The New York herald., 1851-12-04
MTEREsTNa CeRlnzPouDEHCE
Our washington Correspondence.

Our Washington Correspondence.
WASHINGTON, Dec. i, 1851.
The Recent Compromise Demonstration The
Strength Of the Free Soilrs and Sscsssio~ists-
The Officers Of the House, &c.
The demonstration in the House TO- day, thus
far, hss exhibited considerable strength on the
part Of the freesolers and seosssionists, but il will
be Of short duration. The wings having passed
the compromise in caucus, the democrats will pass
them in the House, and the com operative strength
that subject, of the two parties. will for ever
settle the matter with the country. The demo
Gratis, however, must have . care lest they may
lose the national prestige which has, so far, been
the talismsn by which the masses were en-
chanted, and which has rendered the democratic
party invincible, amidst sea of dangers.
What has led the democrats Of the North to
victory, in the last election, but the fact that
they were national--that they adopted q national
platform, and that they rose superior to local
prejudice and sectional interests If the prestige
which they have acquired, by long series of sue
eesses, is to be now dimmed by departure from
national principles, there will be another split,
and the second disease will be worse than the
ffst.
A refusal to endorse the compromise on the part
Of the bulk of the democratic members OF Congress
would drive the Union democrats Of the South at
at once into the ranks of the whigs and in less than
year, revive the feuds between the North and the
South, which came very near dissol wing the Union
1t cannot be denied that the Union men Of the
South who, in the last canvass, have planted them
selves on the co ompromise, cannot now recede from
it. They must insist on its performance q cond-
ito qwa non, aud can scarcely hope to be forgiven
even for tolerance of opinions not coincding with
their own. The idea of building up party on two
sets ofprinciples-one in the North, and another in
the SOuth-weuld incorporate agitation into the
osratic articles of faith, and plant the seeds of
its destruction. Such party would indeed be held
together by nothing but the cohesive attraction Of
plupder.
Linn Boyd. may be considered the choice Of the
Butler men, and for that reason Rantoul, Preston
King, and other free soilers, voted for him Butler,
of Kentucky, is the personal compromise of the free
soilers, and the election of Mr.. Linn Boyd as
speaker seemed to be favorable to their prospects.
am much mistaken, however, if the game 80 far
skilfully played has not been betrayed already an
should be surprised If Linn Boyd himself is will.
ing to play the cards which his friends have dealt
him.
As regards the election of clerk, il was done on
the personal popularity of Col. Forney, who had
been . champion of the South for many years, an 1
has served it faithfully. The election of Pennsylva-
MAN aslerk and another Pennsy lvanian sergeant
alarms will probably be payment in full of all tho
services the Keystone State had of late rendered to
the Union. Pennsylvania has the credit of maxim Z
change when the occasion demands it. They
throw down President, and take up two clerk
instead of him, and consider the account squared.
General Scott is entirely given up as candida :
for the Presidency. Clay is very feeble and infrm,
and We bster merely the embodiment Of splendil 4
idea. The wings must have Fillmore, or Pearce,
of Maryland Fillmore is, under present oircum-
stances, by far the strongest man.