New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-01-24
THE TWO PICTURES.

In tDe autunndl CONTEST Ot 1000, nSc BcHttciucn
were candidates for election, or reelection, to the
House of Representatives. Their names were
Horace F. Clark, George Briggs, Garnet b.
Adrain, Jetur X. Riggs, and John G. Davis.
Neither of them was Republican, but all pro-
fessed to agree substantially with the Republicans
on the Kansas outrages, the Lecompton swindle,
and cognate questions. Each admitted that it
would be impossible to be elected without Repub-
can support and each eager to obtain such aid.
This support was rendered to them on the condition
(among others) that, after reasonable time in
which to make record in accordance with their
own peculiar positions, they would aid the Repub-
lcans in organizing the House, either by voting
directly for their candidate, securing the plural
iy rule refraining from voting, in some other
effective mode. The pledge to meet this exgency
was made during the canvass, either in words from
their own lips, or was clearly implied in the fact
that they knew that the Republicans, whose sup
port they coveted, proposed to vote for them with
this express understanding. The Republicans, on
these conditions, and for these reasons, did vote
for each of these gentlemen, in good faith; and,
but for their votes neither Of them could now hold
a seat in Congress. So much for the picture Of
1853.
Let us look on the picture of 1860. For six
weeks the House of Representatives has been in
deadlock on the Speakershp, the current Of legis
lation frozen at its fountain Government contract
ors clamoriDg for their dues, the POst-Office De-
partment well nigh broken down for lack Of an
appropriation, and the monetary and business in
terests of the country becoming seriously embar-
raised. During these six weeks the Republican
and other branches of the Opposition have steadily
supported competent and conservative man for
Speaker giving him all the votes they can possibly
rally for anybody, and lacking but three voices to
place him in the Chair and give the country
happy issue out Of it's dilemma. They have urged
the plurality rule, they have demanded the previ-
GUS question, they have kept silence under severe
proyocations TO enter into the forensic melee. But
Faction procsims that it viii resist vote on the
plurality rule to the end. Disunion declares that
the candidate of the Opposition shall never take the
Chair. corrupt Administration backs up the
disorganizers. Only three more votes are needed
to crush them. Even five absentees might foil
them. Five gentlemen, under the most solemn
obligations to relieve the House of it's embsrass-
ments, and who might have done it any hour during
the past six weeks have aided and abetted directly
or indirectly 1--WE do not say willfuly and perverse-
ly) these disorganzers aud DisuniOnists. Their
names are Horace +. Clark, George Briggs, Gar.
nett d. Adrain, Jetur r. Riggs and John G. Davis.
Sincerely hoping that these gentlemen will yet see
their position in the light inwhich their disappointed
Constituencies view IL we ignore epithets and simply
state facts. If we have misrepresented the case
of either Of Them our columns are open to any cor
rectiOn Trey have TO offer.