The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-02-01
BALTIMORE.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY /, 1850

The contest for the Speakership is evidently
drawing to a close. The probabilities are, that a
few more ballots-perhaps the next one that shall
be had-will determine the result, and present in
dications favor the election of Governor PENS1Ns-
TON, of New Jersey, the candidate of the Republic
cans On the last ballot, Governor PENNINGTON
received ll6 votes-1l7 being necessary to
choice. Mr.. McCLERNAND, the Democratic candi-
date, had 81. Whether the organization of the
House will prove matter for generalization, will
depend altogether upon the use which members
may make of the opportunity for proceeding with
the legitimate business of the session The idle
and improbable debate in which the last two
months have been wasted may be harmless COM
pared with the positive injury that may be in
ficted upon the country by hasty and ll-advised
legislation. One fact, in connection with yester-
days ballotng, has made profound impression
upon this community. 1t is the fact that Mr.
DAVIS, the fepresen tative of the Fourth Congress
sional District of this State voted for Governor
PENNINGTON. Governor PENNINGTON, independ-
emily Of his being the candidate of the Republi-
cans, Is known to be as decided in
his hostility to the institution of Slavery
as any man at the North-as Mr. SHERMAN
himself. Maryland is slave holding State iden-
tiied in interest and feeling, with the people of
the South. Mr. DAVIS, representing the COM
mercia capital of this State casts his vote for an
avowed enemy of Southern institutions In so
doing, Mr.. DAVIS undoubtedly exercised his perfect
right to vote for whom he pleased, but he has
exercised it in opposition TO the views of his con-
sttuents, and in violation of his moral obligations
rs their representative. We are not surprised at
his action. We have always suspected him of
leaning towards Free-Sosm. We have not hest
tated to tax him with tendency that way, and he
has not scrupled, time and again, to manifest it
in the most open and undisguised manner. His
votes in Congress throughout the whole of the two
terms, during which, he has msrepresented this
city, and his speeches during the late canvass,
when he was candidate for reelection, convict
him of being at bottom Free-Soer. If, as we
have strongly suspected and is currently believed,
he was the author of the series of articles which
appeared in one of the evening papers of this city,
during last fall, advocating union of the oppos-
ton, we have his own admission that there is
no substantial reason, in his judgment, why Mary
land should not vote for SEWARD in 1860. All
of Mr. DAVIS sympathies are with the Repub-
cans, and his present vote for Governor PENNING-
TON was prompted, doubtless, as much by inclina-
ton as by desire to curry favor with that party
and TO secure the votes of the Republican men,
bers in his contested election case. 1t was
the wisest policy Mr. DAVIS could pursue to defeat
Mr. HARRIsoN's claim. 1t was, in fact, his only
course, for, tried upon the evidence and judged
according TO its merits, that claim could not fail
to be decided adversely to Mr.. DAVIS, and to
result in his election from the House. With a
Committee on Elections, however, disposed to
keep him in, and with Republican majority
bound by every consideration of gratitude to keep
him in, Mr.. DAVIS chance of retaining his seat
will be vastly improved. That Mr. DAVIS did not see
his opportunity in this light, we should be slow
TO believe, as that he would be above taking advan-
tage of it in the manner and for the purpose we
have indicated. At all events, he has voted for a
Republican. That vote can only be explained
upon one of two grounds. Either Mr.. DAVIS is a
Republican himself and voted for Governor PEN
NINGToN out of sympathy with that party, or he
voted for him from interested motives. Mr. DAVIS
is welcome to either horn of the dilemma and TO
make the best Of the position in which it places
him. or in which, rather, he has placed him.
self