The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-05-23
CITY OF WASHINGTON.



the President and his cabinet make political cap
al oul OF the celebration OF such event as the compile
ou Of the Erie railroad. have the speech of Mr.
Webster 10 the citizens ef Dunkirk and have cast an
ohe glance at those OF his colleagues during the route
We are not surprised the character OF defence
a,,smined upon at Washington for SO shameful dise-
sard as evnced by these speeches. Of what has been
generally considered the duty OF Chief Magistrate
when candidate for the public favor Although Mr.
Fillmore is not the regularly nominated candidate OF
his parry, he is not the less a candidate as far
a, patronage can make him one. The special organ
3oss not bazon his vth stars as the standard
besrer OF its party, but II has done what is far
more eheciual II has kept at the head OF its columns
t ain declarations extracted from President Flmoe's
ussssgs which are endorsed by Mr. Webster, and
which are proclaimed the platform OF the admnisa-
lion These declarations announce watchworI which
The faithful and initiated OF the wings could comprehend
and use without the trouble Of nomination in the old
fashioned way. They constitute, all nen,s and pur.
poses Mr. Fillmore candidate for re election with the
anction of his cabinet advisers That the declarations
Of the message not of themselves Objectionable is
admitted; but that they should be supposed not only
10 give Mr. Fillmore claim to the public favor over the
heads OF the numerous other distinguished men who be-
long 10 his own party, as well ground for the ex
eclation that the democratic party should sink all its
character and join in hosannas in honor oil this new.
made cabinet hero. something that has surprised al
right thinking men, and can only be accounted for By
that law Of Nature which gives to ambition and to all
other strong passions blindness proportoned 10 their
force, and msconreption and in the degrees cor
responding 10 their tendencies TO do evil
Was it ever heard Of before in the history OF parties
in government founded the principle OF popular SOW
eegny, that the head Of administration should AFRO
gate himself the right of debating to the people the is
sue which would turn presidential election This
would be enormous, and. it could be done successfully
would authorize the enlightened observer Of the cond
ton Of American politics 10 say that ha period OF public
degeneracy had already commenced But fatal as would
be such fact, it becomes far when we connect
with ii the exravagant effort of this administration not
only to determine the issue OF the next election but to
proclaim itself the most proper exponent Of that issue
TO dictate not only the subject which the people will be
permitted to consider in the next canvass, but 10 monop-
oze beforehand the right of representing their decision
all the influence which is within the patronage of The
President Of great party. This would be symptom Of
The weakness Of the people which might well excite the
apprehension that the republican system have lie.
cslved from our fathers could no longer be upheld
That these are not idle suggestions we think will ap-
pear TO every dspassonatc mind which is present the
general character of the facts which determine The posi-
ton of parties at this moment, and the responsibility Of
such prominent actors President Fillmore and his cab.
inet-men brought into power by their own merits,
but by the generous consent of the American people to
honor General Taylor 1t is undeniabIe that the ad-
mnistration brought forward under the auspices of
this successful warrior but inexperienced statesman
proved complete failure, and, if its coansels had
been carried to their legitimate results would have
involved the country in civil war and bloodshed A
fact so overpowerng compelled Mr.. Fillmore 10 aban-
don the platform on which he had acted through life,
and TO approve measure which opposed the comb-
nations which had been instrumental to his political ad
vsncement II the Compromise confessedly a CEN
upon the administration Of General Taylor il was
much reproof Of the anecedent political action
Of Mr. Fillmore, which had made him party to the
efforts Of the abooniss to subject the question OF sIa-
very the Jurisdiction OF the federal government II
General Taylor was bound to appoint free soil Will
mot-proviso cabinet. Mr.. Fillmore bound 10 20 still
further Notwithstanding the Provso had been thrown
overheard He bound to put into his cabinet men
s moie NC spy ComHue0 10 AOoHtoh IMAM even teneTa
Taylor had been 10 the Proviso. He was bound TO call
to his cabinet Mr. Corwin. who profaned the Scriptures
by his unrsh,eous embrace of the wreched fanatics of
that society," invoking them TO the standard OF his party
in the language OF holy prophet, styling them his
children" H.
Bat the Compromise sgned-the bitter pill could
be swallowed by the sbol,ionss and the higher
law party Of Mr. Seward if such doctors as Mr. Corwin
could administer the treasury pap, and assuage the grefs
arising from the apprehension OF party which could so
truly appeal TO him father
One would suppose that administration thus weak
its an'ecedents, and strongly tempted in its future to
mistake the sound public sentiment which demanded the
Compromise a OF dsarming the abolition fanat
les, and of preserving the constitution and Unisn would
not have oufsrown its keeping, and permitted its
special organ TO insult the public taste by Boosting that
Aad aH The piaeesthai oil the democratic prine,pes had
has that these declarations not only made by the
special organ, but that grave public acts OF the President
md cabinet authorize il TO defend such declarations
consistent with the programme Of the political campaign
which is to make Mr. Fillmore the President OF 1852.
The occasion OF the railroad celebration timed
y to enable the President and his cabinet to exert
bsir influence in every variety of circumstance that
oald touch the interest Of party An event due to the
Enterprise, power and fame OF New York and her
,eope has been ndecenily laid hold OF by party which
struggled for thirty years to absorb into the action OF
the federal government a system of internal improve
nents whOee direct tendency was to impair the author