The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-11-04
The Present and Past Fricnda OF the Com
promise.

The Present and Past Fricnda OF the Com
promise.
In Saturdays article on the Southern De
mocracy we gave the substance of some re-
marks that had appeared in the New Orleans
Bulletin, affirming generally and emphatically
the unsoundness of the Democratic party of
Louisiana in relation to the Compromise, and
ascribing their present professions OF adherence
to that series of measures to tortuitous circum-
stances, and not to principle. The BuLe-
tin has returned TO the subject. and estab
fishes its allegations by collection of facts
derived from the proceedings of the Democ
racy during the past twelve months. AT
the commencement of that period the party
press of Louisiana represented large majority
of their constituents as opposed TO the Com
promise, the minority being described as an In
considerable handful Of malcontents who had
become the dupes of the Wings. The minor
ity sustained General Downs, who was in ia
yor Of the Compromise, while the larger por
ton rallied around Mr.. SoULE, its opponent:
and the controversy growing out ct the quarrel
was furious and instructive. Some seventy
Democrats looh nUeIty "au'veetIis
a trio of interrogatories TO the latter gen
tleman, with the view OF elciting his
opinions on the question. He refused to be
catechized, however; and although his note on
the occasion produced the published inference
that he was a dlsunionist, he was sustained by
seven hundred Democrats, who attached their
names TO an address expressing unqualified APP
proval of his legislative efforts to defeat the
Compromise That was the proportion of the
Union to the Secessionist Democrats in Sep
TENDER OF last year-seventy to seven hundred!
In the same month Democratic meeting AS
held at the Louisiana Hotel, New Orleans
when Mr.. III. b. KELLY proposed the follow
ng amongst other resolutions:
'.RssoIred, That regard the bill known a.
the Compromise bill and the series Of mcasures
of which ii was composed, as a mockery, q deu-
son and snare for the South, and that, far from
restoring peace and quiet to the country, the pas
sage Of said measur,s only add to the evils
and aggravate the indignites under which the
South ia suffering.
''ResolDtd, That the thanks not only of the De-
Inocracy of this State. bat of all true southern
men, are due to the Hon, Pierre Soule, for the
nerve, zeal, ability, and answering fidelity with
which he has advocated and maintained the rights
Of tho South in the unequal contest that has re
Gently terminated so dsastrously in the Senate"
The Delta's report Of the meeting says that
"there seemed TO us 10 be a preponderance of
voices in favor Of the resolutious." but the
chair decided otherwise. The fact that doubt
existed upon this point serves TO show the hold
which disunonist doctrines had then obtained
upon the Democratic party.
Circumstances have changed since then; and
so has the Louisiana Democracy. The South
as whole, has ratified the Compromise com
pletely and cordially, and the Democratic jour
nalists and aspirants after office now deem it
discreet TO hoist other colors than those under
which Dir. SoULE rallied Them TO battle They
profess fidelity to the measures which they de-
nounced but yesterday "es mockery, delu
sion, and snare" and arc anxious TO bury in
Oblivion multitude Of facts as ugly as those We
have adyerted 10. Their conversion, like that
Of sections of the same party in other Southern
States, has been too sudden to secure any conf
denee in their sincerity The Bulletin re-
marks
eve well aware that there arc large mum.
bers of our Democratic friends who, anxious to let
bygones be bygones, profess to have forgotten all
these things; and perfectly oblVious Of any
feuds or jars that existed in the great harmo-
nious Democratic family. There arc those kind of
people to be found who are blessed with 70 conve
n'ent memory that they forget every fact Of his
tory that makes against their interest We know
many Of this stamp among our circle Of Demo
cratic ifiends, from wbose memories the recoIlcc
lions appear to be entirely efaced that they were
once violent anti Compromise and secession men;
il s Glenn gone out Of mind that only six or eibt
months ago, they were the stout champions of tho
South against the aggressivc spirit and persecut
ing acts of the North, boldly denouncing the Com.
promise, and vociferously demanding summary
redress"
The inquiry is, then, pertinent:
"What has occurred since, that they should hay,
changed their views upon this great question
There has been no further legislation upon the sub
ject, nor any change in sectional relations
Why is it, then, that Democrats who were anti
Compromise men in November, 1850, should row
be such jealous advocates OF the measure who