The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-02-06


The only Democrat in the House, it will be OBJ
served, is Howell Cobb; the only Democrats in
the Senate, are Foote, Rusk, Clemens, and Gwin
What has become of Houston and Downs, origi-
nal signers, cxpunged their names, as we stated
in our last. 1t seems that Mr.. Whitcomb, of the
Senate, and Mr.. German, Of the House. have
done the same. McGaughey of Indiana, we are
informed was one of the pledgers. But two
Northern Wings, besides the eight Silver-Greys
of New York, are now on the list-Mr Eliot of
Boston, and MIR Cooper of Pennsylvania
At the last Presidential canvass, the Wings of
the North and South agreed to take a candidate
on trust without knowing precisely what would
be his policy, and without defining any common
ground in respect to slavery on which he was to
be supported. The result was, the election of a
President, who, owing to peculiar circumstances
came nearer in his administration to the Anti
Slavery policy than any of his predecessors The
slaveholding Wings were disappointed, morti-
fed-they saw, when too late, that the North had
the ace in its bOotn Determined to trust no
more to non-committalism, the Southern Wings
in Congress, with few exceptions, sign pledge
that they will vote for no candidate for any Office
who is not in favor of the Compromise measures,
Of the negrO-catching act, and Of the suppression
of agitation on the subject of Slavery. This is
an advertisement in advance, that, should the
Wing party conclude to hold another National
Convention at Philadelphia in June 1852, there
must be no more non-committalism or double
dealing The Georgia platform must be adopted,
and the candidate presented must place himself
openly upon it, or there can be no cooperation
between Northern and Southern Wings 1t was
evidently the expectation of the latter that the
majority of their Northern associates would
join them in the pledge, but they greatly dis
appointed The Northern Wings suppose that
they may have strong candidate in General
Scott, who thus far has not rendered himself par
ticularly obnoxious by committing himself on
sectional issues Unwilling to forfeit this advan-
tage by any premature avOwal of policy they de-
cline embarrassing pledges.
But the time will soon come when each of the
old parties of both sections will be called upon to
act unitedly in their national oapacity-and then
some common ground Of action must be adopted
and openly avowed Neither the South nor the
North will hereafter tolerate double-iealing,
where the game shall be the Presidency. The
candidate for that Office must be known either as
a supporter or an opponent Of the Compromise,
Of the Fugitive Slave act, and the policy of sup
pressing Slavery agitation, The question in
volved in these measures might have been decided
by the People at the last Presidential election
and would have been, but for the dishonesty OF
scheming politicians. Had their will been made
manifest by the election Of a candidate opposed
TO the extension of Slavery, there would have
been no Nashville Convention, no system Of in
timidation established to overawe the repre-
sentatves of freemen, no abandonment of the Or
dinauce of 1887, no fraudulent grant Of ten mil
lions to Texas, no Slaye.catching bill The mo-
ment the opponents of Slavery. extension began
to temporize and betray disirust of their own
strength, the slaveholders were embroidered, and
began at once a series Of measures calculated TO
jptimidats the North. The result We ell know.