The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-03-05

ment WAS manifested and that smart discussion
cnsued. The result was soon reached, and this
- stumbling block" was, some how. got over.
The resolutions laid on the table, but wbe-
Their to be taken up again is not stated. But some
OF the members Withdrew upon this movement;
and 1t s openly and confidently stated that the
Union men will resort TO separate organization,
II the Democrats persist, as body, Ia refusing 10
adopt the Compromise pledge.
I'VE shall witness some further proceedings on
this subject very soon.
Tomorrow morning caucus Of Densocr ratio
Senators will be held, in which the Compromise
pledge will be offered and strenuously infested
upon Ii may meet with better reception in the,
Senate than in the House. ION.
The thing having been thus far accom-
plished, the DEMoCRATIC Congressional eau
Gus having thus followed in the wake of the
FreesoileTs at Syracuse and the Freesoilers at
Tammany Hall, the next step was to obtain
DEMOCRATIC endorsement and defence in the
House of Representatives. 1t was pretty
bold and difficult thing to rise on that floor and
defend movement the inducements to which
were SO obvious, and the actors in which were
notorious. Everybody understood that
tabling MAJOR PoLK's resolution was a Freesol
maneuvre, aided and abetted by Secession, and
acqliesced in by Young America. to secure
the harmony and integrity Of the DEMOCRATIC
party.
Mr.. MEADE was the selected DEMOCRAT to
defend the action Of the Congressional caucus
on the floor of the House. Mr.. MEADE said
that "the Compromise resolution in tue Demo-
& I..l a.. La:.,
proper TO be considered by the people repre-
sented IN the Democratic Baltimore COuu.n-
tion." twas clever afterthought this, Of
deierring the evil day. Voices Immediately
rose from the Democratic side Of the House
"You're right-That's it," "Tey," (the Bal
twill take it into their hands and proclaim to
. the world the principles by which the North
ern and Southern Democrats may be united.
-" If the Compromise resolution was
taken up properly, not half a dozen Democrats
would vote against it, but the Wines took it
up to impose their rotten party on the
. South" Then Major Polk rose-the
gentleman who had offered the Compro-
mise resolution which had been voted down
in caucus on the motion Of Mr.. p. KING.
We were anxious to know how Major Polk
would reconcile this defeat of his resolution with
the motives that induced him to offer it. Ma
jor Polk said that not word was uttered in
caucus in contradiction of the ''prnciple" of his
resolution. "Ihe objection ,oas a question Of
8 time. Another reason was, that caucus not
full should not act on great national ques-
ton, and a portion only should not endea-
ASK FOR TIME" more utter breakdown
was never seen in party movement. The
very author Of the resolution, who certainly
ought TO have entertained the question Of time
before presenting it, saw 1t laid the table
by the Freesol and Secession factions, and then
defended the defeat of his own measure on the
ground that 1--WE HAD RIGHT TO ASK FOR
TIME ="
Here, then, we have reached point where
the DEMocRATIc centre had not only been COM
pletely overthrown and overridden by the Abo-
lition and Secession wings of the party, but had
been compelled TO retrieve their position by
public recantaiion Of their errors Mean
while, the VINO Congressional caucus
had placed themselves distinctly upon the
policy of acquiescence which President FILL
MORE had indicated in his annual message of
1880, which was then universally commended
by the WING aud DEMOCRATIC press-which
formed the main issue in all the elections of
1851, and had proved the element Of victory In
almost every one of them-whlch had been re-
affirmed by UNION Conventions North and
South and was 10 be adhered TO by the PREsI.
DENT and his Administration. The proceed
ings of the WING caucus we republish for the
completion of our sketch and to make the
documentary appendix complete, we add TO it
80 much of the PRESIDENTS message of 1850
MS relates to the subject of the Compromise
the pledge of the Union men Of Con
gress, which numbers among lis signers 20
many names which the WING party have long
delighted TO honor; the comments of the New
York Post, the organ Of the VAN BuREns and
Z. King on the results of the two caucuses; and
the concluding passages Of the PRESIDENTS
message of 1851.
I.-PRESIDENT FILLMORE ON THE COM
PROMISE IN 1850.
cit was hardly TO have been expected that the &c.
RIGS OF measures passed your last session. with the
view OF healing the sectional differences which had
sprung from the slavery and territorial questions
should at once have realized their beneiccnt pur-
| pose. All mutual concession in the nature OF .
| compromise must necessarily be unwelcome 10
men OF extreme opinions. And though without
such concessions our Constitution could not have
been formed, and cannot be permanently sus.
tanned, yet VIC have socn them made the subiect of