The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-12-02

York has been disgraced by mobs which pros
trated law and destroyed property. Phliadei-
phia is subject TO periodical mob vista
tons, burnings and massacres In Boston, they
were obliged to lodge the editor Of an inde-
pendent press in jail for safe keeping. In Cin-
cinnat, our press was demolished three sue
csssive times by mob, which set the author'-
ties at defiance. But, in Washington, cor
rupt" "debased" Wasbington-not non
saveholding city either-the mob has been
met and conquered. Here, right amidst slave
holders, a free press, an Out-spOken Ant-Sia-
very press, was established and it still lives
An attempt was Of course made to mob ia
formidable attempt-butL Law here was stronger
than the mob. The editor was not lodged In
jail for safe keepng-the press was not de-
stroyed-no man was obliged to flee for his life
The authorities of Washington showed that
property here is more secure than in any OF
the great cities preferred by the Express for
the seat of Government
As to the high price of living in Washing
ton, the Express is about as correct as in its
other statements. The hotels charge nearly
the same rates as the New York hotels.
Congressman can live economically or ex-
travagantly in Washington, as he can else
where. The markets are abundant, amply
supplied with all necessaries and luxuries and
at prices less on the whole than those in the
New York market
The remarks of the Express on the character
of the Press here and in New York, deserve
passing notice There are other kinds of de-
pendence than governmental If the Union
and the Republic live out of national politics"
we should like TO know what the Herald and
the Courier and Enquirer "live out" of?
Grant that the Union would die, should it
cease to represent the Democratic Party, how
long would the Courier and Enquirer live, if it
ceased to represent the Commercial Class.
Its pecuniary independence" depends upon
the patronage of the Commercial Interest; the
"pecuniary independence" of the Union upon
Political Interest. We see nothing in one
kind of dependence more independent than in
the other The organs here have about as
much independence as the organs anywhere
else. AS for the National Era, one of the
newspapers in Washington, it has perhaps as
much "pecuniary independence" as well as all
other sorts of independence, as the Herald the
Tribune, or the Enquirer
The following paragraph will doubtless be
quoted by the enemies of Democracy abroad,
as highly satisfactory testimony against the
experiment of selfgovernment:
"The history of the last session in both
Houses too abundantly proves that there is not
n legislative body on the face of the earth, in
which there is so little work, so much talk, 80
much drunkenness, and so much fighting, as
the American Congress"
This is a miserable exaggeration; but were
it true, we should ask, who compose the
american Congress :" Not citizens of Wash
ington, but Representatives of the American
People. If they choose to send blackguards to
Washington, we know not why we should be
held responsible for them.
Whatever else our Free Democratic friends
may do, we hope they will never join in the
abuse of Washington, SO common among dis
appointed Adventures.
Having said so much for city which We
prefer as residence to any spot in this wide
country, we cannot forget that by the laws of
Congress the barbarous system of Slavery is
still tolerated here. This is our one ground of
and complaint Washington
can never be the true Capital of the whole ma
ton, can never fulfil the high expectations Of
its immortal founder, until m an shall cease to
be regarded as property, and the principle of
equal and exact justice between man and man
be established here as the absolute and univer-
sal law.