Washington sentinel., 1853-12-17
OUR POSITION.

OUR POSITION.
Circumstances force us to restate the posi-
ton we occupy towards the administration. The
Washington Union has forced that task upon
MS again and again. Other journals have en-
tered the lists also, and have joined with the
Washington Union in representing us as hostile
to the administration. These representations
are without foundation, and in proof of that we
would invite the attention Of our readers to the
leading ariicleof the tnumber of the Sentinel,
which we repubhsh this morning.
That article was published on the twenty.
fourth day Of September last; butwe repeat every
word of it now in full and entire earnestness.
We do not mean that selfish, venal, and corrupt
men shall drive us out Of the party, so that
they may accomplish their selfish, yenal, and
. corrupt purposes Designing politicians may
attempt to drive us out of the party organiza
ton. The Washington Inioa may attempt
TO drive honest and upright democrats into op-
position. But, so far as we are concerned, ii
cannotaccomplish its unpatriotic purposes We
mean to stand where we have always stood
Neither the threats of power, nor the pursua
sions OF men in authority, nor interested de-
nunciations shall drive us from our propriety.
The Washington Union seems at last to
have found out that it had committed an
awful bunder in denouncing members Of
the Senate because the Senate saw fit to
select its printer without consulting the Wash
ington Union. But perhaps, we speak too
fast. 1t may be that the Union did not appre-
ciate the full offensiveness of its unwarrantable
coarse. II may be that men of some common
sense and sagacty-men who could apprec
ate and understand the effect Of making the
democratic league a buccanier association,
warned that misguided journal of the punish
ment which must fall upon it, if it did not put
stop to its ridiculous complaints, and cease
its direct and offensive assaults on the Senate
and its indirect assaults on the President of
the United States.
When we heard that the publisher Of this
paper was elected printer to the Senate, we
thought that the Union would announce the
fact without complaint. But, much to our sur
prise, its swollen vanity induced it to couple
the fate of the administration with its own
failure, and urged it to attempt to ostracize
distinguished Senator'S because they did not see
fit to gorge with patronage the publisher of the
Washington Union-a good, amiable gentle
man, whose feelings we could not willingly
wound.
We have read an anecdote, somewhere-per-
haps in Walter Scott 5 miscellaneous writings
in which countryman claimed precedence
over all his neighbors because he once saw the
king. We may be perfectly willing to give pre-
cedence to those who have enjoyed the conf.
dence Of General jackson; but are not will
ing to give precedence TO all the employees OF
those who have had the good fortune to know
the man Of iron nerve.
General Armstrong is not the editor Of the
Union. The Union is, in fact and reality, an
anonymous publication; and we say now, and
we will adhere TO what we say, that no anony-
nous publication matter by what journals
it may be sustained--shali drive us ont Of the
democratic organization. We have heard often
that athe more the merrier-the fewer the bet,
ter fare" Those pretended friends Of the ad
ministration, who wish to isre better by driving
ont of the democratic ranks the best and truest
men of the party, will end themselves mistaken.
They cannot drive us out Of the party the
worst comes to the worst we have our appeal
unto C@sar--we have our appeal unto the peo
ple-and we will make that appeal without fear
of the result
n q
But it has been said-falsely said--that we
and those who act with us, have gi.an force
and volume, and extent to the controversy in
New York. Indeed the Union with character.
istic forgetfulness or characteristic efrontery
insinuates that 1T attempted to prevent the
spreading of the New York controversy; and it
intimates that the national democrats first gave
national importance to that controversy. The
ntimation is not well founded. 1t has not even
semblance of truth to rest on. First and
foremost among all the journals Of the United
States was the Washington Union, striving to
make the New York question a national ques-
tion. Omiiting the time when il was paralyzed
by the result Of the New York election, II has
insisted that the spoils distribution in New
York should be considered as the test Of partv
fidelity. II goes SO far even as TO call the man.
ner in which the spoils have been distributed
"the Presidents policy" and to read. no, only
US, but the highest and most honored members