Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1853-12-21

4
scription, but on reason and they appeal not
to the prejudices, but TO the Judgment of men.
1t must not be understood that we mean to
encourage INSTRUMENTATION or disaffection in
the democratic party. On. the contrayu, ace
irish to prerent INSTRUMENTATION and disafec-
hon, By adapting the organization Of the party
10 the more independent tone of Public opinion,
and By coaceding something TO The demands Of
the day. Traitors and deserters should still
suffer the penalty Of death, but respect should
be paid to the honest CONNECTIONS Of honest men,
albeit they are not Ia exact and entire accord
di'ce tcM obsolete formulas. If necessary,
on immaterial issues we must agree TO disagree.
The organization Of the democratic party con-
sists in allegiance to essential principles, az sup
port Of chosen leaders, and ia derotion to a COM
mon cause. Beyond this, Il has no claim on
any man."
During all this time we were fighting for the
national democracy of New York, and against
the admission of a trained band of abolition
lists and freesoilers into the democratic ranks.
During this time we went as far as we have
ever gone since. We occupied the ground
which the Richmond Enquirer affirmed to be
the true ground. We deprecated the interior
ence of the administration in the New York
controversy We denounced the efforts which
the onion made to degrade the chief magistracy,
when it digni6ed distribution of the spoil by
giving it the title of the Presidents policy. We
denounced those who sought to make the great
democratic league buccanier association.
We insisted oH independence Of thought in all
matters not contained in the party platform.
4lat I'D ,hon1I
be heard. We demanded that the democratic
organization should be purified from leprous
associations; and while we were doing these
things, the Richmond Enquirer was encourag
ing and sustaining us.
Are these facts denied? If so, we publish
the following from the Richmond Enquirer of
the 18th of October; not because of the compli-
ment it conveys, for we did not publish it when
the compliment might have been useful to
US; we publish it now to show what were the
sentiments of the Richmond Enquirer as late
as the 2sth Of last October. These are its
words
SIN our issue of tomorrow, we will re-publish,
from the columns of the Washington Sentinel,
a very able article OH the Pacific railroad. 1T
may not be inappropriate to express here the
opinion, that the Sentinel is conducted with an
ability not surpassed, and perhaps not equalled
by any political journal in the country
Now we have brought the Enquirer to the
18th of October, about the time when the
Treasury department entered the field When
the Treasury department did enter the field,
the pure, disinterested, bold, and patriotic En-
qu'rer which pirates with conceited fippancy
about patronage and official position, and the
emoluments of office, turned and fed the field,
and went over to the very men whom it had
denounced and abused and with hardened
and unblushing effrontery, itassailed US for
maintaining the position it had abandoned and
betrayed
We might, in fair retaliation, set forth more
infinitely and particularly the course of the
Richmond Enquirer, if our anger was excited.
If our position was not impregnable, we might
do 50. But with an unrufed temper-conf-
dent in the strength of our position having
no fear of the Richmond Enquirer, under its
present management, we can afford to be for
bearing, and we grieve much that we were not
permitted to be more forbearing.
From the assertion, that we were elected by
q combination of wings and abolitionists, we
see no need of defence. There was no caucus
as to the Senate's printer. No Senator was I'M
der any obligations. General Armstrong re-
ceived democratic vote, because he was q
good old man who was intimate with General
Jackson. He received four or five other votes
on mere personal considerations from Senators
who condemned the course of the Washington
onion. Had the Washington Union and the
Washington Sentinel been presented to the two
Houses Of Congress, without outside influences
and without personal considerations, the .Senti-
mel would have beaten the Union in both Houses
three to two, and that without the help of wing
votes.
this paper was elected by coalition between
wings and aboltionists. Our good temper in
duces US to attribute that spiteful remark to
silly passion. The Enquirer knows, as well as
we do, that we have made unceasing war for
democratic principles and unceasing war against
freesoiers and abolitionists. The Enquirer
deals its blows like shavedhead mailman
blindly and without knowledge or reflection.
Some of the whig Senator's voted for us. Why
should they not do so? We had rather have
the votes of such men as Edward Everett and
John NJ. Clayton than the countenance and
support Of the whole tribe Of Van Buren, Buffalo
platform freesoilers, with whom the Washington
Onion and the Richmond Enquirer are now
| cohabting under the lash of federal dictaton
or from the hope Of federal spoils.
But Chase and Sumner voted for us. the
Richmond Enquirersays. Well, why should they
not? They saw the Washington Union backed
up and sustained by the Richmond Enquirer,
| which has now come forward as the second and
bottle-holder to VIM. j. Brown, poaching on
their manor. They saw the Washington Union
backed mn and sustained nv the Richmond En-