The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-04-20

t1and on Dir. BoRLANb, Southern Rights man
as appears from his explanation in the Senate
as follows:
But never understood until recently that thu
proposition to give this printing to Donelson q
Armstrong was placed upon the ground which
now find il placed by the committee that Is, TIT
excencies of the public service, or the necessity
for having the work done at once and promptly
! The main, if not only consideration, suggested
by MIR. Doneson himself to me, and his active
| friends, TO induce me to support that proposition
was the necessity of it to sustain the Union as .
party press it being alleged that IN no othel
way could the paper be sustained ana kept up
Sir, the appeal was distinctly, and repeatedly
and openly made to me, as party man, 10 DC
this as a party measure, whereby patronage
would be given to that paper, which was
losing concern, and could not De SUSTAINED
except by profitable jobs OF public pruning
Appeals were made to me upon tliat grouhu
and that ground alone, not merely in connec-
ton with this printing but when Mr.. Brlehts
resolution was reported from the COMMIT
tee on Printing to give to Donelson
Armstrong the printing of the seventh census,
the anpeal was made to me upon the same
ground by the active friends of the Union, and
by one of its conductors in person. mean Mr..
Donelson. was told that it was necessary, IN
order to sustain the paper, that it must nave
that printing Nay. sir. was told-and am
sorry to have to say it, tut it is necessary to my
full iustification--I was told by one OF the most
active friends Of that press-one who had us
interests specially in charge in regard TO TINS
patronage-that unless the printing was gwen
to Donelson & Armstrong, and that, TOO, WIN
in three weeks, the democratic party wouio DC
disorganized and di>banded. The gentleman
who told be so said he had agreed with some
fifty Others of the House OF Representatives.,
that the proposition should be made test OF
the Democratic party organization, and that,
unless it were conformed TO, the party wouio
be disorganized and disbanded. ~"
This is an extraordinary Development. Inc
application was enforced by the twofold expe-
dents of bullying and begging. The editor Of
the Union did the begging said the paper could
not live without the job. Now, this is degra.
dation to which We did not suppose that even
party organship would descend. Before we
would humilate ourselves, by asking of mem
bers of Congress, the means Of the very exist
ence of our paper, we would cultivate potato
patch on the outskirts of civilization. What
dignity, self.respcct, or independence, could an
editor have, to be thus subssting on the favor
of Congress? The bullying process, it seems
was conducted OH behalf of the Union by All
active friend, who threatened that it the paper
was not supported out of the public treasury,
the party would be disbauded in few weeks ;
and some fifty members of Congress had
pledged themselves to this scheme Of Disunon
or Disruption! Now, is not this beautiful
development to be made of paper that only on
Saturday last denounced US for menacing Con-
gress because we declared publicly in the paper
that we would endeavor to prevent a reunion
of our friends in a party that undertook to
prescribe us in advance!
But it seems that the begging and bullying
policy failed The Democratic party rejected
both petition and demand. So coalition was
formed Of Wings sHd Democrats, to divide the
spoils equally between the Republic, Wing
organ, and the Union. The terms Of this Goa.
lition are remarkable. The Printing Commit.
tee offered the job at the prices proposed BY
Mr.. RrvEs, practical aud responsible man.
The allies demanded sixty. nine per cent. more
on the most important parts Of the work. The
value, the dignity, the power Of organising, have
heretofore been uncertain quantities. They
are now ascertained and set forth in figures
and estimated at sixty nine per cent more than
the price of work by practical man! Well,
we suppose that large portion of the Demo.
Gratis would have paid this premium for the
organ, but they were rather staggered with the
demand to take in the bargain, Wing organ
at the same price. That was cutting the fat
too thick. So they rebelled. And the Wings
themselves evidently thought this was running
the thing into the ground. So they exploded
And the consequence was that this interesting
pair Of organic allies were reduced TO minority
in the House Of their frends-a rebuke, col.
lapse, catastrophe, an ignominy that never be.
fore occurred in this country in the progress OF
bargain, intrigue and management" Jobs
speculatons, and coalitions
We beg TO contrast the halfmelancholy, half
ludicorous career and disaster Of the co. organs
with the course we have pursued. Private con.
versations have been resorted TO- and disclosed
TO convict us Of improperly or inconsistency
and in vain, We have said nothing, proposed
nothing in secret, that we had not previously
declared in public-in our columns. A recti
tude of principle, and profundty of diplomacy
have, it is now manifest, governed all our
movements. We commend our course will
equal complaceDcy to our friends and foes. w,
proposed no monstrous coalitions, we neilhe
begged, nor buled, nor chsffered. We de
handed no sixty-nine per cents.
The editor Of the Union, in the depth Of hi
modification and despair has been anxious Il
find some accusation TO make against US
Misery loves company. So he has at lengt
denounced us for proposing to take a share o
public printing when we do. not own a print
ing press ourselves, but employ practica