The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1852-12-22
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NUMBER 90
From tic Iowa Democratic Enquirer.
WHO SHALL BE UNITED STATES SEN
AT(lR

ATOR?
This is now the all absorbing question. w,
are not prepared to venture prophecy upon it
Neither do we now take up The subject with
view TO vindicate or urge the claims of any one
We have our preference, based upon both per.
sonal and sectional reasons, but we do not in
tend S, much as to Indicate it. The center ha.
go often waived all right in the matter, and will
such coinmendablc dsintercstedness given il.
support to The north and the south, that it has
become habt, in questions Of this nature, t.
consider the center not in the ring-and we shall
not be 50 nconsidcrate and presumptuous al
this time, as to spr,ng over the rope, crowd our
selves INTO the arena, and pretend that we OF the
center have any business there. Undoubtedly
it Is question which concerns Burlington and
Dubuque alone, though ether sections of the
State may exercise the right to vote upon it,
Between these two points be it.
We have brought the matter up, intending in
a brief reviey Of the past and an analys OF the
pending struggle, in regard to it, TO do Justice to
persons and facts
To what we shall say, we invite the attention
Of all democrats-for it concerns the harmony
and future success of the party.
We do not intend to go very far back-it is
not necessary. At the session of lS4S-4 40,
Gen Dodge was elected TO the u. S. Senate
for six years, and Gen. Jones for three years
owing to the chances of the slot the terms
were thus fixed We heard then some little
muttering about "faction,' but it amounted to
thing. Every body, except the rival aspirants
and those who were disappointed through them,
was satisfied.
The subsequent career and services ofour SEN
aiors have most triumphuntly justified that con-
test. In every question the interests of our State
have been nobly sustained. With untiring de-
votion, vigilance and toll, have the wishes of
the people, the memoriasl of the General As
semblv and the claims of private individuals
been attorneyed in the National Senate; and a
success repeatedly won there, as the reward of
continued and able struggles, has only failed to
inure to us because the concurrence of the low
er House could not be had.
In no single instance have our interests been
neglected, or our Senators directed their ener.
ges counter to TIE will and expressed wishes
of the people-and we defy the most captious
to cite to one, In the matter of rairt ad grants,
they have done their DUTY-nothing more
nething less-and the democracy and the peo-
pie Of the State, without distinction of party,
have more than once, in convention, approved
their course and their efforts in terms Of graft
tude In the subsequent movements OF this
kind, our Senators were bound by the instr uc-
tiens Of the l,egslature-and in obeying them
did their dnty with Roman fortitude, regardless
of pers onal and local feeling. /, may be that
particular sections were dissatisfied, ana watch
ed the proceedings with jealous eyes but no
fault could be found, save with the Instructions
it being dem cratic doctrine TO ''obey, or re-
sign"
About the time of the sc ession of i350-'51
there began to appear, in Dubuque, some uneas.
,ness about the succession. Some personal
feeling had been aroused by causes not now
necessary to mention For the first time, a few
individuals began to SPEAK in dsparaging terms
Of Gen JONES, AID to feel the public pulse re-
lative to finding successor to him.-lt was fl
nally concluded that he could be ousted, at the
expiration cf his term, and that the crumbs
which the new Senator might have at his dsp,-
sal, would renumerate those who might back
him up. Accordingly a clique embracing
Messrs. Holt, Mahony, and a few others, was
formed with sol. idea-anti-Jones. Judge
Wilson, at this time, was not in the confidence
OF The clique, and blundered on in blind fight
on his own hook. In due season the clique got
rid of his pretensions, while it secured his infu-
ence by placing him on the bench, where he now
sits uneasily, ready to jump off at the first offer
something bpter-perhaps intent TO fulfill his
unasked pledge made to rival at Maquoketa,
that if democratic administration came into
p ppwer he would get he Office Of Surveyor Gen
eral and would resign the udgeship and secure
him (hs rlvaD an appointment foz the upex-
pired term Judge Clark had not then been
manufactured into a candidate for the senator
ship and doubtless stood aIeof from this clique.
It's influence was small, and extended nowhere
beyond Dubuque, unless Mr.. Byington was at
tracted within it's circle but it was perseyeriRg
and lndefatgabe Falling to corrupt a single
one Of the democratic papers of the State, find
i,it them all tru' t. the men and measures OF
the party, the project of neutral paper, sort
OF 0ut SIDE power, 10 use as leverage against
Gea Jones and the democratic organ Of Du-
bGGue, and to carry out their own schemes, was
projected and carried into effect. Thus the
Herald had birth, and commenced the war al
once, in captuous but palpabie way.
About this time, The neutra: paper which had
a l.tle while before been established by demo
Gratis at Burlington, began to manifest dispo-
siti,n to dabble in party affars-doubtless also
a principal object in its projection. 1t did not,
however, venture an attack upon prominent
democrats Just yet. On the opening of the first
session of the thirty second Con yress, the con-
ductor of this neutral, in perfect conslstence
with his whole life, determined to apply for the
Office Of chief clerk. To attain this important
post, he relied mainly upon the intiuence and
aid Of Grn Jones,-withest consulting him.
and, in conversation with his friends, expressed
the highest confidence in IaNrs' skill and en-
ergy in management, declaring hrn to be "worth
a dozen of DoSges" He went on to Washing
ton, and on laying bis case befiEe our delega-'
ton, was frankly told Row small the chance
was Not satisfied with THIS, he thought he dis
covered that if quarrel could be gotten up be-
tween the friends of Judge Young and MIR.
Forney, lie could come in a compromise He
went to Gen. 5enes, and put upon him, and the
rest of our delegation, the task of getting up and
fosfering such guargel. This, Of course, was
declined, respectfully, but firmly and being ur-
red and again declined, resulted in personaI
breach the first indications of which were
ries of letters making fierce and unscrupulous
onslaught upon Gen. Jones-railroad matters
being the pretended foundation Of dssatisfac
lion. No doubt the feeling Of hostility extend.
ID to the entire delegation, bat it was character
i,tic to be cautious, and while the political rum
of all was resolved on, it was alsc reslved to
accomplish it in detail beginning with General
Jones, whose term first expired. The Dubuque
clique now found an open ally to their liking,
and with singular concurrence, the neutrals
have carried on a guerrilla warfare upon our
sen1tor,Hp to tbs hoGr. Every species OF abuse,
every term oi contempt, has been hurled at him,
and so determined and continuous has been the
fire, that many good democrats have become be.
wildered, and have wayered in their duty cf
Sustaining democratic senator in the faithful
and honorable discharge OF duty.
But it was found that to defeat 5ones strong
popullr and able rival must be brought into the
FIELD None of the old lspirants seemed to suit
their purpose the inveterate eftice. seeker,
in his thirst for vengeance, forgot his own pre-
claims, which he had once urged against
tks,o of Gen. Dodge. 1t was determined to
manulac sure That rival.
a railroad feeling was then aroused in the
State, chiefly through The a geucy OF these IT,
trails that threatened the dIssever of the
party. Ofths it was determined % take advan-
t ,ge. The congrt ssIonal no nina ion $ ION
t be made, and here was the cnarcc desired
Fortunately for the schcners, but nn'ernnat l.,
fog the party, auth "rty exis,cd t., utter a call
for a conveuton and through circumstances
over which they exercised some euntro,, the DIS
satisfact on end railroad jealousy OF the district
WIS intensified by the nsisund 'rstrndings ir re-
gard TO this cnnytntion. Fig1lly, delegates
ir IN half the district, or probably little more,
m in this city, under protest from the rest Of
t e counties, who asked post ponemen, and a
charge Of place. The prudent in that cnnven-
t,or, anoEt whom was DR. Lowe, of Burliny-
ton, urged such concession, and an adjourn
Inent Tbr delegation from Il il, Scott Clint n