Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1847-05-19

county, as candidate for Secretary OF the Board
of Public Works-subiect to the decision o. the
Democratic State Conyention--and oblige
apl2 MANY DEMOCRATS.
Proposed Rcsignations-A Novel
Pretext for Refusing Creeping
out OF a Dilemma.
Last week We showed up, at some
length, the unenyiable position occupied
by the whig" party Of this State upon
the subject Of the election Of United States
Senators-the refusal Of the federal mem
bers Of the General Assembly TO resign
into tho hands Of the people, whence it
emsnated, the power which they had 50
ilagrantly abused-their daring hardhood
in assuming to pass judgment upon their
own acts and those of their opponents in
that body, instead Of submitting the con-
duct Of both, with the questions at issue
between them, to the verdict Of the peo-
pie through the ballot box, as was formally
proposed 10 them by the democratic mem
bers.
BY forming most unholy alliance with
few political mongrels, sent to the Leg
islature from the populous democratic
county Of Lee upon purely local cues
ton, having no bearing whatever upon
the great questions at issue between the
two parties, and who were positively
pledged to vote for democratic United
States Senators, in accordance with the
known views of a very large majority Of
their constituents, the federalists had sue
ceeded in thwa,ting the will Of the people
Of Iowa, and had well nigh, (on the memo
rable l8th.day of December, lS47, entail
ed upon our young State an everlasting dis
grace, by investing that notorious politi-
cal ,raficker and changeling, Jonathan
Nc Carly, with the character and power Of
her 6rst Senator in Congress. It was
truly characteristic Of party SO cons'itu-
ted, and owing its eqaivocal ascendancy to
such revolving alliance, that they should
rally to the standard Of one who had fig
ured on all sides, been discarded by each
party in succession, universally abhorred
and Stunned by all alike, and Indignantly
spurned BY the democracy ofIowa, in par
ticular, when he offered himself to them
on his arrival here from Indisna, where
he had but recently been turned out Of
tie wing party. 1t was quite fitting that
our opponents, occupying such position,
and holding brief ascendancy by such
an uncertain tenure, in seeking to perpet-
uate their power by reckless disregard
Of The clearly ascertained will of great
majority Of the people and bold disobe-
dience Of written instructions from their
constituents, should select such an individ-
ual as the head and front Of their party and
attempt to make him the greatest and most
influential man in the State. Thanks to the
sterling integrity of the democratic mem
bers, they were foiled in this attempt.
Having stripped them of their lions
skin /; or. in other words, having denuded
them Of their false covering Of p,ofessed
purity and patriotism, whereby they sought
to cloak taeir base MISUNDERSTANDING prob
ed and laid bare their seething ro,tenness
to the public eye, il only remains for us to
show by what weak, flimsy, and redicu-
lous eubterfage they are now attempting
to disguise their real position and motives
and escape the responsibility Of their high
handed course.
Knowing that the resignation Of the
members, both wings and democrats, was
demanded by the people at large without
distinction of party. who desired an OPP
portunity ofremedying, by new election,
the deplorable evils consequent upon the
confused state of parties in their first Gen
eral Assembly, the press of that party
dare not justify the refusal 10 resign, with
cut some further pretext than that offered
by the federal members themselves. In
the resolution offered by Mr.. Sells, in the
lower house, as a substitute for that offer
ed by Mr.. Olmstead, proposing general
resignation, they boldly assumed the posi-
ton that the democratic members ought
alone to resign, and they, Che wings, be
permitted to hold over. But the federal
press saw that this would not 60 down
with the people; that it was too bald, too
glaring and too insulting TO an enlightened
community.
Let US see il, in attempting to sweeten
the dose, they made it any more palatable;or
whether they did not actually make it more
nauseous and sickening. The utter fntility
and shallowness Of The pretcXt 10 which
they resort for the purpose Of white
washing and bolsterins up their sinking