Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1852-1852, 1852-02-03
Errors i'm Politics.

In the heat OF political canvass III the mao
career for office, parties often commit blunders,
and take positions of which they become after
wards very much ashamed. Itwould be an amusing
and instructive task, to trace the history OF par
ty collisions from the inauguration of the elder
Adams, down to the present moment. We do
not mean history of the. grave issues that have
divided parties, but the petty intrgucs and
mean things to which parties have stopped, the
frauds, the clap-traps, the deceptions that have
been restored to. first by one, then by another,
each two frequently losing sight of the great in
teTcsts of the country, OF the principles which
constitute the line of demarcation between them,
and which should always be the line Of battle.
1t is quite certain that a saleablc and edltylng
duodccimo might be made out of those details.
Not long since, for example, democratic
journal announced that an English carpet, val
ued at $500, had been ordered for the White
House, and the President was round'y lectured
for his extravaganza, and encouragement OF
British manufactures. The wing papersthongft
this a very small affair. We think so, likewise.
1t is firing pop-guns instead of thirtysix pound
es. 1t is low scurrillty-a small potato war
fare, to which no party should descend.
But our whig friends must Misunderstanding
| first set this bad example. They arethe carpet
knights-thc men of the skewer-the spies and
reporters Of the kitchen Every body remembers
the sipentialscampagn of 1910, when prnci-
pies and all Legitimate discussion were laid aside
for coon skins and red pepper. Every one re-
! collects Ogle's celebrated gol1-spoon speech-the
whig committee inventory of Martin Van Bu-
ren's kitchen, cellar and pantries, and the capital
they made by exaggcrationg the faded tnery OF
the executive mansion into the luxury, magniti-
cence and prctcntions Of an oriental palace. In
reality poor Mr.. Van Buren was playing Adonis
! before a broken mirror, treading on thread-bare
carpets. resting his weary limbs on rckety sofas,
and entertaining his friends on q seTiicc of sham
plate much the worse for wear; but the 'wkigs
swore that he WAS second 'Sardanapallss and
: That he lived in more splendor than anymon-
arch in Europe. The people-ever fond ofscan-
dial, and too prone to suspect men III otflce-be-
neck and heels. They made such raw head
and bloody bones then of executive extravaganza
and of Mr.. " BIS shabby gentility, no wonder
that somebody is now seeking to make buga-
boo out of Mr.. Filmorc's Exminister.
And what has been the effect of'thts low and
dirty clcctioncerng commenced by the wings,
and dating back to the Oglc humbug? Why
the government house has been permitted to fall
into a wrctched condition, and the chief of the
Republic is worse lodged and has poorer accom-
dtions for his guests, than the representatives. of
veral second rate countries at the city of Wash
in cton. Most of the furniture would be rejected
by anv respectable pawn-brokcr. And why?
Because, in 1910, the wings dcluded the people
bv false representations, and Congress has since
been too tilnid to vote sufficient allowance
They will appropriate millions for moonshine i'm
provc,nents and for fat jobs for eastern specula-
tors contract bidders and political hacks, and
yet stand aghast at a few thousands to make
their chief magistrate comfortable. Every pro-
position to furnish it in style becoming the dig
nifty and grandeur ofthe Republic, is orerwhelm-
cd 'by Niagara of negatives, each member bear
ins in mind the murNrcers woras-
"Thou canst not say did it,"
There is positive meanness in all this, but
our whg friends willconfess they are responsible
for it. Their statesmen first ransacked the Pre-
sidcntial residence, counted the napkins, the
knives and forks, the gridircns, and the utensils
in kitchen and chamber, and published the eata-
logue with an affectation Of holy horror. They
thaught the people to descend to these dirty in
QUESTIONS, and it is their fault if the present and
future Presidents cannot live like gentlemen, and
consult their own taste r the selection Of carpets.
New Oricans Courier
4 Pmdiccment md an Erapc.-All who have
been over the Connecticut river railroad rcmcn-