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


4 printing as may be deemed necessary by the COM
tmittee to remedy any neglect or delay on the
part Of. the contractor Mr. Hamilton) 10 exc
cute the work ordered by Congress, the persons
doing the work under the direction of the COM
mittee be allowed the same price as may be
u contained in Mr. Rives's bid for printing for the
32d Congress Propided, That in no case
shall pay be allowed for double composition"
The two resolutions are found to be materi-
ally different The one reported here on the
18th is the one adopted on the 9th, and as
copied it from the journal, unaltered by any re-
corded action Of the committee UP to that time
How the alteration was made do not know,
4 nor why IL was done. merely state the facts
4 in order to show that what reported as-the
recorded action of the committee. have at
tended no meeting Of the committee since the
| 9th, when that resolution was adopted.
i | have been censured because refused my
Fvote to give the printing to Donelson a. Arm
strong, and the Republic--especialIy because
4 refused TO give il to Donelson q Armstrong.
4 In my opinion they do not fairly represent the
i Views whch entertain upon matters Of public
interest and policy, now before the country.
However binding, then, | might have felt the
i obllgatIon to give any patronage at my disposal
Ito .. political friend, instead of political oppo.
nent, the Union newspaper as conducted by
Their, does not sustain towards me, at least, such
1 party gelations as would require or justify such
i consideration at my hands. | am not disposed
to quarrel, nor will quarrel, with them, or any
one else, because they differ with me on mattcra
of public policy. But am bound, nevertheless,
to act from my own sense 81 propriety and con-
1 vicLons OF duty, in all such Cases; and when
4 do so ACT, j am not amenable to censure--no
n, uith
i opinions; aud surely no ono who claims to
think for himself OF TO act from his own convic.
tons, can.justly charge me, for my course, with
any want of regard fos public duty, or party
duty faaliy
But | never understood, until recently, that
the proposition to give this printing to Donelson
d Armstrong was placed upon the %round
which now find it placed by the committee !;
that is, the exgencies of the public service, or
4 the necessity for having the work done, az once
aud promptly. The main, il not only, consider.
alton suggested by Mr. Donelson himself to
4 me, and his active friends, to induce me to sup
port that proposition, was the necessity of it To-
sustain the Union as party press il being
alleged that in no other way could the paper be
sustained and kept up. Sir. the appeal was
distinctly, and repeatedly, and openly, made TO
me, as a party man, to do this as party mea
paper, which was a losing concern, and could
not be sustained except. by profitable jobs Of
I public printing. Appeals were made to me
4 upon that ground, and that ground alone, not
merely in connection with this printing, but
Z when Mr.. BRiGHT's resolution was reported
4 from the Committee on Printing to give to
|Donelson ~ Armstrong the printing of the
Seventh Census. the appeal was made to me
upon the same ground by the active friends Of
the Union, and by one of its conductors in per-
son--I mean Mr.. Donelson. was told that it
was necessary, in order to sustain the paper,
that it must have that printing. Nay, sir, was
told-and am sorry to have to say it, but it is
necessary to my full iusti6cation-Iw was told
by one Of the most active friends Of that press
one who had its interests specially in charge. in
regard to this patronage, that unless the print.
4 ing was given to Doneson &, Armstrong and
that, too, within three weeks, the Democratic
party would be dsorganized and disbanded
The gentleman who told me so, said he had
agreed with some fifty others of the House of
Representatives., that the proposition should be
made testof- the Democratic party organiza
/ ton (; and that unless it were conformed to, the
party would be disorganized and disbanded.
Whether the gentleman making that declara-
! ton to me had the authority to speak for the
fifty Others, do not know. do not know,
even, that he was really in earnest, for himself
But the declaration he did make repeatedly and
often most veiemently. My answer-to that was
hin very brief terms. stated, with perfect can
dor, that If the integrity and organization of the
Democratic party, much as loved it, depended
upon the patronage to be given in the form of
profitable jobs of public work to newspapers at
/ Washington, or was to be sustained only by
services TO be paid for in money out Of the
public treasury, would, at that very moment,
vote for its Reorganization and humiliation !;
and further, that if such was the conditions Of
service to be rendered by the Washington
Union, the sooner the Democratic party was
clear Of II, the b.tter. ] am as thorough
party man as any one upon this floor have
been devoted to the interests of my party ever
since first took part in the business Of life J.
do not care what cries may be ised against me
what statements may be made ms 10 my posi-.
ton, or my associations, or the considerations
which control me. am willing TO stand upon
the declarations have just made, as a rule for
| my conduct in all matters involving my public
duties, or party relations. feel in my heart,
that have clean bill of political and party
health. shall trust TO il.
But, sir, suppoSing the Union 10 have satisfied
me ever so well as party orgsn-supposing its
course to have been ever so acceptable 10 me,
as Democratic press, when il was proposed TO
s.ne, as means of sustaining and supporting IL,
that should support, also, a paper directly op.
posed TO the principles and the views enter.
tain--my antipodes in politics, and engaged in
the daily dehunciation OF the patty to which
belong, would have seen the whole concern,
and every other paper along with IL, sink into
the bottom of the sea. before would have
moved one finger, orssaid one word in acqnies
cense---or hesated to declare, as now declare,
my disavowal aud reputation Of; such means
or arrangements. Tell me, sir, about Demo.
cratic organization, and party fealty, to be man
Tested by such propositions and arrangements
as tbisl Why, sir, what is IL but coalition
with our political opponents! And for what 81
| Not, sir for political advancement, OF party ad
vantage. No, sir, il is political amalgamatior,
and abandonment of party, with The effect only