The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-02-14

by our influence as manifested in their long continuance
in Office renders i proper, on this occasion, that
Should briefly review the that led the seIaa-
ton and to the consequences that will follow IT, The
occasion which led TO their separation undoubtedly
that which they avowed IN their act OF separation
namely that the democratic State convention Syracuse
refused adopt political test, a subject of po-
litca party action, the test, ISSUE sentiment or pn-
ciple involved in the Wimot provso; and determined
that the democratic party should maintain the position of
neutrality in regard to il. 1t is well known however
that their hostility settled and active within the
party before that event as after They generally
that they are or were actuaed by desire 10 ayenge the
wrong mat was INFLICTED on Them by the party. That
wrong they sometimes declare TO be the defeat OF the late
Toy Wright III the general election preceding the last
Their hostility determined, and openly and in
Jurlousy manifested during the campaign that tenina
ted IN that result, after In that very election the
democratic candidates Tor Congress of the New
York districts in the Westchesler district in The O,anye
district IN the Duchess district, and IN the Jefferson dis
tric were defeated by them, for the sole reason that the
national democratic party and the national administration
had the first affections OF the candidates. In these con
gressional districts the State democratic ticket which
they supported had large majority The defeat of the
democratic candidates for Congress placed us as party
in the minority in the present House of Representatives
The wrong they IN that campaign alleged the
OF their fierce hostility during It, was that President Polk
had not appointed Mr. Fagg Secretary of the Treasury
and their friends generally to office. II is indeed true
that Mr.. Flagg not appointed; but il is equally true
that in the commercial metropolis, where the more i'm
porant officers exist the larger portion of those officers
were appointed at their request; and is notorious that
cratic party were planned and matured by some of the
high federal officers in that city.
Their hostility had its origin prior to the Inauguration
of the President Ii is well known that in Congress- in
termedate the election and the inauguration of the Pres
dent elect the bill to the then republic of Tex
TO the United States the manifestations of treason
the Senate TO the will of the people, declared by the
Baltimore convention, and sanctioned by the election
were strong 10 the general belief that its pas
sage was in peril To rebuke this incipcnt treason and
to vndicate the supremacy of the popular WILL tie ever
n. prtNG al aprl
agreed to hold public meeting. The PERSONS who
personally abored for days msucccss uy lo break up
the recent democratic State convention at Syracuse tried
to break up that assembly Of the people. The ire
able letters from Washington, designed TO effect such
purpose appeared in newspaper in New FORK on the
day OF the meeting previous to the meeting itself, al
though purportng TO be IN ansv r tC Invitations at
tend the meeting Their hostility the democratic par
ty and the incoming administration was clearly shad
owed forth then, was enacted afterwards at Syracuse
AT other times they assert and more free ,ently the
term OF the administration approaches It's close that their
hostility had It's origin IN the results of the Baltimore
convention itself This is. undoubtedly, the primary
cause to which all others accessories These inag-
nary wrongs, which excited their passion have all grown
from that fundamental wrong The prospective loss OF
central power which made inevitable by the result
OF the deliberations OF the Syracuse convention was,
however, the proximate which led them break
the slender gament which yet bound them to the demo
cratic party
The central power, which had grown up at Albany
under the late constitution at ITS commencement and
welded by those who held there the State executive
Offices of those practical political despotisms
which felt without being seen The patronage
which that constitution gave them officially afforded
them ample means TO excite the hopes and fears of the
needy To extend their patronage. and to secure further
means TO reward the obeden and punish the refractory,
the whole State bankngpower and the banks, With their
over shadowlng money influence, brought within
the official control OF the central power The model of
party organization the ieulal system The lords
paramount at the centre controlled the intermediate lords
IN the centre OF each county, and they again controlled
their minor divisions Like its model characteristic
was strength and like i, 1t produced vassalage de-
basng and degrading. To break up and dispense this
power, one of the controlling motives that induced
the call of a convention to form a new constitution
Most efectuay was that great work consummaed by
that instrument IT is true it left them in office but
their offices the mere shadow of their former power
1t early foreseen, however, that they would strug-
gle to retain their places, and as they approached the
crisis of their fate they would become more desperate
and oretod that the event which would reduce
them to the level of a common equality with other re-
spectacle citizens, would signaze their departure from
party which Tor quarter OF a century had pampered
their pride; that they would lose all sense of gratitude for
the long continued and multiplied avors of the past in
gratifying the desire to revenge the omission al last 10
continue them IN place and power.
The adoption of the constitution clearly pointed to
their displacement necessary TO complete the reform
designed to accomplish 1t proper that the
dispersion OF the monopoly should be followed by the
dispersion OF the monoposts. Those whose counsels
prevailed at the Syracuse convention governed BY
the best of motives Their design to untrammel the
of political power They did oppose the
power. because they held their places for quarter of
century, because they belonged to another generation
but because they constituted combination of persons
habiually unirendly TO the enjoyment of freedom OF
opinion, and were practsed against freedom OF action
because they had welded the central power constituting
the central desposm, designed to be overthrown by the
new constitution.
The Illumination OF the wrath OF the central power the
bitteres denuncation and the coarsest lnvective with
which democrats assaed who expressed the de-
sign 10 remove their odous monopoly by the exercise oil
the long-neglected duty Of rotation office, were al
lowed to pass without recrmlnatiOn Long possession
OF office and power had led them to consider themselves
the democratic partyhe whole of it in this State and
the most essential part of it in the Union They conse-
Quenty regarded the proposition to supersede them in
office rebellion against the party ITSELF and an insult
to those to whom were committed the s;cred trust of
governing Those who were subjected mentally to their
power, and whose passive submission entitled them to
the rank of true men, viewed them and the matter in the
same light Ii was natural entertaining such views OF
their position, that they should consider that the effort to
remove them had Its origin desire to inue them per-
sonaly as well good government, and be passionate
and it natural also, that those who felt conscious
that they actuated by the single desire TO promote
the public good should treat them with orbeamnce.
Indeed nothing better illustrate the spirit of generous
liberation which governs the true democracy than the
mode which the assaults of the central power were re
ceved and treated during the contest which preceded and
terminated in the Syracuse convention; and we NAV add
aso that nothing could strongly Illustrate the evil
tendency of the State constitution unttr which these
rulers came no and were continued in power than their
of conduct during and after that contests and if
there any lingering doubts anon the cople about
the propriey OF the reform provided in the consi,u.
ton, the subsequent conduct OF tue central over has
forever dispeed Them.
They ruled the party for twenty-five years ard when
they could rule no longer, left II because it refused
L.. Al ID. Nl.t. Al