The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-05-04

opposed the measures Of the compromise The
| fre-brand was thrown into the Senate early in
the session, by one who no longer has a seat
there, and ii still Sws and burns, diffusing its
malignant heat, until it kndled kindred fame
in this House.
| Let those who agtale takesthe responsibility
to themselves. Let those who covct the honor
of being approvers Of the compromise, and adj
vocates OF its provisions, array themselves with
all the glory which such services ought to So
cure but modesly forbids them to claim pecu-
liar patriotism, because they acquiesce, or be-
cause they denounce those who not approving
| peaceably abide by and quietly endure wrong
Sometimes ills not peasautto place former trans
actions in view and it is considered under such
circums tances, breach not only of order, but
Of good manners. Those who approve Of and
cordially acquie see in those measures, should
rejoice in their own selfcompIacency They
are living lusiratratiols of what | have long
since known" That there is nothing which
men bear with so much philosophy as their
neighbors' misfortunes, or with so much for.
bearance as the wrongs of Others" | leave
them to the illustration ofthis high and disiner-
ested moral feeling. with the assurance that if
the power Of the Freesoiers and Abolitiousts,
secessionists and dsunionists, is so great and so
powerfully combined IN this House, they are not
so secure as they suppose in the control Of all
things as they may WILL There were three
defeats sustained on Friday last by those who
urged the adoption of the report of the COM
mittec. But, sir, it is easy to demonstrated he
fallacy Of any such charge. BY referen1 ~
vote to lay the whole subject upon tn
will appear that there were fifty two
| Democrats. -
Mr.. FREEMAN. What do you call old-line
| Democrats?
Mr.. VENABLE. will tell you presently.
| Are you one Of them?
Mr.. FREEMAN am
| Mr.. VENABLE. | hope the gentleman is
satisfied he decides that he is an old line Dem
ocrat, and need not raise the point with me
and inasmuch as we have net voted together on
this subject, there are some old-line Democrats
on both sides. But, sir, upon the vote 10
the whole subject on the table, there e6{s
demonstration made of those who voted to sus-
tain the action of the Committee on Printing
There were thirty-three Wings and forty-nine
Democrats, including nine who voted against
the compromise resolutions. OF those who
voted against sustaining that action, there were
| fifty-two of the old line, and eight Freesoil
Democrats. OF the Wings, there were twenty
eight of those who voted against the couipro
mise resolutions of Mr.. JACKSON, there were
nine Northern and eleven State Rights Southern
Representatives. If the vote on those resolu
tions be test Of opinion, to wit, conservatism,
loyalty to the Union, and profound patriotism
on the part of those who voted in the afiirma-
tive, and of Freesoilism, Abolitionsm, Seces
sionism, and Disunionism, the gentleman might
have avoided the position which his charge of
coalition has forced him into--he would have
seen that all put together that the fire-eaters,
and all their so called allies, could raise but
sixty four votes against Mr JAcKsoN's and sixty
five against Mr.. HILLYER's resolutions, whilst
his company numbered, on the first, one hundred
and one, and on the second one hundred votes
| This patriotic host of one hundred and one
were few days after beaten by the minority
which they had so lately trampled under their
feet Should it be asked how this occurred 2
| will answer the question. 1t was principle
which decided the vote on the resolutions of
the two gentlemen from Georgia II was
matter of distribution Of party spoils which de-
termined the other. a majority became
minority because the principle of cohesion was
changed. Members changed places, voted as
! they chose, without reference to former votes
on subjects affecting no principle involved in
this. | shall pursue this part Of the subject no
further-it was due to all concerned to examine
it and probe the charge TO the bottom. Indeed,
there seems Of late to have sprung up a sort of
sense of violated majesty amongst some of the
Democrats of this House. if the editor of the
Union newspaper is spoken of with that free
dom which ought TO regulate the speeches Of
those who discourse about journal protesting
TO be party organ.
And here, permit me, sir, to remark that So
luton may be found to the inquiry so often
made, why is the Democratic party in such
confusion here! And why is there so little
harmony amongst the Whgsl The inquiry
admits Of an easy solution. There was time
when principles separated the parties. Distinct
creeds made the lines of demarcation between
them. That time has passed and the only
principle which now governs the controversy Is
the 100000 year, multiplied by four, and
looking 10 The Presidency as the organ of dis
tnbulion. This, taken together with the mum
Der Of aspirants, the hopes of cabinet appoint.
ments and lucrative stations, have created so
many expectations in such numerous host
that the fluctuations Of stock real and fancy, in
the market, does not more excite the interest
Of brokers' and give more energy to the action
Of the bulls and the bears. Animals Of prey
are not gfenarous. The lonely condor, the
watchful ynlturc aud the swim winged kite, like
The tiger and the leopard, rarely hunt in complies
From the prowling wolf to The crafty fox, the
lordly lion TO The insinuating weasel, the tower
ing eagle TO the midnight owl, they are solitary
in their habits, and will not associate without
contest and strife. The reason is that they are
not prepared to divide the prey. II is equally
true Of those who, having fixed their eyes upon
the emoumenis Of Office, and The good things
which are connected with the treasury; they
abhor long division, or such diffusion Of The
spoils as may lessen their share. Real party
issues, upon which we were wont TO rally. are,
IN great measure, obliterat, d, sntiquaicd or
dead from the progress Of events. Many are
barred by the statute of limitations, or becal
defunct and decayed in themselves. -
Time Mr. Speaker, that destroys all IN
has brought about that decay, and they are pevO|
ishng from before US as things Of no import
ance. The question Of great intcreet is the