was conscious of not oply
being .lord of the lash" over his black bonds
men. but also over all other men who might
presume to have manhood of their own.
Before him stood Joshua r. Giddines,
selt-made mana man of and for the peo |
ple-one who had in that very Capitol served
an enlightened. industrious, and freedom-loyipgl
constituency for more than twenty years, more
years of public service by half than the Vir
ginia Senator could boast Under-such cir.
cumstances in this Republican land, it was TO
be expected that a recognition. though formal
should have proceeded from the Chairman of
the Committee-but such was not the fact
not a word or motion more than would have
been extended to field hand upon his Vir-
ginia plantation, was directed to the distin.
guiahed personnge who was before him.
1t was scene for the pencil of an
artist Freedom and Slavery stood face
to face 10 the persons of two Represent ative
men-tbe author of the Fugitive Slave Bill
and the Old War Horse of Freedom
The New York Tribune letter says
The election of Messrs. Marston as door.
keeper, and Lucas as Postmaster, was consum.
mated handsomely to-day, despite malicious
representations of venal scribbIers. whom a |
few Republicans Improperly countenance. and
other unfounded statements that were circu.
lated BY more responsible sources, which tenn
porariiy misled few friends. The whole op.
position sprang from the jealousy and failure
OF interested objects. In both cases the ma |
jorities we're sufficiently decisive and salisfac.
tory, and gave assurance of ability to carry
men and measures throughout the session.
the organization thus far has completely sur /,
prised our opponents, who. for the FIRST time
begin to realize what the future may bring
forth. The Democracy believed that Mr.
Glosbrenner could not be beaten for Sergeant
at,Arms. After that, and with subsequent
developments they fear the ides of Novem
Der. % -.
Mr.. Wigfall of Texas in a speech to-day.
asserted that, though Daniel Webster had
been regarded rs the expounder of the Con.
stitulion, he did not understand its first prir.
ciples. and the Fathers of the Republic we're
mistaken in their theories. Texas ought to
know e