New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-01-09
PRHOR,a LAST.

Mr. Roger A. Pryor, M. C.. from Virginia, lie
said to have recovered the ground which be lost in
bis famous contest with Mr. Nelson of Tennessee,
by set speech which be dsliyered, mainly in
r,ply TO Mr. Hickman of PeDnsy lvaDa, the 29th
vi December. We have looked at this effort, which
ysItal friends and lebeDt opponents deem SO cred
table aud find that it differs from the common run
Of speechts by the DIsunion party ouy 10 having
freer spriDkbng of quotations and classical allus-
ions. These are mostly, however, of the old
fashioned sort, aud some of them are decidedly
stale. For instance, the lines,
"what thief e'en 1t the halter draw,
With goOd opinion of the law
have been in such universal use for the last half or
hrse-quar,ers of o century that they have become
ommsn property. Mr.. Pryor makes the quotation
IS accurately as most people, and we cannot con-
ider him responsible for the way the original lines
have been changed His citation,
"Tbe livery ofhe,ven to serye the devil In"
is equally iresh and equally correct, only two words
being missing. We may say the same of
aWb.n the devil wee sick the oevii saint would be;
" hen The devil got we l. the devil saint was he"
Substitute monk" Tor saint" and Dir. Pryor
bss given this very old saying correctly.
History and literature have furnished the Vir-
gibia orator with appropriate illusions to Their
ncDe and Pecksn q, Xerxes and Joseph Surface,
CaDute, Henry w., Corinihian capitals and Pre-
tOian bands, fate Of Mirabeau, doom of DaDton,
etc., etc. Such quotations and references might
have been almost indefinitely multiplied. We miss
TO the manner born" 4" truth crushed to eartb,"
- a y,
Z" all the world 3 a stage" " times that try mems
"souls, ""l cry is still they come, my kingdom
&" for horse" " old man eloquent" my voice is
still for war;" "spacious firGament," " Mrs.
" Gprdy," ga joy forever" "Old Grimes is dead"
and Yankee Doodle came to town." all or most
Of which the eloquent Virgninn might have used to
adyansage. Occasional illusions to Romulds and
Rtmus, the Man in the Iron Mask, shpmoney,
Petrerch and Laura, the Battle of the Kegs, Rip
Van Wrkle, the Gordon Riots, Mr.. Pickwicks
Trial, ard other remarkable persons and events,
would also have enlivened the discourse.
However, it is not for us TO make suggestions on
these points. We set out to say word on the sob
stance Of Mr.. Pryors speech. He undertakes to
defend the Shareholders against the charge of per-
fidy in the matter of the repeal Of the Missouri
Compromise; and be says:
Why Sir the South with tina. pgaic faith which ehsrac
tors II them insisted aeT the Compromise OF o20 wa
that sbond be extended and petlatod We 90 IN
sed IN the Of Oregon in the OF the organization
for the teIrtSy acquired from MeAIe and n n.
NtwA eacOthIee instances whe the South with the
10y silly and cbivac regard for honor which, not peculiar "a
ne peIpeostcn Of the Missouri line OF 50 deg
80 min What did tie Moth, tl very party cIamorous Tor
Afv ard the sonth finding that these gentlemen ofeproach
able immaculate honor employed that Compromise
when then they adhered 10 IT, and hen
their dsaovsnsse they nohihed IL the south soy hndog
these hingr and eoderpg meanwhile that the CoinpTouse
VAS sltutohsl in that posed srb
pty exclusion sEsn tho States Of the Soushthsu
that nat h the Aorth vii keep their faith they win
not observe compact the Government shold 10 the
IiDeiIlts OF the Ionsttulion."
This plea is IA old "a any Of Mr.. Pyor's quota
iOnF, and not nearly so coneck The admission OF
Missouri with the restriction upon Slavery north OF
$50 80 was substantially one transaction, aud did
bot pretend to be thing in the nature OF system
Of operations for the future. 10 was as much one
transaction as Mr.. Pryor's purchase or sale oil .
lave. We do not know that Mr.. Pryor s In the
lavs.trading line, but possibly be sometimes
has occasion to buy or sell. Let US suppose
no 10 hard up, and disposes Of "mammy
or one Of the picaninnies at ruinously low
BQure, and is compelled to take half cash and
a note for the balance" A year after, being
then in more prosperous circumstances, he seeks h