The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-12-20
MIR. Brown shook his Head.

the reporter tells us that 6 Mr.. Brown
shook his head This shake was not a
mere Lord BURLEIGH shake of the head,
for there was something significant shaken
out of it. General BAYLY considered the
shake tantamount to negatlon OF the
charge. In his judgment, it was very
pregnant shake of the head. On the
strength of it, he Immediately announced
to TIE House that he was "authorized to
say that no such correspondence had taken
place" A nod is as good as a wink to
blind horse General BAYLY was quick
enough to draw wrong inference from
shake of the head; but he could draw no
inference whatever from the fact that the
Free-Soilers were voting for man who
had always taken the extreme Southern
ground on all controverted questions.
1t seems that Mr.. BRowN, by this act,
went beyond his instructions. The elite
of the Richmond Democrats had not con-
templated this ominous shake OF the head.
Mr.. BRowN's lesson was to ''fold his
arms and ssrefer to his recorded votes"
This was all that was set down in the pro-
gramme for the gentleman from Indiana.
He was to stand mute, and point at the
record. In that way alone could he OBJ
yiate the embarrassment of his position. p
II is gratifying to know that there is one
man in the world who is not ashamed
of his relations to Mr.. Brown. The
senior editor of the foreign organ is
that man. We are not surprised at
this His sensibility to shame has
long since ceased to be acute. A man
who has so many things to be ashamed
of can hardly be expected to blush at
the exposure of any such .connexion.
We do not suppose that Mr.. BRowS is
ashamed of his relation with the senior ed
itor; so it may reasonably be presumed
that he is past blushing. The representa-
tive of the Richmond elite has vouched
for Mr.. BRowN's admirable qualifications
Tie CIdll IDS OlldOlStu Aiiil do
the favorite candidate of the Republican
party. Time and again he has eulogized
the gallant BRowN as the first martyr Of
the Administration-thou he knew per-
fectlv well that his martyrdom consisted
in the very prompt and proper resignation
of his office on the accession Of Judge
CoLLAMER to the Post Office Department
Mr.. BRowN behaved like gentleman
on that occasion. He did not wait TO see
how long he could hold on by his office.
He did not wait to be turned out, that he
might enjoy the satisfaction Of bowling
and whining at the Administration for his
prescription He resigned at once-and
this fact, we must confess, induced us at
the time to think more favorably of Mr..
BRowN than of many other gentlemen
similarly situated, who behaved differ
emily?
II was not Mr.. BRowN's fault that the
senior editor was resolved TO make a mar
tyr Of him. As far as the relations Of
martyrdom 60, therefore, we apprehend
that the senior editor has good cause to be
ashamed Of himself, though not of Mr..
Brown But, when 1t comes to subse-
quent relations, and we learn of the very
active efforts Of the senior editor 10 place
Mr. BRowE in the chair, we confess that
we are little surprised at the avowal,
that, in the face of recent developments,
he sees no reason TO be ashamed of his
relations Has the senior editor Of the
foreign organ exhausted all his capacity
of shame in behalf of his foreign rela-
tons.
We have said that some Of the support
ers Of Mr.. BRowN were mere dupes. On
the other hand, the evidence is over
whelming to the fact Of connivance and
completely on the part Of many other men
besides the immediate actors in the plot.
We think that all his supporters, in view
Of Mr.. BRowN's anteccdents, were reck-
less and Indifferent, and more DESTROYS of
organizing an opposition to General TAY-
LoR, than Of maintaining the special and
peculiar interests with which they con-
slider themselves charged. Lady Mac
BErH's apostrophe, on reading the letter
from her lord, seems to cover their case
Thou wOuldst b. great,
Art not without ambition, bot without
The illness should attend IL. What thou wOuldsi
highly
That woudst thou holily tco,lIdst not play false
Ind yet toouidst ,rrongly tcin."
How otherwise can we account for the
fact that, after Mr.. ALLEN, Mr.. BooTH,
Mr.. GIDDINGs, Mr.. p. KING, and Mr..
WrLMoT, had voted for Mr.. Brown, a
gentleman 50 shrewd and sensible, and sc
thorough a politician and tactician as Gen.
era BAYLY, vcntured still to advocate the
cause Of Mr.. Brown, disayow any improper
connexion, and treat the course of the Free.