Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1849-08-17

- Representatives and, II So to place
nance of power in the hands of the Free Soil
faction, there being possibility that the party
which sustained Gen. Cass can have the ascen-
dancv. The Free Soil faction having formally
split itself off from the two principal parties, and con-
scious of its increased importance, may certainly be
expected to acquiesce in no policy which does
not involve assent to its cardinal doctrine OF Free
Soil. The regular Democrats therefore, cannot
cooperate with that faction in such matters as the
election of Speaker, without an implicit submission
to its requirement that the Wilmot Provlso must be
taken Gin diplomatic phrase) as co'acessum, Or,
to use still more definite language, an opposition
Speaker cannot possibly be elected unless he is not
only strenuous advocate of the abstract principle
of Free Soil, but determined to use all his influence
to carry the Wimot Proviso through Congress, and
to make that measure the watchword of the OPPOSE
ton party.
What new disposition OF the political forces this
formidable attitude of the Free Sellers in the next
House of Representatives may induce, cannot now
be foretold with any degree of positveness. But
in one sentiment undertake to say, that all con-
siderate men of the South will unite, and that SEN
tment is that the attainment, by this desperate and
dangerous faction, of a position OF such conse-
quence in our national councils, is circumstance
to be deeply deprecated and depored. And, who, let
ask, are chiefly responsible for the unwelcome
prospect that now lies before US. We answer, with
out hesitation, the Southern Democracy, by the
course it pursued before the Presidential election,
and the South of both parties, by its aches, since
the election, in failing to rally to the support of
Southern President
The formation of the Free Soil party is to be at
tributed solely to the miserably shorsighted policy
of the Southern Democratic Conventions, in solemn
ly pedgng their party before the nominations at Bal
timore, that they would support no candidate who
was not the avowed opponent of the Wilmot Provi-
so. The necessary consequence was, that the De-
fnocratc advocates of the Proviso, seeing them
selves thus prescribed, were forced into separate
and hostile organization. This prescription they
every where declared to be the foundation of
their whole proceeding. Their conventions and
speakers constantly proclaimed that the South
pledges had driven them to take counter pledges
Citations of the resolutions of the Democratic Con-
ventions of Virginia, Alabama and Florida, formed
the gravamen of all John Van Buren's speeches
and in those resolutions the historian will unques-
tionably discover the true origin of the Free Sol
i Democracy. lie will have to record, too the melan,
choy truth, that doughty as the resolutions Were
Ind efficient they proved in breaking up the i-
moeAhe pkrty of the North, their authors were ST
laskstS4 led at Baltimore. and compelled to adopt .
sandidae who came distinctly within tho pledge
pf azooans ulsication ssif he had been Mr. Nilnot
siasesT
Tres sais!a ihEisil then, originated with Southern De
saocracya How, we proceed to enquire, has it beer
allowed to make such headway in Congress, as to
have an almost certain prospect of holding the bal
anee Of power in the House? We answer again
by the aches, the neglect of the Southern people to
meet and crush it by elecng friends OF the admins
tration. Presenting Maryland, Louisiana, Mlssis
sippi and Texas to send Wings and 10 Democrats
to the next Congress, they did to the last, the
whole Southern delegation will probably stand d.
vided, SO Wings to IS Democrats. Had the South
been properly alive to the vital importance of over
towering the Free Soil faction in Congress- and Sc
curing the peace of the country and the integrity O.
the constitution, 1t would have strengthened the
hands of an administration against which that fac
ton is waging the most bitter warfare, well know
ing that SO long as Gen. Taylor is upheld by the
country so long will their mad designs be thwarted
From Virginia, there should have been (accordlng
to the manifestation Of public sentiment at the
Presidential electon) seuen administration members
instead of one; from Kentucky, eight instead O
sic from Tennessee, sir instead of four; from
Alabama four instead of three. These, with JUS
proportion to the results of November last in Mary
land Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, would have
given the administration at least half of the whole
Southern delegation, and superiority in the House
which would have made the little band of Free
Sellers as harmless in influence as it is dangerous
in purpose. But the South has unhappily permitted
them to gain an adventurous consequence by send
ing them Southern allies in their opposition to The
administration. Southern Democrats will doubt
less protest against their representatives being
placed in this unenviable category 1t is not we
who place themin it. They will occupy it by neces
sity, unless they are willing to forget their Democ'
racy, and to join the administration party in efec
ting a conservative organization of the House.
When we look upon the present aspect of North
ern politics, and see the innumerable evidences Of
the fact that the Free Soil party is consolidating with
in itself all the elements of opposition to the
administration, We confess we are amazed at the
lukewarmness of the South Never did any policy,
more plainly commend itself to an intelligent peo-
pe as indispensable to the promotion of their views,
than does cordial support of the President, against
the Northern league which has been formed against
him, commend itself to the people OF the South. 1t
would seem indeed, that, with the issue broadly
made between the party of the Wilmot Proviso on
side and the party of the administration on the
other the voters of every Southern district that has
yet to elect its representative no matter what might
have been their former political connections, would
elect friend of the administration. But such is
the blindness of party ZEAL that it continues to rage
even after the party for which burns is practically