Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-08-01
THE GAG AND THE GoAD.

We have lately had occasion to notice the efforts
OF the government press, by treating as impostors
and knaves those who approach Congress with me-
MORALS against the ruin with which the pending
Tariff bill threatens them, to stop the mouths of the
people, and even to deter Senators, by similar inn
puations, from presenting their petitions. This at
tempt having sgnally failed, and petitions coming
in faster and faster the government paper resorts to
repetition of the expedient which was tried, and
it is averred with success when this same Tariff
bill in the last stage of its progress in the other
House; an expedient the effect Of which we find
described in the following extract from the Wash
ington correspondence Of New York journal,
which has just now OPPORTUNITY caught our eye in
one of our Western exchange papers:
'sThe means in the hands of the Executive of
influencing the Legislature on such questions as
this the Tariff may be Judged Of from the
fact that it is supposed that every one of the re-
bellious members of the House has been brought
back to his proper place in the ranks Of the party,
by well-tmed intimation of the Union that he
was to be prescribed by the man in the White
House, if he did not surrender at discretion. A
Free-Trader and Administration man mentioned
to me yesterday that he had no doubt Mr.. Rit-
chies article denouncing Mr.. Brinkerhof, and all
who were inclined to cooperate with him, was the
means of saving the bill.
The passage of the Tariff bill having been effect
ed by such means in the other House, the Execu-
tive organ, acting, we suppose, upon the principle
that like produce like effects, has selected
distinguished Senator Of its own party, to hunt down
with such vindictiveness as, leaving the former
onslaught upon the member of the House of Repre-
e, .Iolo
to any Senator Senators of weak nerves out
of any scruple which he or they may have at swal-
lowing the unpalatable dose which has been passed
to the Senate by the House of Representatives.
The individual selected as the chief victim, by
whose fate all Senators present and future are to be
warned of the fearful consequence of any rebellion
against the palace edcts, is the Hon. w. HI. HAY
WOOD, Of North Carolina whose personal as well
as political character is hacked and hewed in the
last number of the " Union with sanguinary fe-
rocity, and with weapons utterly unknown to
civilized controversy. We shall not introduce into
our columns the disgusting detail Of dsparagement
and detraction Of this gentleman. 1t is enough to
say that he is, upon the mere presumption of a
bad motive, stigmatized by the organ of the Ex-
ecutve as an apostate and deserter," and as
berayng his State" "slinking from his post" &c.
The ostensble and avowed cause of all this
torrent of obloquy is, that Mr. HAYwooD did, as
the " Union" asserts, on Saturday resign his seat
as one Of the Senators from the State of North
Carolina.
Whether Mr.. HAYWOOD has or has not resigned
his seat we have no information but what the
g Union" furnishes. There appears no annuncia-
ton of the fact in the proceedings Of the Senate
but, observing that his name is not among the yeas
and nays on the question taken at the close of Sa-
turdavs sitting, we suppose that the fact is as stated
There is no particular reason why this paper
should nterpose between this Senator and the min
listers of Executive vengeance. We may, how
ever, we presume, without the charge of interfer-
ing improperly in matter which concerns the
whole country, venture to remark that the private
character and bearing of Mr.. HAYWOOD, unblem-
ished, fair, and exemplary, as it is, ought TO
have shielded him from the most malignant of the
thruss aimed al him; and that the last hand by
which they should have been dealt is that of the
Executve-whose, or that of the Administration
the act must be consdered-with whom he has, i'll
public report speaks not falsely, been in habits of
If Mr.. HAYWOOD has resigned, we, wholly igno-
rant of his motive were of his intention, can
only conjecture tby reference to the circumstances
in which every one knows him to have been placed |
He was elected to the Senate in the close of the
year lS42 when, the fallipg-out between the actual
President and the Wing party having for time dis
tracted and disheartened theWhigs of North Carolina
the Democratic party obtained casual majority in |
the Legislature of his State. The political power
of that State let it be remembered, is now in the
hands of the Wings, and Mr.. HAYwooD would, in |
the of the tariff bill, had he voted in favor
of it, have voted against the known sentiment of
his State. Had he, on the other hand, voted against
in order TO conform to that sentiment, he would
have voted, if not against his opinion against
the prevailing opinion in his party. 1t is, there
fore, not merely charitable, but believe really
just Interpretation Of his course, that he resigned
his seat rather than violate his conscience on the
one hand, or on the other his obligations to his party
This is, however, conjecture merely, in the abb |
sence of any positive information, and may or may
not be confirmed by future developments.
But that which, after all, most concerns the Pub
lie in this natter is the very evident object of the go
vernment paper in thus opening its fire of all sorts Of
murderous missives upon the Senator from North
Carolina No one can donbt tbat Tho oh;oo, 3. a.