Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1847-06-16
"Ju. Handle. Concession.

L e =
the cry OF concession raised, in the first
instance, by designing persons who had
previously casta fire brand into the ranks
Of the democracy, in order to forestall &
prevent the very action which was essen.
tial to put quietus to the discord which
they had produced, and restore perfect
harmony based upon mutual concession
This is what may very properly be styled
| jug handle" concession-al on one side.
The honest and true portion of our par
ty, comprising ninety nine in every hun
dred, are too apt TO regard these specious
cries of concession as sincere. They are
too apt, for the moment, to lose sight o.
the unworthy motives which induce those
who, seeing themselves in danger Of be.
ing consumed by the fire brands which
they have cast to consume their party OF
its faithful sentinels, and being unwilling
themselves to make either concession OF
or reparation for the wrong they have
done, cry "eoncession," "concession," in
order to screen themselves from the con-
sequences of their reckless and dishonor-
! able conduct. We say the honest portion
Of our party. because il is tootrue that We
number among our ranks few politicians
WHO are really dishonest, and who can
see nothing in the democratic cause to
contend for but that which tends to their
own personal benef fit and advancement -
This class Of politicians are naturally in
imical to those honest democrats who con
tend fearless y for the advancement of the
cause withou, regard to the claims or pre-
tensions of men, and who are too indie
! pendent to be swerved from their duty in
order to pander 10 the restless, unhallow-
ed ambition of such selti-h politicians
Nine in every ten Of this class are either
converts of no very old date to the demo-
cratic faith, or rotten shoots from reek.
ing federal stock. We have two or three
such now in our minds eye.
Having ever earnestly preached the
doctrine of mutual concession and COM
promise to our party, we trust we have
ever been ready to practice upon it our
self; but we confess that we never expect
ed to be called upon to make all me con-
cession ourself, after being assailed in
such cowardly manner as we have re-
Gently been. As before intima,ed, how
ever, the motives of the great majority Of
our party at the Stale Convention, in yield
ing to the opportunities, direct and second
handed, for this Kind of concessions. were
of the pu'est and noblest character. We
understand and appreciate them; and We
can truly say that we are proud Of the
high compliment which they paid us by
showing that they thought It's capable OF
making all the concession for the gouc Of
The cause, as they deemed it, while none
was made on the ether side.
We cannot at present enter into full
explanation of the circumstances which
have led to these reflections The main
one has already been explained to our
readers, to wit; resolution adopted at
the Fairfield convention, with referenc e to
the course Of this paper in certain mat
ter of some importance to our party. For
an explanation Of the rest, our readers
are referred to tie proceedings of the
Bloomington convention, by which it will
be seen that the resolutions there adopted
in this behalf were passed with the express
understanding that their subject was to be
taken up and definitely acted upon a. the
State convention. The reason why it was
not thus taken up and acted on by the lat.
ter, may be gathered rom the foregoing
remarks and the obvioas circumstances Of
the case.
Great Distress in The Island Of .Madeira.
Letters from Funcha to March 2Sth
state that there was s,arce'y bushel OF
corn or barrel Of ho,r TO he bought in
the island, and the dttress in the rural
districts was extreme. The merchants Of
Lunchal had advanced to the municipal
authorities $2S,500, and lie authorities
themselves had contributed $4,000, all Of
which was sent to Glib altar, Lisbon. and
London, wherewi'h to purchase provis-
sions or the starving populations; but the
returns have not been received.
The Madeira Defensor newspaper of
Friday, the 9th March, says:
The dreadful state which our island at
this moment presents, has M, been equal
led for many years. All kinds of bread.
stuffs for sale are entirely finished, and
the poorer classes, who had not the means
of providing in time, have before them all
the horrors Of starvation. The few bar
rels OF flour that still could be got are
held at $25. If within the next two or
three days some vessels do not arrive with
supplies, we shall have to witness some Of
FL. - hot