Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1860-03-02
wncER nAvls YINnIcArroN.

The speech of II. WINTER DAVIS, IN the
House of Representatives, vindieating his vote
for Mr.. Pennington and in response to the vote
OF censure passed by the Maryland Legislature,
was a mastery effort, aud is universally COM
mended, by the press and letter critics. We
make a few extracts
He anticipated a resolution of this nature
from the Legislature, but was surprised that his
own friends, with two exceptions, voted for it,
He supposed they bad allowed themselves to
be frightened with the idea of being called Alb
olitionists. Among those who voted for the
r-solutiun were some who went through the
election Oh his shoulders, and did not appear
to have sense enough 10 know that when they
saw from the tree the bough on which they
stand they fall with it. That vote was a Gu
rious scene. The Clerk calls the name of an
American, once, and there is a pause, twice,
and a shufling, thrice, and a hesitating res
ponse, then a period of placid repose, while
| Democratic names are called and earnestly res
| pondcd to then another unfortunate Ameri-
can is reached, and again there is a shuffiing.
Gentlemen stand first upon one leg and then
upon the other gentleman look over their
shoulders to see if there is not some courier
! raising "a distant cloud of dust bringing relief ;
| some rush to consult their friends. and still
their memorable opponents, with eyes glaring
upon them. sit open mouthed, sure of their
prey. And in they went In they went =
(Laughter.) He was sure he would never have
been able to describe the scene, but for the tor
ture which he saw certain gentlemen here en-
dure when they were called upon to vote for
his friends from North Carolina
How fine is the following paragraph
FL could meet with equanimity all the OBJ
loquy attaching to his course. So far as he
was worth pursuing, he had no doubt he would
be bounded. But he remembered a great
struggle in the old hall of the House of Rep.
rcsentatives which excited the country as much
as did the recent contest, when an illustrious
statesman found himself bound by duty to his
country to give a decisive vote for John Quin-
cy Adams. From that day to the day of his
death the howl of bargain and corruption pur
sued him. He had sat at the feet of that man
and could if need be, tread his path of political
martyrdom. But before any cry of Legisla-
ture or of people he would not yield. There
had been other questions as important as the
SutoI4pIIf ONhSA N~SNA =
strike down an opponent, and ti1nid c~onstitur
encies who deserted a man for doing his duty
but he would nevertheless do his duty. Nc
man was fit for his place who was not willing
to take his political life in his hand and 60 for
ward in the line of right without a backward
look. He trusted he might never, by reasoi
of any clamor or storm, however loud ant
fierce, allow himself to swervc for an Instant
After reading the resolution Of cersurc upor
him found by the Legislature. he exclaimed:
He told the honorable gentlemen who voted
for that resolution to take back their message
to their masters, for only to their master:
would he speak. face to face, and not to them
1t had always been the characteristic of thai
party now temporarily predominant in Mary
land that they would allow no opportunity Il
pass to indicate their peculiar fidelity TO the
South by stirring up sectional strife, by moot
ing questions which sensible men ought not tC
argue, by libeling their neighbors, and making
the men who live next door to them hateful tC
their fcllow-cilizens, by proclaiming that every
man who is not a Democrat is an abolitioniSt
by persuading fanatics that if they come with
in the limits of Southern States to do mischie
they will find men who, though to cowardiy tt
join them, will yet secretly sympathize witt
them. That Legislature could be described, ii
its principles, aims, and policy, in no Other
words so well as those in which Milton DIES
cribes Sin sitting at the portals OF hell-"a
woman to tue waist, and lair" &c. They stood
ready at any moment to let loose upon this
blessed land the hell-hounds of demoniac pas
sion, that was determined to break up. destroy
and ruin the country. In the midst of its more
noisy, obstreperous, and disturbing elements
there was Il brood of small, timid. restless be-
ings, incapable of striking IA blow in open ar
gument, or welding the weapons of logic OF
reason, and skil!ful only to bark and bite. o.
this brood was the honorable gentlemen whc
moved these resolutions. These men suppose
they could actually take from him the conf
dence of his constituents, who had stood by hin
through good report and evil report, when il
blew a storm as well as when it was calm
He knew his constituency and the people o
Maryland and better than these dab!ers in in
ternal agritation and he said that, right Oh
wrong, wise or unwisc, this day the vote he
gave for Mr.. Pennington was not only approx
ed, but honored ard applauded by every ma,
whose opinion he regarded. applause. AuC
he would be willing to meet his people upon
any explanation of that vote, in the face of the
whole body of that Legislature, pounded ani
ramed into one man"
The speech was what the English roughs cal
"a sumner" to the Maryland democrats, ant
will operate like physic upon them l have nc
doubt.