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

speak louder than words, and from conyic-
ton that the object of these Overtures for re-
union is to inyegle the Southern Democrats
into the ranks Of the party, to obtain monop-.
DIV of the spoils for the Compromise portion of
the party. For it will always be as easy to
find or make difficulties as now, or to form CO.
altions 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 remaned--that OF
! the Republic and UniOn-and for this voted
Messrs Smith and Haven, Wings Messrs, Cor
man and Stanton, Democrats. Here is Mr..
I Germans explanation, as given in the House,
April 18th:
One 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 Donclson & Arm.
strong: and when asked the honorable chair
man what he proposed, and what he wanted
lac responded he wanted nothing | found
that something must he done The publ,
business must go on. found that | n ist yot,
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
FmOtherng desire, never made known to the
country to have the Southern Press put in for &
part of the spoils of power When that issue
was presented to me- did not see proper &c
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 a party man, and | would not have con-
scented to such thing under any circumstan-
ces if | could have avoided IT. until the public
necessity demanded that should act in some
way: When that -lmparious 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 n part of the pub
lac printing. We never heard of that name,
as claiming, or asking, or soliciting in any way,
a part of the public printing. A gentleman
across the way says the National Era would
like 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 side-bar remarks into anything of
that kind"
This is a brief history Of the attempted Goa
lition, in Congress controlled by an over
whelmng Democratic majority, for the purpose
Of dividing between the organ Of the Wing Adj
ministraton and the organ Of the Democratic
Party. the vast profits on its public printing.
A few words in relation to the remark of
MIR. German, concerning the National Era
We know not who suggested that /" the Ma
iOadi Era would like to have little of this
printing" If intended for anything more than
badinagc it was unauthorized and impairment
The Union in the following paragraph, makes
the same mwarrantable insinuation:
at was all right enough to prevent the
Washington Union from being employed as
Public Printer, rs 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
lied with this Printing Question, OF 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
printing, 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