The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-02-23

We can hardly tell whether it is safe for us to
comment upon the speech which the Hon. HENRY
WINTER DAVIS appears, from our Congressional
report of yesterday, TO have made, on Tuesday, in
the House of Representatives. We have known,
from rumor, for some days past, that the Honora-
BILE gentleman proposed an Grafton touching the
Legislature of Maryland. We have had reason to
believe that it would be of the character which
our Congressional report discloses. According to
the general rules of evidence, therefore, we should
feel justified in acting upon the conviction that he
did speak, at the time and after the manner report
ed. BIT, on the other hand we know, from past
experience, that rumors in regard to Mr. DAVIS are
never true, as they may be, sometimes, concerning
other gentlemen. We know that while other
public men can be reported, and are reported,
daily, Mr.. DAVIS is beyond the reach of seno-
graphy and photography. In Congress and on
the hustngs-in-doors and out-of-doors-it is a
notorious fact, that reporters always misrepresent
him. They cannot follow him, or they will not
they are always incompetent, or corrupt or some
thing else. that disquaIifes them from putting
him fairly before the public. 1t is singular too,
that they always err in representing him to have
said something exactly like what he habitually
says and praciises. Their pictures are always
sure to be falsest, when they are most like Nay,
further, it universally happens, besides, that he
makes the discovery Of their Misrepresentation
the very moment he finds that what they have
reported is exciting public Indignation or disgust
against him. Then, straightway he becomes in.
dignant or disguised himself, and calls people
with
uonary-iull. He does not sue for libel, to be
sure, like his friend Mr.. WHITNEY, or get out in
dictmens to vindicate him-but he frames most
tremendous oratorica thunder-bolts instead and
taking This life in his hand, " fires away without
mercy, and exterminates without remorse. 1t is
quite obvious, therefore, that it is rather a
delicate matter to deal with anything attributed 10
such terrible gentleman, until he himself has
given it his inprimatar; and we trust our readers
will appreciate our prudence in hestating as to
whether we can venture to do so on this occasion
We should certainly say if called on to testify,
that the speech reported of Mr.. DAVIS looks ex-
ceedlngly like him. The story of the clown in
the noblemans chamber, is exactly in that style
OF refined and pertinent humor, and wel-bred
dellcacy, for which Mr.. DAVIS is remarkable The
assimilation Of himself to HENRY CLAY looks very
much like similar parallel which he drew, last
fall, between himself and DANIEL WEBSTER. His
comparison of the Legislature of Maryland to
MILToNs hell, is exactly the grand, gloomy and
peculiar view which his genius would be apt to
take of that superdiabolical assemblage-espe-
cially since lis Satanic manifestation against him
self has developed its wickedness The deliberate
ascrpuon 10 the Democratic party of the HELPER
provso of the Police bill, when it is perfectly well
known to Mr.. DAVIS that it was introduced by his
own party friends, for the express purpose of
making the bill ridiculous, is precisely in accord
ance with Mr.. DAVIS habitual candor in such
matters. All these, and many other ear-marks of
Mr.. DAVIS would suffice, were it any one else, to
convince us, beyond peradventure, that the Speech
as reported. is his, or part of his. But then, I'M
fortunately is not any one se's-itis Mr. DAVIS
Wherefore we decline saying anything more, at
present, than that the speech is a very poor, bad
tempered disreputable discourse, and that some
body, at all events, ought to be greatly ashamed
of it.