Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1860-02-04

from adopting the only method Ieit D!
which It can ever be organized. After hav
ing poured out the most violent. unmanner
ly, and disgraceful speeches against Mr.
Sherman aud other Republicans, occasional
ly taking breath by ballot, which theN
knew would not elect a Speaker, they now
lind themselves about used up in the talk
ing line, and prepare for earnest battle
They, to the number of forty or Fifty, sigr
q written agreement to prvent n vote 1pon
the plurality rule, even # it is necessary for
them to keep up q call of ayes and noes or
dllatory motions till March 4, 1861. Some
OF these gentlemen have boldly admitted
that they have signed such an agreement
and believe no Southern Democrat has
disaVowed connection with this secret at
tempt to dsorganize the Government
1t will be perceived that we have here
the trst practical attempt to dissolve the
Union, and that the Northern Democrats
in the House lack the courage to separate
from these DisuniOnists The crack of the
planters whip is in the ears of these tremb.
ling menaIs, and they are afraid to do what
they would. Few Of these gentlemen real
y approve the course Of the Southern Dem
ocracy, some of them groan in anguish over
the position which they are forced to occu-
py 10y their slaveholding brethren, but they
are SO fearful that unless the South is APP
pensed she will nominate some Anti.DOug-
las man AT Charleston, and thus secure the
overthrow of the Northern Democracy,
that they dare not speak out their real sen
| timents.
The compromise which Mr.. Douglas is
trying to make with his Southern friends
also interleres with the freedom of will
among his Northern friends in Congress. -
This compromise is intended doubtless 10
cheat the Northern people who vote the
Democratic ticket The terms are as fol-
lows lnasmuch as the Northern and
Southern Democracy are at swords, points
on the Territorial question, Mr. Douglas
proposes that the question be referred anew
to the Supreme Court and if that Court
shall decide in favor of the Southern poll
ticians, then the Northern Democrats will
unite with them in giving Congressional
protection to slavery in the territories. The
beauty of this scheme of reconciliation is
this it carries Mr.. Douglas and his friends
handsomely over the chasm which lies be-
tween this and the close of the next Presi-
DENTAL election. The people of the South
Will be assured that the decision will be 10
their favor-the people of the North that
they VIII surely triumph before the Court
aud when the election is over, if Demo
corat is elected, just as in the famuus Dred
Scott case, the new Democratic President
can in his inaugural foreshadow the dec-
sion OF the Court, as the new platform of
the party in power, that Congress is in du-
ty bound to give slavery protection in the
territories Nebraska at this time furnish
es such case which can be made up for
Judge fancy and bis judicial brethren. -
This is the Hext step in The programme of
the great Pro.SIavery Democratic party.
The debate during the week has at times
been very excited, personal, and unparlia.
mentary. The representatives of the South,
who constantly claim the superiority of
their peculiar civilization over that which
grows out of "free society,"" certainly are
very careless of the specimens which they
exhibit to the world of that civilization on
the floor of Congress. To adopt the role
of bully seems to be the great ambition
of some Of the So-called able men of the
South in Congress. TO reply to damag-
ing argument by giving the lie direct is the
Virginia mode of carrying on debate
MIR. Pryor gave Hn example of this when
he replied to Mr.. Hickman's unanswerable
argument, aud which made no reference
whateyer to persons, "Your statement you
know to he false" This was all that the !
gallant Virginian cOnld say, and every |
Southern fanatic in the House gave him |
frenzied cheers when he said it. 1t was
everywhere understood here as a deliberate |
attempt to drag Mr. Hickman out OF Con
gress, where he was an overmatch for the !
Pro-SlaVery Democracy, into the field of
combat, where the bullet of an assassin
might dispose of him, as it already has done
of Senator Broderck Mr. Hickman, how
ever, possessed the moral courage to declare
that he w uld not be drawn into duel fight
ing by these personalities, and that resort
to them was no answer to his argument.
The day after this scene occurred in the
House, Mr. Carter, a new member from
New York, came out very finely in his own
defense in voting for Mr.. Sherman. and in
defense of the general principles of the re.
publican party. An attempt was msde by
Southern men to frighten him from his
'peech but tie whitehaired old man prov.
ID TO be made Of Revolutionary stuff. for
le maintained his right to the floor free
rom interruption, aud when his regular
speech was finished he put himself in the
iandS of Southern inlerrogators. aud tr;-
sustained himself aud the peo-
Die of the free states. He was not content
yith doing this. hut ne proceeded to smoke
,ut the political dodgers in the House. He
,alled upon the Southern Americans 20 saw
+ they were not in favor of a Congression.
Il slave code Tor the territories, and they
aid they were. He then referred TO the
act that his colleague from New York. Mr.
Briggs, had been steadily voting for men
such opinions. He then show
~ the admissions of Southern Democrats
hat the so called Douglas Democrats had
Ilso been voting for men entertaining simi.
ar ultra views on the question of slavery
II the territories. The facts which he so