The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-04-22

speak louder than words, and from conylc-
ton that the object of these overtures for re-
union is to inyeigle the Southern Democrats
into the ranks of the party, to obtain monop-
oily of the spoils for the Compromise portion OF
the party For it will always be rs easy to
find or make difficulties as now, or to form CO.
alitions with Wings to defeat Southern meas
ures and men,
1t is easy to see, from the composition Of the
Committee, how the efforts both Of the Union
and Southern Press were defeated The Union
alone we presume, could command only the
votes of Messrs. German and Stanton; the
Union and Southern Press together, probably
the votes only of Messrs Stanton and Bor-
land. One combination remained-that OF
the Republic and Union-and for this voted
Messrs Smith and Haven Wings Messrs Cor
man and Stanton, Democrats Here is Mr..
Germans explanation, as given in the House,
April 18th:
Zone gentleman proposed that it be done
by Messrs. DOnelson & Armstrong. Another
proposed to add the name Of Mr.. Towers, and
so on, until almost everybody in this city was
proposed. | frankly tell this House, that
have voted for two months against anybody
having this printing but Donelson & Arm
/ strong: and when asked the honorable chair
man what he proposed, and what he wanted
| he responded he wanted nothing | found
/ that something must he done. The public
business must go on. found that n ist vote
for somebody and finally, after two months
consultation, | voted for the Republic. have
since learned from publication made in the
Southern Press, that there was secret,
FmOthering desire, never made known to the
country to have the Southern Press put IN Tor a
part of the spoils of power When that issue
was presented to me, did not see proper to
choose the Southern Press have been driven
( TO do thing to which | would have preferred
almost anything else. and that Is, to give the
printing to party organ OF the other side.
am party man, and | would not have con-
sented to such a thing under any circumstan-
ces. if could have avoided it, until the public
necessity demanded that should act in some
way: When that Imperious necessity arose,
and forced itself upon me. acted and | am
here ready TO take any responsibility which
may be deyolyed upon me- The Southern
Press published this morning an article which
would indicate to the country that they desire
some of this public printing. ask the honor
able gentleman from New York, Mr.. Haven.
who Is associated with me. and the honorable
gentleman from Kentucky Mr.. Stanton, if
they ever heard it suggested anywhere that
the Southern Press wanted part of the pub
lic printing. We never heard of that name,
as claiming or asking, or soliciting in any way,
Il part of the public printing. A gentleman
across the way says the National Era would
ike to have little of this printing Very
likely; because we have some elements here
very favorable to extreme opinions But | |
shall not go into that matter, and will not be |
driven by sde-bar remarks into anything of
that kind
This is brief history Of the attempted Goa
ition. in Congress controlled by an over
Democratic majority for the purpose
Of dividing between the organ Of the Wing Ad-
mnistraton and the organ of the Democratic
Party. the vast profits on its public printing.
few words in relation to the remark of
MIR German, concerning the National Era.
We know not who suggested that . the Ma
tioaal Era would like to have little of this
printing" If intended for anything more than
badinagc, it was unauthorized and impairment.
The Unton in the following paragraph, makes
the same unWarrantaDle lnSlnuatlOn
at was all right enough to prevent the
Washington Union from being employed as
Public Printer, as long as thereby the door of
hope was kept open for the Southern Press and
the National Era
We need hardly say that we have not med
he'd with this Printing Question, or hitherto
taken the slightest interest in it. Until our
return, we did not know who constituted the
Committee on Printing and we have never
mentioned the subject of printing to any mem
Der of it. We are not an applicant for the
pr nting, never have been, and no one has ever
had any authority or encouragement or init
nation from us to mention or to suggest the
Era in connection with it, We neither ask
nor need any favors from Congress Let it
beStow them on presses that cannot live with
out them, and are ever ready to give qud pro
quo Ours is not one of that sort