The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-12-22
."Let those who tread ariqht

- Ici tIlOst MO tread dTl3Ht
Deride the halt, the swarthy Moor the white;
This might bear but who his spleen could rein,
And hear the Gracchi of the mob complain ~
These lines of the old Roman satirist
were forcibly recalled to our recollection
by paragraph in the Union, assailing a
Free-Soil newspaper of the West, the
Cleveland PLAIN Dealer, for indulging in
" sectional, factious, and disorganizing
language" There are at least two kinds
of hollow ware, which should not indulge
in the luxury of rejecting on each others
color the pot should not be abusive of
the kettle.
For months the Union has been engaged
in sectional, factious, and disorganizing
opposition to President TAYLOR. 1t has
charged him with taking two Abolitionists
into his Cabinet, Judge CoLLAMER and
Mr.. EWING. While it was well aware
that these gentlemen had been both most
bitterly assailed by the Abolitionists in
their respective States-while it knew that
there was no man more odIous to the Free
Sellers of Ohio than Mr.. EWING, or to the
Free-Soilers of Vermont than Judge Col
LAMER, it has daily charged them with
entertaining northern sentiments and feel
ings ON the subject of slavery, and there
fore with being Abolitionists. The Union
has. attacked President TAYLOR daily for
the composition of his Cabinet, upon
grounds which would exclude all Northern
men from share in the Administration,
and compel Chief Magistrate to seek all
his constitutional advisers from the South
ern States. Will the Union point US to
any thing in the course or language of the
-SoiIers more thoroughly sectional,
factious, and disorganizing'
Again, it has repeatedly assailed Gen
erai TAYLOR for refusing to act GO like a
Southern man." 1t has been logging at
his heels, with an outcry demanding of
him to take sides on the Wilmot proviso.
For months it has called on him every
day OF two to proclaim in advance whe-
Their OF not he would veto the Wilmot pro-
viso. There was no constitutional mode
of giving expression to his opinions on this
subject. There was no way in which he
could declare a determination in regard to
it, consistent with his official duties, and
with due respect to the rights and powers
of the legislative branch. But the call
was made, and repeated daily, and the
omission to notice it was made the habit
ual theme of vituperation against General
Taylor, and of charges of treachery and
falsehood TO the South. This was the staple
of the long and elaborate articles-every
one of them crowded with factious and Sc
ditious sentments-with which the public
were RECALLED during the tendency of the
Congressional elections in the Southern
States. After all this, does il lie in the
keys of the sole organ to grind any such
music as il now enterains its Free-Soil
contemporary with
Again, when Mr.. CLAYTON, in accord
ance with the usage of the department,
declined giving a passport to a colored
man-was il in no ''factious, sectional and
disorganizing spirit'' that the Union joined
the Free-Soil journals in hunting down
the Secretary Of State' Mr.. CLAYTON
had done nothing but his duty; but nc
subject of clamor against him was to pass
without swelling the chorus Of the Unions
bitter-end opposition. Has the Union for
gotten its charges in this connexion Of
f'blundering' "incapacity" against Mr.
CLAYTON for refusing the passport in ques
tom Let US refresh its recollection. AnC
lest the Union may resort to its usual mode
of argument, and deny that it ever sait
what we have charged, or deny that j
ever said so editorally, or allege that il
language has been garbled, we shall quote
only entire editorial articles, and refer thu
Union TO the precise places in its own col
,umns where il may find them.
The first article we quote may be ioun'
in the Union Of Wednesday morning, Au
gust Is, near the foot of the sixth colum
Of the second page, and is in the word
following, to wit:
MoEE OFFICIAL BLusDERISG.--It seems NJ
Clayton. the Secretary Of State, recently refuse
passport TO a colored man about 70 visit Europ
On being complained Of for the refusal, he just
fed hiuiself on the ground that il had been II
uuiform practice Of the State Department 10 r