The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-05-03

the session, by one who no longer has seat
there, and it still CLOVIS and burns, ditiasng It's
malignant heat, until it kindled kindred fame
in this House.
Let those who agitate take the responsibility
to themselves Let those who covet the honor
of being approvers of the compromise, and ad-
vocates Of its provisions, array themselves with
all the glory which such services ought to Sc
cure but modesty forbids them to claim pecu-
liar patriotism, because they acqnlesce, or be-
cause they denounce those who, not approving,
peaceabIy abide by and quietly endure wrong.
Sometimes Ills not pleasant TO place former trans
actions in view and it is considered under such
circums tances, n breach not only of order, but
of good manners. Those who approve of and
cordially acqnesce in those measures, should
rejoice in their own seIfcomplacency. They
are living ilusiratrations of what ! have long
since known" That there is nothing which
men bear with so much philosophy AZ their
Deighbors misfortunes, or with SO much for
bearance as the wrongs Of others" | leave
them to the illustration of this high and dsinter-
ested moral feeling. with the assurance that If
the power Of the Freesoiers and Abolitionsts,
secessonsts 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
mltee. But, sir, it is easy to demonstrate the
faacy Of any such charge. by reference to the
vote to lay the whole subject upon the table, it
will appear that there were fiftyt old line
Democrats.
Mr. FREEMAN What do you call Lime
Mr. vENABLE. avill 4sll you presently.
Are you one Of them ?7,-@~
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 not voted together on
this subject, there are some old.line Democrats
on both sides. But, sir, upon the vote to lay
the whole subject on the table, there was this
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
ffty-two Of the old line, and eight Freesoil
Democrats. OF the Whigs there were twenty
eight of those who voted against the compro
mise resolutions of Mr. JACKSON, there were
nine Northern and eleven State Rights Southern
Representatives. Ii the vote on those resou.
tons be test of opinion, to wit, conservatism,
loyalty to the Union, and profound patriotism
on the part Of those who voted in the affirma-
tive, and of Freesoilism, Abolitonism, Seces.
sionsm, and Disunionism, the gentleman might
have avoided the position which his charge of
coalition has forced him nto-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.. ILLYER'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 tramped under their
feet. Should it be asked how this occurred
will answer the question. 1t was a principle
which decided the vote on the resolutions of
the two gentlemen from Georgia. 1t was a
matter of distribution of party spols which de-
termned 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 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 a 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 Wings? The inquiry
admits of an easy solution There was a 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 $60,00o,000 year, multiplied by four, and
looking to the Presidency as the organ of dis
trbution. This, taken together with the nun
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 grecarious The lonely condor the
watchful vullurc, and the swift-winged kite. like
the tiger and the leopard, rarely hunt in couples.
From the prowling wolf to the crazy fox, the
lordly lion to the insinuating weasel, the tower
iiiS eagle W the niuiilSiG owl, Iney 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. 1t is equally
true of those who, having fixed their eyes upon
the emoluments Of office, and the good things
which are connected with the treasury; they
abhor long division, or such a diffusion of the
spoils as may lessen their share. Real party
issues, upon which we were wont to rally, are,
in great measure, obliterattd, antiquated, or
dead from the progress of events. Many are
barred by the statute of limitations, or becaa
deiunct and decayed in themselves.
Time, Mr.. Speaker, that destroys all things,
has brought about that decay, and they are per.
ishing from before us things of no import
ance. The question of great interest is the
$60,00O0O0 multiplied by four. This 1910,
100000 will array more than hundred thou.
sand claimants upon the President to be elected
This is the nerve which vibrates so readily this
produces the neuralgia now so manifest in the
political body. Where, sir, are the old issues
Does Wing or Democrat desire National bank
Does any camor reach our ears against the In
dependent treasury? A desire to modify the