The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-02-23
From the Colambus Ga Times.
The Great Game ut Washington.
THE WASHINGTON UNION.


If the patriots of the revolution could have
had the benefit of disclosure of the suspicious
which were no doubt entertained by some of the
intended treachery of Arnold, the evil conse-
| auences of his partial success would have beep
avoided If Mr.. Polk could have looked into
the heart of Santa Anna or had been sufficiently
informed as to his purposes, so beied by his
suggestions and professions, the latter could
not have entered Mexico, to become more
dangerous and unmanageabe. enemy, than any
general Of that country: and descending to
smaller things, if the Democracy of Alabama
had suspected that Jere Clemens had sold him.
self to the Wings for the Senatorshp, and that
in eecting him they were bestowing the office
upon n Wing, his defeat and their deliverance
would have been certain. This much, as intro
ductory to the expression of the belief, that the
Washington Union was, and is, and will continue
to be, an instrument in the hands of the Wing
party. Let the Union speak for itself in the
two following paragraphs:
1T was to have been expected that the South
ern Press, after being beaten on all its ground,
would have been content to acquiesce in the
verdict of the people but, instead of doing so,
il now seeks new controversy, under the rre-
tence that the union of the Democratic party
has been effected at the expence of State rights,
which will not be secure until its construction
of the Virginia resolutions of 1898 and 80 are
adopted. It's first position was that no Demo-
crat could acquiesce in the compromise but
now that nearly all the disciples of that school,
including especially those of Virginia, have re.
jected the deluson which prompted so extreme
perverson of their duties, it shifts the ground
and demands of the Democratic party to put in
issue before the people the question of seces-
90 n tho 60
arrogant dictation to the Democratic party is the
unfounded allegation that the Washington
Union has insisted upon this issue in its oppo-
sition to the measures proposed by the Nash.
vile convention.
GA few facts will show how utterly incon-
sistent and idle is this allegation. In the early
part Of the canvass in Alabama, as soon as Gov
ernor Collier avowed his determination to acqui.
esce in the compromise, we gave him our sup.
port, although he maintained the abstract right
Of secession. We did the same with Judge
Bragg, and others of that State In Georgia and
Mississippi the same principle decided our views
of the claim of the candidates before the people
MIR. Mcdonald adhering to the project Of the
Nashville convention, of which he had been
| president, and Gen. Quitman, until he declined
to be voted for, on the ground that he could moi
accept Office from the people of Mississippi aftel
| their determination to acquiesce in the compro-
mise. In Virginia, Louisiana, Arkansas, North
| Carolina and Tennessee, we did the same thing
advocating the election of Democrats where they
acquiesced in the compromise, without inquirng
what were their peculiar views about the alb
stract right of secession, or about the amount Of
opposition which would justify an appeal to the
ultima ratio as the only alternative between
submission to intolerable wrong and the main
tenance of liberty. While, for ourselves, upor
the abstract question of secession we have held
the doctrine 80 long maintained by Jefferson
Madison and Jackson, we have never regarded
that question as constituting at this time prac.
teal issue before the people On the contrary
The real issue upon all this branch of topics has
been, in our judgment, the disturbance or the
maintenance of the compromise as final adjust
ment; and, 80 far as the South is concerned, the
reputation of the policy of resistance to the
measure proposed by the Nashville convention
IL charges distinctly, that Gov Mcdonald
while candidate, adhered to the project of the
! Nashville convention, and that for this reason,
it opposed his election. This statement is sim
ply and plainly untrue; and if untrue, the Union
cannot escape the charge of acting with, and aid
ing the Wing party for Gov. Mcdonald was
supported by the great body of the old Demo
cratic party and Mr. Cobb was supported bv
the great body of the Wing party Processing
national Democracy all the while, the Union
was active in placing that party in power, and
which will soon announce itself to be what it