The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-07-15
Public PRINTING.

Public Printing.
At the request Of an able and influential DEM
ocratic friend we insert the following comments
on the Printing question, suggested to his mind
by yesterdays proceedings in Congress. With
out expressing any opinion as to the correctness
of his views, we publish them as an act Of court,
ssy. All kind of rumors were rife about the
Capitol yesterday. Among them oneIto the
effect that the murdered Coalition" had been
revived to take the benefit of Mr.. Germans bill,
and as several prominent Wings supported the
bill, it gave some color TO the idea.
For the Southern Press.
You contradicted in the Press of yesterday
morning the report set afoat by the letter.wrters
that it was un fat accompli by the late Demo
cratic caucus, that the Washington Union news
paper was to have the public printing. The
proceedings of the House to-day, on the bill
reported by Mr.. German from the Printing
Committee, sustain you in the contradiction.
The bill itself, doubtless commands the appro-
baton of majority of the House. Yet the
chairman of the committee signally failed to
carry it through, under the application of the
previous question. But 40 gentlemen were in
favor Of it, while the nays were nearly double
that number. Now, why is it, that party meas
ure, agreed upon in caucus welding clear
majority of SO in the House, has thus failed 1t
is because the Democratic party in the House
does not know who is to get the benefit of the
bill when it passes, and what men and what
principles are to control the Washington Union,
when Gen. ARMSTRONG is elected printer. I'M
der the pressure of decided opposition from a
majority of the Democratic party, Major DosEL-
SON. its late editor, has been forced by the
straits of the Union newspaper to retire. Yet
Maj. DoNELsoN still haunts the Capitol, still
hangs about the Union Office, and how does the
Democratic party know that when the printing
is voted to the Union, Maj. DoSELsox will not
be re-instated in the editorial tripod to repeat
his experiment Of making the Compromise
measures the test of Democratic orthodoxy
The whole difficulty in settling this matter,
vital as is to the Democratic party, arises from
q want of concert among the members of the
party in Congress. In the face of the enemy,
on the eve of great struggle, the Democratic
members of Congress have no mutual under
standing, and are perfectly disorganized. | have
heard them compared to two hundred fowls in
q barn.yard, among whom a handful of corn
has just been thrown-every one picking up the
grains for himself. Now, public printer cam
not be chosen, except by the nearly united
voice of the Democratic party, and the mis-
take that General ARMSTRONG has been max
ing is, that be is trying to force the print.
ing through a single faction of the party
There are three wings Of the party in Con.
gress-the Compromise, the Southern Rights
and the Freesoil. These must be brought to
permitted to say that it is highly discreditable
TO the party in Congress that it thus exhibits it;
weakness. While the Wings are actively en-
gagged in printing aud distributing documents
exhibiting, as usual, double face-holding ~
ScoTT to the North as Frecsoiler through tht
speeches Of GENTRY and TooMBs, and PIeEcE
TO the South as Freesoiler through a contrar,
testimony-the Democrats are like flock O
sheep--disunited, disorganized, and quarrel
ing among themselves, and all for the want o
such an understanding as FIVE minutes of com
mon sense conversation ought to bring about
IfGen ARMSTRONG will take the proper steps
and exhibit proper spirit ofconc ia,ion, Cor
MANS bill might pass, and an arrangement nigh