The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-02-27
For the National Era.
LETTERS FROM THE CAPITOL.

IA
iui excitement the Boston fns;,;vo H. -
has produced in Washington Il wa. $500
very unkind, not to say immoral conduct in an.
coiored people to thus forcibly liberate tboi,
brother from bondage, at the risk of ,b,o,v;..
our potent, grave, and reverend siun;or.y
such fret and fermentation. Socb .,.u-.
choler are not healthy for men at tbsi, t..
life Such news and great dinner ara TO .,'..,
TO digest at once; and what is black fellow.
liberty to white statesman's Digestion
"Call out the milingtaryw cry the nol;,;oo,
Noah Claypoles, and the amiable President obsv.
The whole movement reminds one of the snir;ta,
opposition which that eminent and strong. m;,a.J
dame, Mrs. Partington, made to the advances =,
the Atlantic ocean. She stood her ground stout,v
she piled her bosom briskly, but the great uncon'
querable element was "too muchn for the WORTHY
old lady at last
You were doubtless impressed, on reading the
debates of the Dist, by the pious horror with
which tie Senator from Kentucky regarded Mr.
Hale's somewhat disrespectful mention Of the
Presidents proclamation If remember rightly
the Senator who administered this stern renroos
and his disci Piles, were not wont to speak of the
late President in tone remarkably revereasial
The military services of the brave old General
his high Office, and the Roman justice and fra,k
simplicity Of his character, we're no protection
against contemptuous opposition, sarcasms, aud
ridicule. But now, one would suppose that hon
est Millard Fillmore, the son of sturdy repuh
lican, in his youth bound prentice to aclothier
honorably earning his bread by the labor Of
h .nds, now by accident our citizen President
wer. the Great Mogul himself, or the mighty
Khan of Tartsry, the imperial despot of all the
Russias-and that for humble subject to let drop
a word against his divine rights, his wisdom and
supremacy, were to incur the bastinado and bow
string, or to catch Tartar or to get taste Of
the knout, followed by little trip to Siberia for
the benefit of his health where he might make
himself at home and see the country for fifty
years or so, if the climate agreed with him, and
he found it worth while to live as long.
A distinguished leader in the Senate recently
very amusingly, though blunderingly, character.
ICED his own fame as that poor reputation which
it had been his ambition to scquire.n Surely this
last agitation movement will add materially to
more than one reputation of that peculiar type
On Saturday, the Southern agitators had the
field to themselves. No one spoke for the North
except Mr. Chase, who acquitted himself most
faithfully. Mr. Downs in bis remarks showed him
self strong advocate Of the whole system Of Sla-
very as also did another Southern Senator, whom
had not before heard. In the latter gentleman's
speech, tonsis or tongue refuse to cooperate as
they should, or there is sort Of labal rebellion
in other words, he has not free and easy utter
ance but rather suffers from AN impediment to
the smooth and even flow of talk His is oratory
under difficulties, and he by that circumstance re-
motely suggests Demosthsnes, as he gesticulated
by the seaside, with his mouth full of pebbles In
another respect, he and his compeers, when advo-
eating or defending oppression, when threatening
the North and ridiculing its sentiments, remind
us of Demosthenes They talk to the wind, which
" roeth where it listeth" with wild sweep and
whistle of defiance to the sea, which sounds
and dashes on--rolls its destructive waves ana
scatters its saucy spray, needless alike OF their
--r,. ~-S THAR rhriasic.
apprehension should he felt in the North, at
Southern threats of Dsunion 1t were like the
attempt of crew to scuttle the ship in mid
ocesn--the madness Of an eronaut who would rip
open his balloon in mid-heaven-or of the sam
phire- gatherer, who would cut the rope which
sustains him in his dreadful traden-or like
the folly of the inconstant Turkish husband the
Moslem Dsunionist, who, in bagging his better
half, to dispose of her by summary process un-
fortunately in his haste stitched the sack TO his
own loose trowsers and hurled himself into the
Bosphorus
In the course OF his remarks, one of the South
ern speakers warned US of the North against en-
couraging the immigration of fugitive slaves
sverring that the presence and influence of such
degraded class would be demoralizing" to
our rising generation The truth Of this state
ment | could hardly deny, as the proofs seemed
to stand out before me, abundant and conclusive.
But though | am sometimes startled and re-
volted by the utterance by Southern men OF
sentiments which seem to me in conflict with all
the principles of right and justice, can under
those sentiments unrighteous and barbarous as
they are But | know no words in which to ex-
press my intense contempt, my woman's scorn OF
those Northern renegades false to freedom, to
their pledges and constituents, and to their own
manhood, who PROSTATE themselves with more
than Oriental obsequiousness before the dominant
power, and perform with alscrityn the most Ser
vile work of their task masters-their task-mss
ters, who despise while they use them. At this
"awful crisis" when some Of the privileges of
that peculiar institution, which it seems our Gov
eminent was formed principally to protect, are be-
ing questioned or denied Northern politicians OF
this type are running en- n.asse to the rescue-pro-
pitiating with works Of supererogation--doing
wonderful things in the way Of tumbling anu
and performing prodigies OF
prostration. For this patriotic devotion, they
look for their reward with a simple faith which
is really edifying. They are not such fools as
hang themselves AFTER their "dsagreeable duty
Of betrayal, but make political capital out Oh ~
and put their thirty pieces of silver out ~ IN
terest
Mr. Dodge Of Iowa hoisted the black nag an
spread oil his canvass before Southerly VIM
think that he went farther and said more 'han
his employers required of him. lie not ohV
the wrong, but derided the right.
not content with proolaiming the fall OF . sr,A'
principle, but INDUCED himself in kicking 'h'
dead lion. -,
In the course of his remarks, Mr.. Dodge zoos
occasion 10 denounce "that misoresn', oe0's'
Thompson" and threatened him with S"a ,,,-y
vengeance should he dare to come to iav-"o.us
himself as the leader :. -.
mob ~ho shon,d dea, with him IS hs deserves