The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-01-28

IfflsSs I - ~ ssstls1iss Inn NsesA Caro-
lima, Il be supposea any committee composed Of
honorable mAn, and hepsst nenv Whe have De
letting Of that contract. viii. for the purpose Of
allowing any party 70 make money, for any
political Psrpose OF any other pespose. make
an arrangement for this census printing 1t rates
above those generally paid for de same kind Of
work!
Mr.. vENABLE. The gentleman know. that
do not doubt the honesty and integrity Of anv
member of that COMMITTEES.
u Mr.. GORMAN. Then hope the gentleman
will not continue to insist that the course of
proceeding proposed in this resolution will
result IN corruption. Ii | supposed myself
capable of an action Of this kind, q ouId con-
sides myself unworthy of a seat Ia this body.
i Mr. VENABLE. Il was no part Of nv pur-
pose in making these remarks, to inplicste my
honorable. gallant friend, the chairman of the
Committee on Printing. know that he would
recoii from contamination on the suspicion of
corruption with the sensibility Of q wound-his
nature ia too elevated, and his heart too pure.
This - also true Of honorable gentlemen con-
nected with him upon that committee. have
the highest confidence in them. But they are
not practical printers. They do not understand
the art and mystery of printing, and therefore |
say that the contract should not be givsp uncon-
ditionally to Donelson u Armstrong, and leave
them to set their own prices. Besides, will
show them that the census printing under Blair
~ Rives was very different from the census
printing now, and that the prices of printing and
paper are now greatly below the rates It the
date OF their contract.
Mr.. GORMAN. II the gentleman will allow
me, will tell him that one member of thu Com.
mittee on Printing. upon the part Of the Senate,
Mr.. HAMLiN is practical printer
Mr.. VENABI.E. That makes the chance
great deal better. But, as was proceeding to
say, will show that the census printing under
Blair d Rives, was very different matter from
what the census printing is now. We have
been shown that It will take volumes upon vel.
umes to complete it. The Office Of supernt end
1 ent promises to fill the coming decade, have
not stated, nor do intend to stste, what Blair
q Rives made by that contract They confess
to large amount made by that contract and Il Il
theirs But if | have made an improvident bar
gain once, and did not avoid the mistake the
next time, then experience would be worthless.
We learn nothing, If not made more cautious
and We repeat the same bunder 1t is best that
you should strike ont the names of the indiyid.
unls designated from the resolution. They NAV
obtain the contract, il they will perform i
cheaper and better than anybody else. But pru-
dence demands that whenever this bargain il
made, that propositions should be resolved from
any and all practical printers, to do the mechan.
ical work, and the government furnish the paper.
ask and hope some gentleman will tell me,
why Doneson q Armstrong are to have this
printing! ask again, and Ieceive no answer
why are they selected from all others 10 do this
work What peculiar claim have they?
A VoIcE. Why should they not have it?
MI. VENABLE. Why should they have il?
They have no claims upon me that know Of
They have held ME up in common with those
with whom have acted as Southern fanatics
cooperating with Northern Abolitionists! Thev
| have denounced US in the strongest terms which
| they were capable of using. They have no
claims upon me, ard wish to let them knowit
A course such as this journal has pursued can
never create a claim upon the confidence Of
those who received their denunciati,ns. What
claims have they upon the government What
claims have they more than any other printers
| What more than Blair g. Rives-uore than
| Royd Hamilton, already executing runous
| contract, struggling with the embarrassrn ents
arising out of that contract and claiming this
printing ut our hands It is Job of practical
printing, and practical printing alone; but Boyd
Hamilton is no editor, merely an humble laborer
| at the press. Then should like to know-and
the question has not been answared-from
whence and how did this claim of Donelson g.
Armstrong originate.
Mr. Speaker, have spoken plainly, because
think painness and candor becoming and proper.
| have, without resentment, given expression to
the convictions of my understanding, and the
feelings of my heart | mean to act ndepen-
IDENTIFY and without any conceament of nv
views. The time when had feelings of resent
| ment has passed away. The assault upon the
old line Republican States Rights Democracy
was, so far as was concerned, fierce, but impo-
tent But Il memory of events is not so easily
obliterated. believe that we are deeply respon
sible for the dissemination Of unsound opinion
moro so, indeed, than for criminal acts The
| one is general and extensive evil the other
limited in its effect, and disarmed by the deform.
ity of the vice. confess that my spirit chafed
when saw in paper purporting to be the
organ Of the party to which, from my youth up,
| had belonged, denunciaticns on those the
graremen of whose offence was, that they con-
Cured with Jefferson and the republican fathers
that they adhered to the ancient republican
landmarks, and venerated almost to idoatry the
Constitution. The selection of the editors of
that organ as the peculiar favorites of this body
is the exclusion of all others-the extinction of
any chance OF competition; selection which,
to be just must be founded upon acknowledged
public service and extraordinary individual capa-
bilities No evidence of either has been fur.
nished, ard insist that so extensive and costly
an operation be submitted to the ordinary COM
petition which the custom of the country has
made law; that the law requiring the printing to
be lot by contract 10 bidders be complied with,
for it is unrepealed, and that our present printer
at least have chance to reeuperate from the
effects of bad contract, by chance for bet
ter one.
General summary.
A man in Wisconsin has invented pocket