Washington sentinel., 1853-12-17

| between two separate corps OF his army--one
flushed with a recent victory, the other demoI-
alised and disheartened by disastrous defeat,
would hazard failure, although in everything
else he might prove himself an Alexander or
a Napoleon.
| The mistake of General Pierce was anala-
gous to this. The freesoil section had rebeled
against the national democracy-zhad walked
from their reverie and found themselves out of
the pale of the democratic party. The Union
had restored them to its ranks, but had not de-
stroyed their consciousness of the position from
which they had escaped. They hoped, soiM
some trembling, to be recognised as a compo-
nent part of the triumphant democracy. With
these feelings they would have rejoiced at re-
| cognition, and would have accepted a moderate
| distribution of patronage among them with
| resignation, if not with gratitude. 1t must
| have been harsh treatment indeed which would
have induced them to falter in their support Of
the present administration.
| How different the moral condition of the ma
| tional democrats; they were proud of their
steady maintenance Of the principles which
had triumphed in the election Of General
Pierce and watched with intense anxiety to
see whether the President elect would base his
administration upon those cherished principles.
They felt that their unwavering fidelity to the
utulOCTdCy cHtllIcu tIlcm W GOuoiuciuuOHJ uuu
were, of course, not in mood to brook slight.
Add to this, that they had become suspicious
Of Governor Marcy, because he had been
brought forward by the freesoil party of this
State as its candidate for the presidency. Can
not any one see that here was magazine that
must be carefully handled to avoid explosion
1t is, perhaps, not surprising that the Presi-
dent, not having the advantage Of familiar
acquaintance with New York politics, and look
ing at the matter from distance should have
| been unconscious Of all this
| Whether statesman should have seen it or
not, one thing is certain; the moment the
President selected Governor Marcy for a mem
Der of his cabinet instead of Mr.. Dickinson,
the fate of the democratic union in this State,
| if not that Of the administration itself, was
sealed. Not that the Secretary Of State has
advised the President to give, or that the latter
has given more Offices to the freesoil section Of
the party than it is entitled to. Mr.. Dickinson
might have advised the giving Of even more,
and it would have been regarded by his friends
| as evidence of magnanimity; while from his
| position, sinister and selfish design is natu-
rally imputed to Governor Marcy. G5ata
Had the course of the latter therefore been
entirely independent of all personal considera-
tions, which it clearly has not, he could hardly
| have satisfied the national democrats.
Enough has been said to show the error
which the President committed in organizing
! his cabinet; bnt there is much more to be
! taken into view in Judging of the conduct Of
| the nationals nseparating from the freesoilers
| at Syracuse. H s}il
There had been constant struggle between
the two sections from the time of their union,
for the ascendancy in and control over the
| united party. The freesoil section was in the
outset the strongest; but its harmony with the
democracy in other States gradually added TO
| the strength of the other section. Still up to
the election Of General Pierce the predominance
of the latter in the State was doubtful 1t
looked forward to the action of the new admin
istraton, to gvet encouragement and strength;
not from any selfish motives, or desire for the
spois OF office, but as a means Of preventing
the evils Of sectionalism. s-sF A
They knew that their freesoil associates had
not in reality abandoned their hostility to some
of the compromise measures, but were only
lying in wait for convenient opportunity to
reasserttheir dangerous doctrines. Their CON-
duct in the legislature, and upon the State
committee, and the course of their, leading
Journals during the presidential canvass, in re-
serving themselves upon the compromise nea-
sure had proved this, if proof were wanting Of
anything SO plain. ets sf l''e9 7ylg
Hence the strong desire Of the opponents Of
sectionalism for that encouragement and sup
port from the new administration, which would
give to them the ascendancy in the State, when
compelled again to encounter the anti.slavery
hosts. Had they not a right TO expect this from
an administration elected upon the basis Of the
compromise? llsts ttisv 5as ~
But how was this expectation met?
First: By placing Mt the head of the cabinet
man Jad h,, fha froaoo;l
that which might have been expected followed.
The moment the patronage of the government
began to be distributed, a design was revealed,
which alarmed the national democracy. It was
not that numerically too many feesoil men
were appointed to Office; but that the appoint
ments were SO made, rs well those conferred
upon national democrats as upon those of the
freesoil section, as to strengthen the latter at
the expense of the former. The chosen men of
the former section were rarely taken and never
when it could be avoided. When men Of that
school must be appointed, those not recon-
mendcd and not candidates were hunted up,
and clothed with the unsought powers and
emoluments of Office Like faint praise under
the guise Of friendship, this pretended support
served but to betray the secret hostility Of its
source.
Subtlety and craft were visible in every ad-
ministratiye act which bore upon the New York
democracy. Newspapers which had signalized
themselves by their rampant freesoilism, were
made the recipients Of the public bounty. The
idea Of o Union party, distinct from the sepa-
rate sections, was the phantasm through which
much of this was accomplished.
The national men saw their hopes destroyed,
and were conscious Of gradual undermining
of their position and their strength. They FORE
saw the inevitable consequences if this pro-
cess was suffered to 60 on, to wit, the prostra-
tion of their power, and the paramount ascen-
dancy Of the anti..slavery element in the demo
cratic party of New York.
This was well understood by the freesoil
leaders, and hence their extreme anxiety, and
their patriotic! efforts, 10 maintain the union
of the Sections They we're ready, at Syracuse,
to adopt any platform, to make any ticket, ra-
ther than sever the fraternal bonds which bound
them to the nationals. No doubt they came
there backed by q gang of bullies and despera-
does, prepared to do their bidding. But is. this
circumstance at all essential TO the Justification