The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-06-26

From the Richmond Enquirer.
The Southern Press.

II MEssRs. EDITORS respectfully ask place In
your paper, briefly to repy,to your editorial re-
marks in regard to the establishment Of South
ern press in Washington seek no controversy
with you--a controversy in which triumph
could afford me no pleasure, But one who
advocated the establishment of the Southern
press, feel aggrieved and wronged by your edi-
torial alluded to, and that have right 70 reply
through the medium Of your columns.
You object to the new paper because it is Sec
tional. Now you know that there is sectional
warfare going on, which is agitating the whole
country; and you know that in this warfare the
leading politicians and preSses OF the North are
the aggressors. You will not deny that all of the
presses in Washington, the Union excepted, are
Northern in their afiinities and Influences, and, in
all fairness and candor, you must admit that
the Union falls short of doing full justice to the
South. ] say this, without meaning to censure
the Editors of TINT paper for thus failing to do full
justice to the South; Tor am free to say, that it
would be unreasonable to expect them, while con-
Quoting National Democratic organ, and bound
they are, by contract, to give full reports of the
proceedings of the Senate, to devote their columns
mainly to the defence of Southern opinions, and
Southern rights and interests. In their present
position they could not do so if they would-that
they do not even attempt it is matter of notori-
ETY., for they scarcely give even sketch of the
debates in the House OF Representatives; and their
columns would not furnish space enoYnnto admit
full and fair replcations to the ponddl0us letters
L
laudation of Mr.. Clay's Adjustment, and in con-
domination of those who oppose it,
/ Now. sirs, appeal to your candor and sense
of justice, to answer whether, under such circum-
i stances, Southern Senators and Representatives
are blameable for calling upon their constituency
to sustain an independent press at the seat Of
government, devoted to the maintenance and sup
port OF Southern rights and interests' Is it not
unkind--is it not unjust, to hold out the idea to
the people, that the new paper is to be solely the
- ,l,nce Hour IN
say, that your structures on this point, cut as
deeply upon the Enquirer, the Union, or any
other paper, pledged and devoted to any principle
or purpose, as they cut upon the new paper or its
friends. For presume it will not be denied that
all political papers more or less under the
influence of those who support them, or are IN
any way identified with them Nor will 1t be
denied that they exert an influence upon the
masses who read them But, sirs, with all due
respect, let me call upon you to view the other
side Of the picture-and to make it more glazing,
| [ appeal to facts as they stand. Southern mem
bers Of Congress have had abundant means of
knowing the sentiments of their constituents, in
regard to the questions now before them--for
those sentiments have been again and again ex-
pressed and ratified in the most indubtable
forms. They are called upon by certain Editors,
backed by certuin letter-wriers, to support a
tissue of measures, called an Adjustment, which,
most of them think is directly at war with the
principles and pledges upon which they were
elected, and degrading to their constituents. Now,
sir, shall Senators and Representatives yield their
own opinions--vioate their pledges as they UNI
derstand them and follow the advice--not to say
\ yield to the dctation of those Editors That is
the question.
Y on say ssyou do not think members Of Con-
gress should have any control over the political
press For the sake OF argument let that be
granted. l ask IN return, ought any political
press to control members Of Congress' Your in
telligent readers may answer thai qeson. The
people may decide whether th~ls representatives
are to look to them for countenanee and support
or to editors and leer-writers about Washington.
II gives me pain, thus to write But tits neither
fair nor Just to assail Senator'S and Representa-
tves for doing what they clearly have right to
do-what, indeed, they feel soemnly bound TO
do. They have right to appeal from the judg-
ment Of editors and letter writers--to the judy
ment Of their constituents. Feeling that they are
unustly assailed for conforming to their repre-
sentative obligations, they have right TO call
upon their constituents to get up and keep up an
dependent press to defend Southern rights against
Northern aggression. For doing this, you charge
them with getting up a sectional party organiza-
lion. 1t is no party organization, that is aimed
at No such thing. But even if such was the
case arc Southern members to be held RESPONSE
BILE for il? Is there no sectional party organiza
ton in the North against the South' Is 1t not
known to everybody that this Northern section
al organization, with its presses IN the North
and presses in alliance with them at the seat Of
government, has attained controlling influence
over the Federal Government? All this is noto-
rious. And even if the Washington Union was
thoroughly devoted 10 the cause of the South,
under such circumstances, would ii be an unpar-
donable sin to establish another paper devoted to
the same cause9 '
I, sirs, from the days OF my boyhood have
been a reader of the Enquirer, when the Senior
Editor Of the Union conducted it--and since he
came TO Washington, have continued to be one
of his constant readers. And although, upon
several trying emergencies, we have widely diff
fered have never yet desired TO see his paper go
down Never. In times of excitement, when
the whole country is agitated almost to distraction
by questions involving the veal or woe OF the
body polite, it is difficult to avoid harsh express
sions Between those enlisted on different sides OF
n these questions If the Washington Union can
find Just cause of complaint for certain expressions
uttered by the getters up OF the Southern Press,
the latter will find difficulty in settling the ac-
count, by pointing to harsh censures, nck-names,
insinuations--not to say threats, to be found in
the columns of the Union. Let all that pass.
IL can help it,, no unltind feeling shall be
allowed to rankle long in my bosom. drop this
topic, and, i'm conclusion, would respectfully sug-
eest. that those who consider the press as
necessarily tending to break down the Washing
ton Union, and with it the Democratic party, err
most egregiously. If any such consequences
ensue the fault will not be with the friends of the
new paper, but with those who choose to consider
and treat them as enemies. The truth il, that the
natural tendency Of such paper, ably and faith
fully conducted, will be to strengthen the National
Democratic organ--for the plain reason that the
Federal organs in the city are not only Federal,
but Northern in their afinities--whereas the Dem
ocratic organ, in faithful advocacy of Demo-
cratic doctrines, would, as matter of course,
benr character more congenlal with Southern
rights and institutions, whilst it would to great
extent, be relieved from the responsibility and
trouble Of devoting its columns mainly to mere
sectional questions. But, as matters now stand,
the "a ct is as lamentable Is undeniabe, that
the Northern portion of the national Democratic
party, with few honorable exceptions, are tam
ted with abolitionism and free soilism-or they are
uuder abolition and free soil pledges to such an eA
tent that it is utterly impossible that any paper,
conducted as national Democratic organ, an
treat them as Democrats and do full justice TO the
South 1t is needless to pretend IT. IL rs utteriy
impracticable. The Southern pemosracy cons as