Newbern weekly progress., 1860-01-31
Oar Washington City Correspondence

easy pleasant task in the absence of legitimate
| Legislation which affords material and scope for
| the pen of a correspondent to write n readable
letter Of general iutesest, and if my letters prove
| dull an prosy the dearth Of must be, in
part my excuse. True there are delivered daily
speeches of every complexion and shade of po-
litcal sentiment; mild, conservative speeches and
rampant, rabid speeches; speeches conciatory
and speeches denunciatory; indeed we have all
kinds Of speeches from the reckless revolutionary
Grafton of the fanatic down to the deprecatinc
whine of the so-called conservative and the peo
! pie at distance who rarely take time to read
| these productions of ambitious minds, would
suppose that here food for thought and cx-
| haustless material for the writer for the press
But if they would peruse these speeches, they
would soon learn how difficult it is for the most
adroit angler to fish up from this vast sea of
words one solitary original idea or argument
They differ only in the drapery of words and
when analysed and stripped of the gittering tin
sci, it is found they are all based upon the same
IDEAS, each one of their authors trading upon the
same capital differently exhibited to the public
eye. And even these when exhumed, galvan-
lied and re-dccorated lose all their force under
the treatment of these novices in political doc
torng. Bullying and clustering; expressions of
vindictiye hate and Indulgence in harsh person.
alities; bandying of singing epithets and drop
! ping of deadly weapons upon the Hall floor, we
have more than enough Of Occasional episodes
of this character generally seized by the pub
lie appetite with avidity and highly relished; but
surfet, such the present House Of Represen-
tatives daily offers to a people gorged with such
exhibitions only produces loathing disgust, and
lessons the respect should feel for our nation
al representative body There never has been a
Congress which has gone to such extreme lengths
in these respects none which has ever permit
ted such license the floor and in the galleries.
Those members who young in experience in
State atfairs-and others too who should act diff
ferently-speak more to the crowd of spectators
than to the House: and seem more elated with a
round of applause from the galleries than they
would in achieving some practical move towards
an organization. These spectators do not confne
an expression of their approval to clapping of
hands and stamping of feet; their disappro-
val of any sentiment uttered to kissing the speak
cr. Oh no, they take a more active part in the
proceedings and quiet listener seated in the
gallery and closing his ewes, would think he was
in the New York Bowery Theatre, a court
green as he hears loudly uttered, That's SO -
give us more of it, l have not drawn on my
| ina ginaon in giving this sketch of the doings
Of the outsiders. l have heard all these express
sons used in Il tone audible all over the Hail. and
when some declaration would be made which did
not accord with the views of portion of the
audience l have heard still more disgraceful Ian
gua@e used.
All these permitted demonstrations and this
4 nf
tends to increase the excitement, and urge mem
bers to indulge in harsh language which p!eases
the crowd but is calculated to ALLEVIATE and drive
off men who might otherwise be induced to aid in
effecting an organization. At present there is no
probability of speedy end to this strife. The !
Black Republicans, a minority in the House, are
seeking by every conceivable stratagetic move
ment to cram upon the Opposition the plurality !
rule resolved that Sherman shall fill the Speakers
chair, or on his failure it shall remain vacant.
There are those, however, who will never allow |
the adoption of this rule, resorted to by the Re
publicans entering wedge to open way for
Sherman to reach the Speakership Some forty
or fifty have signed written agreement binding |
themselves to all parliamentary means to de-
feat it-and they can do it-and pledging them
selves to adhere to this resolve until the expra
ton of their term of Office in March 1861. There |
are numbers of others who did not sign this paper
deeming it unnecessary and lmpolitic, who de
termined to act similarly. The Southern men and I
their Northern friends are in earnest and resolute
and the f;lnatical abolionsts evince their dogged
determination in their unwavcrng support of
Sherman. There must be something very pecu-
liar and mysterious in the influence of Republi-
caniSm.
Poor old Gerritt Smith tottered under his load
of that precions political faith till mind and body
were crushed under it and he became crazy and
now Hon. Clark Cochrane another disciple of
this Republican church has been carried 20 &
lunatic asylum. His friends say his lunacy is the
result of prostration of physical power; may it not
be the result of the lashings of an awakened con
science of terror induced by contemplation of
the probable horrors which are to follow on the |
heels of Republican triumph. There quite
number of these HeIperites daily in the
House who would be properly classified under the
head of lunaticS; unfortunately their friends and
constituents are similarly affected and nothing
be done for their benefit.
The Harper's Ferry investigating committee Of
the Senate have sent a subpoena to Ohio to be
served on Joshua Il. Giddings, and when old Josh
makes his appearance here may look out for
another a. case - soon the = -ommittee take
him in hand. ,
Money is very " light Just now. The banks
doing littie and are exceedingly disinchned /
to accommodate. Honorable members feel the ,
depression iii the money market and begin to feel
also the Ightntss of their purses. The Sergeant +
alarms has aIyarced llIcm about 100000, and {
his resources being exhausted he shows empty
purse and sorruwftll face to Congressional! appli-
cants Ever} thing is hanging upon the organ
ization of the House Little bills be liqui-
dated after a. the House is urganzed;" obli-
cations are incurred to be cancelled after the q
House is organized; boarding house keepers to
be satisfied aud their patient waiting rewarded !
after {" the House is organized' and thousand