The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-02-01
SOUTHERN PRESS
WASHINGTON CITY.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY i, 1851.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY l, 1851.
The Pledge OF Prescription
For the purpose OF putting on record the
names of those members of Congress- who have
undertaken to organize kind Of Club, on the
model of the old Jacobin Club of Paris, " hicl
gave handful Of men the power Of proscrib-
ing all measures and all men at pleasure, we lay
before our readers the pledge, and the sigma
lures attached to it.
We have deferred doing 50 thus long, in or
der to give all who could be coaxed or cajoleo
into affixing their names to it but as we have
reason to know that the list, instead of enlarg.
ing, is decreasing, we desire to give the benefit
Of publicity to those names, before this gavan-
lied corpse is consigned to the "tombs Of the
Capulets." Here is the Pledge:
@The undersigned, members Of the thirty first
Congress OF the United States, believing that q
renewal of sectional controversy upon the sub
ject of slavery would be both dangerous to the
Union and destructive of its objects, and seeing
no mode by which such controversy can BE-
avoided, except by a strict adherence to the set
Element thereof effected by the Compromise
acts passed at the last sc sion of Congress, do
hereby declare their intention to maintain the
same settlement inviolate, and to resist all at
tempts to repeal or alter the acts aforesai /. un
less by the general consent of the friends Of
the measures, and to remedy such evils, If any
as time and experience may develope; and for
the purpose OF making this resolution effective
they further declare that they will not support
for the Office of President, or Of Vice President
or of Senator, or of Representative in Con-
gress, or as member of State Legislature any
man, of Whatever party, who is not k,toOn to b
opposed to the disturbance of the settlement
aforesaid, and 10 the renewal in any form, of ag-
tatiop upon the subject Of slavery"
And here the muster call--Senators in italics
Howell Cobb, Ga, Alex. H. Stephens, do.
Robert Toombs, do, Wiilioh c. Dapson, do.
Allen L. Owens, do, Henry W. billiard, Ala
Jeremiah Clemens, do, Henry Clay KY, Hum
phrey Marshall, do, james L.. Johnson, do
Daniel Breck, do, John B. Thompson, do, Chas
s. Morehead, do, FINS T.. Mclean, do. Mere.
dith p. Gentry, Tenn, Chris II. Williams, do
Josiah NJ. Anderson, do, Albert G. Watkins, do,
jeremiah Morton, Va, Thomas s. Raymond, do
Willie p. Mangum, n C., Aug. H. Sheppcrd
do, Edmund Dcberry, do, DAVID Outlaw, do,
J. p. Caldwell, do, Thomas G. Prau, Md,
Richard J. Bowie, do j. b. Kerr, do, Alexan.
der Evans, do, Edward c. Cabell, Fla, Henri
s. Footc, Miss, II. A. Billiard, La, Thomas j.
Rusk. Texas, Samuel A. Eliot, Mass, James
Brooks, N. Y, David A. Bokee, do, J. Phillips
Phoenix, d. Robert L. Rose, do, Geo. r. An
drews do, John r. Thurman, do, A. NJ Scher.
merhorn, do, William Duer, do, James Cooper.
Penn, William NJ. Gw,a Cal.
The list itself is sufficient to show the true
character of the movement, and the utter abor-
ton that it is. The whole number amounts to
but roRTy-FouR, all told, from both Houses
comprising near three hundred members-and o.
these but five belong to the Democratic party
and all Of these Southern men, viz: FoorE
RUsK, CLEMENS, GwIN, Of the Senate, and CoBB
Of the House. The names of CAss, DIcKIN-
SON, DOUGLAS, and other Northern compro-
msers, do not appear on the list 1t is said
HousToS's was on, but afterwards taken off.
OF the Northern Representatives, eleren only
sign it, and eigM of these are Administration
Wings from New York. From New England
they get but one, Mr.. ELIOT of Massachusetts
who is only filling out term, and is not re-
elected. Of the eight New York signers but
two have been reelected.
The Pledge may, therefore, properly be re-
garded as a bond 10 keep the peace towards the
Administration, on the part of the sgners-but
is evidently not worth the paper it is written on
for the surcties are themselves entirely insol-
vent, and this Mutual Assurance Society was
organized chiefly TO bolster up their shaken
credit United they standardized they fall
Well, we hardly think that these roRrr-rouR
gentlemen, many of whom retire into the shades
OF private life with the close of this ses ion, can
either separately or unitedly affect very materi-
ally the issue OF elections, either State or Fed
eral both of which they have taken under their
especial charge.
For representatives of the people, chosen for
specific purposes, to cabal together for the pnr-
pose of relieving their constituents from the
trouble of making such choice for seats in
Congress and State Legislatures MS best suits
their own ideas and wishes, is certainly nov
elty--in this country at least.
The sweeping terms, and the wide scope given
to the Interpretation Of the last sentence of the
pledge, makes the analogy more perfect between
the eabal and the club to which we compared
it. The latter body, while exercising its func-
tons, was in the habit Of sending to tho guillo-
tine, under the charge Of I" incirism," person,
" under Suspicion Of being suspectcd'-an exam
pie which no doubt would be closely followed
by their imitators politically, could they bus get
nm organization adequate to perform the giGan-
tic work carved out--which 10 no less than the
prescription and evclusion from all c6ces Of prot.
or trust, StaIs and FEDERAL, any and every man re-