The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-03-16
st.tesmen In Congress.


Statesmen I'm Congress.
The speech of Mr.. Curry, Of Alabama, upon
the slavery question, delivered in the House on
Monday, is one Of the clearest ablest and most
comprehensive statements of the true position
of the South and the duties of the North that
has ever been given to the country. II ID
lucid and logical exposition of facts; every
point raised in the present discussion Of the
momentous question of the day Is fully and
fairly met, and the entire speech Is one that
will secure for the orator the universal admira-
ton of his own party, and wiring unwilling
compliments from his opponents. It is the
speech Of Southern Statesman addressed to
the calm common sense of the conservative
classes at the North. There IL no bullying-no
6re-eating-no threats Of disunion in this
speech. The views entertaired by the sub
stantial men of the section Of which Mr.. Curry
is one Of the representatives In Congress are
dispassionately set forth and forcibly argued.
The speech will have widespread and very
important influence.
If the House Of Representatives possessed
few more men Of MI. Curry's calibre we should
hear lees about the "irrepressible conflict"
and more of the true duties and obligations Of
the several States, the one towards the other.
1t gives US the highest satisfaction to
recommend such speeches as that of Mr..
Curry to the attention of the country,
because we believe that they mark new
era In the affairs of the republic. Twenty
years ago the status of public men was
much more elevated than at present, Then we
had in the Senate the impressive, dignided
Webster; the close, logical, terse Calhoun; the
electric, mercurial Clay, and many more lesser
lights The House could boast of John Ran
dolph for the South, and Tristan Burgess for
the North. In good time, these intellectual
giants were gathered to their fathers and
race of pigmies sprang up in their places, little
fellows who were made ridiculous by affecting
to clothe themselves with the castof ideas
Of their illustrious predecessors Herein
they not only made themselves absurd, but in
order to conceal their defeat turned bullies and
brawlers. The Senate preserved sort of dig
nifed stupidity, an ewl-like gravity, which is
the dull mans realization of conservative re-
speciality. The House, coming fresh from
the body Of the people, was more demonstra-
tive, and the Representatives hall was turned
into an arena for stump speaking and bun
combe addresses upon all sorts of subjects,
treated in all sorts of style, or no style at all,
by vulgar and ignorant country politicians.
1t is quite unnecessary to trace the gradual
steps by which Congress descended, until the
aptness Of the comparison which placed the
Capitol on the level of bear garden was at
once recognized and adopted unanimously
all over the country. In time, Washing
ton city came to be looked upon as great
market place to which Congressman resorted
to buy and sell each other, to wraugle, and
SMART and quarrel, and shoot and fight, and
give the lie, all In the name and in behalf of
their conading constituents. This is a sad
state of things to contemplate, but 1t is only
too family drawn. The fact is that the House Of
Representatives had touched the very lowest
depths of degradation, and could sink no
further in popular contempt
Az matter Of course, after all this there
must be reaction, and 1t would appear the
importance of the measures before the present
Congress should naturally tend to bring even
the politicians to their senses. But the scenes
in the House during the earlier part of the
present session were not calculated to inspire
the confidence of the people in their legisla-
tors. In the Senate the business was con-
Quoted with an outward appearance of deco
rum. The speeches of several Senators,
especially those of Jefferson Davis, were
worthy the attention of the country. Nor can
it be denied that the conduct of Mr.. Seward
and the leaders on his side of the chamber has
a certain degree of dignity, which commands
the respect even Of political enemies. But in
and out of the House, Representatives have
been guilty Of the most disgraceful breaches
of parliamentary law and the social conre-
nances which obtain amongst gentlemen. Wit
ness the exhibition of Van Wyck, of this
State, who exhumed some stale stories about
slave burnings in the South. Was his argu-
ment, if any he had, strengthened by whole.
sale SANDER upon the people Of section
Of the country? Has not every portion of the
Union its local crime or misdemeanor? Are we,
Of New York, so pure that we can cast the first
stone at the planter Of Mississippi! Are there
no glass houses in the North, nor skeletons in
the closets of Mr.. Van Wyck's constituents?
Then we have on the same side Of the House
the insolent and impudent threat of Mr.. Hick-
man, that the North would whip the South into
submission, and 80 on. Nor were these de-
monstrations confined to one party in the
House, nor to members representing one par
ticular section Of the country. Virginia, here
tofore distinguished notonly for theintellectual
qualifications Of her statesmen, but for their
exquisite breeding as gentlemen, sent two mem
bers pryor and Edmundson), who made-one
within and the other without the House-the
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