New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-02-23
FROM WASHING TON
II. w,s4YR DAvrs's vrNDIcArIoN OF HIS Vo~
poR PENNISGToS-MR. LAMAR.

when Mr.. H. Winter Davis, on the memorable
Tuesday afternoon Of the 3lst of January, startled
the House of Representa- ives by bis manly vote for
Gov Pennington as Speaker, he struck chord
which will long vitrate TO his honor in the
breasts of all persons throughout the country
capable of apprcostiDg msgOsOimous aod
courageous act. We well remember the spectacle
-Na House, srd IFS galleries and lobbies, were
er,Hded to TIE brm with manly dignity and
vvnanly grace from every section Of the Union,
eagerly anticipating the final issue of the angry
struggle which, for two months, had shaken the
Capitol and the country. Runners, underlined and
ssadowy, were aHOst as to the possible vote which
Mr.. DAVIS might give, in certain contingencies,
provided he could thus Immediately relieve the
House OF its deadlock upon the Speakership. But,
these rumors could be traced to reliable source,
end we're treated Ike the scores of other stories
viii which the air was filed at every stage of the
c0Btsst
On the cali Of the roll on the memorable Tuesday
q sdiguifed form Of Mr.. Davis was seen pacing to
SLl fro in the open area in the rear of the Rapubh
can benches solitary and alone, his eye fixed upon
no present object his head firmly poised, and his
whole air e0d moa indicating self-possessiOn ani
settled purpose. When the Clerk challenged him,
in bis usual loud tone, Mr.. Davis, being far from
the desk, gave back the response with a voice uu-
commonly clear and emphatic. Not only did every
human being wthn the vast chamber bear and ap-
pleciste the name of Pennington" but, to every
observant and thoughtful mind, there came along
with the defiant commentary, " If that be treason,
SNAKE the most of it
And so they have And foremost among those
who have been disposed to make the NEST of this
treason to naIrOw and bitter sectiOnalism, aud,
not stopping TO inquire into their jurisdiction In the
pregses 10 hold up to Reproduction the traitor who
had dsre3 to discover any merit in men residing
"be,ODd the little limits Of his own State aud
neehborhoOd," was the Democratic Legislature Of
Maryland. That august body, which, as was
shown to. day by Mr.. Davis is as incapable of ap
precstug truly national act as it is of express
inc its ideas in ineligible Eoglish, spurning alike
the patriotic principles of Washington and Jeffer.
SOD. and the grammatical ard rhetorical precepts
of Murray aid Blair, passed clumsy resolutions de-
aoupeipe the member from Baltimore for his vote
for Gov. Pennington.
And, as those gentlemen at Annapolis, not mind
ing their OWL oflairs, saw fit to arrAign Mr.. Davis
for that vote he made it his business in the House,
to-day, 10 scourge, scanify and seattle the siWpe
tons and malgnants by criticism upon their pro
eeedDgs which has resfiImed his reputation as one
OF the most causc and sarcastic, bold and eloquent,
deba,eTs in Congress.
IT was generally known that Mr.. Lamar of Mis-
gssippi, was to address the House to-day, it being
IL Committee of the Whole upon the Presidents
Message. Mr.. Lamar is a favOrte with the Fire
Eaters. lie is a scholar, thinker rhetOsican:
and, for one holding such extreme views upon tho
twin topics Of NegrO-PrOpOgandlsm and DssOlu-
ten Of the Union, has some common sense and
many sentlemanly qualities. He is among the
rising men of the South; and though his prn ;ples
and IDEAS concerning human equality and civil
government belong TO the dark ages, and would
better beit grim Tartary than the American
= Republic, stil it is evident tAat an educa-
ton in the various branches of science
aud literature known TO the mOderns, and taught in
Northern Colleges, with some occasional rays from
the MONDAY sun of the Nineteenth Century, have
not been wholly thrown away upon an ingenious
youth, intended by God for some useful and honor
able vocation, but who, unfortunately, happened to
be born in a state Of sOcety where negro wenches
take the place Of nursing mothers, and negro
drivers perform the duties assigned elsewhere to
schoolmasters. In spite of these rather serious
drawbacks, Mr.. Lamar is interesting, both as a
reascner and an orator; and his speech to-day very
naturally attracted full galleries AID the close at
tention Of the floor. 1t was noted that pretty
large proportion Of his auditors were from the
Sunny side of the Potomac
When be had finished, Mr.. Davis rose. 1t was
House to-day; for, large though the assemblage
was it would have been still greater had the public
of Washington aud Baltimore been assured that he
was 70 have occupied the floor, and on such topic.
He did not rise till after O'Clock, nearly an hour
later than the usual time of adjournment; and he |
was evidently abOring under cold. But in spite |
of the unproptiOus hour, and of physical debility, |
il was an unanswerabe defense of his own position
in regard to the Speakership, and an utter demo-
Ition of that of his ASSISTANTS TIE first half hour
was a racy criticism, cutting commentary upon |
the character and acts Of the Maryland |
legislators. With the keenest of Damascus blades,
he frat removed the cuticle from the Democratic |
body polite of that State; and then, with the most
provCkjngy graceful and delicate hand, affected to
cicatr;ze the wounds Of his writing victim, by ap
pyiBg 20 tbe liyd flesh the caustic of sarcasm and
Irony, pity and contempt. Having hayed them with
bis wit, and roasted them before the slow fire of
obo "a xIyith