New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-01-26
FROM WASHINGTON.
DOUGLAS AND FESSENDEN IN THE
SENATE, AND CoRwN IN THE
HOITSE
Fron Our Special Correspondents

WASHINGTON, JAN %, 1s6O
There have been rare attractions in both wings
Of the Capitol to-day. 1t being unders' nod that
Douglas wss to make bid for Southern ssrnort at
Charleston, under the guise Of speec'A on his pro-
posed measure for protecting the Ssyebolding |
States against invssion the galler' a r Abe Senate
were crowded at an early hour A, the outset, the |
counter attraction in the House consisted only of
rAnting speech from BarksdO . On tho ieiuue tories
Of Helper, bred Scott, Old erowp. and Dissolu.
ton of the Union. Alta lcr hour Corwn took the
floor, when there was speedy diminution in the
number OF those VINO isaessed Che performance of
the whilOm Anti-LecO' anton Senator.
Douglass speechW ~ but rehash of his ed ideas
about the necessity efa diversity of domestic inst-
tutons in the Sc s,al States Of the JJpion. inter.
lsroed Win sPe seas argument in favor of legisa
ton TO prevent he inhabitants of ore State conspir
gto overtime q the inttitotions of euOther, gar
msaed win c. Rrges against the Republican party,
aike iase al Klndece1: as the authors of Browns
invasion OF etfgmis. The effort hardly rose to the
lever OF u Senator's ordinary forensic displays,
pOth III 10 E.tsr and manner. Without one original
idea 10 7 saeem it from the common current Of par
hsan ph Ssldes, it WIS wholly lacking in that def
ant sP' ft-snd seeming sincerity which inspired and
WINE fAis speeches of two years ago. The differ
ence nikis bearing toward the Republican side Of
the NsSmber, tet Ween now and then was equally
MAJ k-6. He was to-day the same specOus be-
trs ysr of Fsee dom that he was when he forced
tn Uash tfseixs Ms Nebraska bill, six years ago.
y ewas putting in bis proposals for the Charleston
orninatoE and he seemed not inclined to stint the
, .daSo 10 10 thp lpVo
sdrthe el1igency.
Mr @Fcss' nden replied to Douglas with extrsoz-
binary PAN gency and power. Some Of his points
pierced th joints Of his armOr, and touched the
'gUiJ. car sing him TO writhe upon the trenchsnt
GtcC o f the Republican Senator For example,
Fee e1de n expressed surprise that Douglas, in his
SPrgea Of law to break up cOnspiracies against
the Government, had made no provision for the
'threste,ied contingency of attempt to overture
the &c institution IN the event of an election, BY
legal neans of a Republican President Douglas
wss IL nprudent enough to reply that the utter ab
sura fy of supposing that any candidate Of that
part ~ could be elected made it wholly unnecessary
to ,ruard against the consequences of such an i'm
pei sibe event. Like fash of lightning, Fessen-
de- A scathed him with the retort that the earnest
ne az with which masses of men, fully equal to the
snator in capacity to judge Of probabilities, pre-
d icted that event. and threatened to thwart it by
llsunon would seem 10 imply that he in error,
and saBgune in regard to this part of the pend
ing Presidential programme, as he might also be In
respect to the part which he himself was destined
to play ia tbatprOgramme. The his was so palpa-
ble and the blow dealt with such provoking cool
ness that Douglas lost his temper, and tried to be
severe in reply but was only abusive, showing that
the arrow had reached a vital part and stuck fast
IL as not believed that Douglas has improved his
chances for nomination by this raid on the free
spirit of the country. His only hope was in MAN.
tanning e lofty position of independence. He never
won anything except by imperousness of will
Cringing to the South which he has once betrayed,
is not the way.to capture the Charleston COnven-
ton. Backed by defiant North, he might break
into it, Heswl never be suffered to Green in. If
he ever enters its DOORS it will be in an erect pos
ture. He viii not be allowed to crawl over its
threshold. While he stood up, msafully and de-
family, the South feared him. Now that he has
fallen upon his knees, they viii spurn ard reject
him.
But we are forgetting the House, where Tom
Corwin held grand leUee to-day He has not
been 90 much himself before, this session. His
- speech was an argument in favor Of the old-fash-
toned doctrine of the power and duty of Congress
to prohibit Sleveryin the Territories. He dev-
cred it standing over the Southern side of the
chamber, and surrounded by the entire mass of
slavehoIdipg and nOn-slavehOlding members. 1t
abounded in ,sOund constitutional arguments and
apt historical expOsitons, the gravity of the text
being lighted up with classical illusions, keen re-
Horts inimtable bumOr and graceful hits at friends
and foes 1vh Oh riveted the attention Of the floor
and galleries fe1 two honrs, when the House adj
iourned in the best of temper, leaving the unique
performance still unfinished.