The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-07-03
The Test Question In Our state Assembly-A
BombsheM Among the Free soilers-TerTi-
bic Duclking and DOdging

| The Test Question In Our state Assembly-A
! Bombshen Among the Free soilers-Terri.
bic Daciking ana Dodsing.
The readers Of the HERALD were no doubt
| highly amused and gratiied in the perusal of
the Assembly proceedings, which we published
| yesterday, upon Mr.. D. B. Taylor's resolutions
reaffrming the inaugural address of General
| Pierce, and especially the Fugitive Slave law.
| The accompanying explanation which we gave
| from the Albany .4ygus we deemed somewhat
essential, however, to an inside view ofthe ques
ton; and, as the genuine key to the dueking and
| lodging Of the free sellers, there could be no
| difficulty in understanding the noise and con-
| fusion" which for time prevailed
| Nevertheless, to give fair hearing to all
| sides of the controversy we transfer to our
| columns This morning the Interpretation, r,soe,
| lively OF the Albany Evening .1'I3 late Gen.
tral organ OF the Buffalo platform, anl still the
oracle of the democratic free sellers and soft
| shells, and of the Ecening Journal, the infexi-
bic champion of Sewardsm and his higher
| law" 1t will be observed that neither of these
journals confront the direct issue face to face.
They fight round it; they evade it; they never
have been and we presume they never can be,
made to toe the mark upon this Fugitive Slave
law.
The first resolution Of the series. generally
endorsing the inaugural. appears to have met
with the hearty concurrence of the democratic
free sellers; the second resolution, reafirming
the Monroe doctrine as laid down by the Presi-
dent seems to have received the same cordial
response Of both factions Of the g. reorganized
democracy but the cream Of the pot, the
direct, honest, unequivocal, straightforward
declaration, at the tail of the third resolution,
to wit:-"Mat the State Of .Neac York pledges
her faith to tie Union, that ecery ia,c adopted
Ia the constituted authorities Of the United
States, including the Fugitire Stare lac,
| shall be faithfully enforced acithin the limits
of the Sfnfe'-was too much for the conscien-
tious scruples of the barnburners. Hence the
| melancholy spectacle which was presented Of
| twenty-eight democrats taking the Kentucky
| shoot upon the main question. Yet from all
| that we can learn Messrs. Beckwth, Bouton,
| Burroughs. Bushnell Champlin, Finch, Gale
| =. T. Gilmore, D. Gilmore, A. G. Hall, B. Hail.
Hibbard Ingalls,. Kearney, Lawrence Loomis
| Martin, Miller, L. Osgood, Patterson, j. Rose,
| B. Smith, Spafard, the Speaker, Streeter, Ten
| Eyck, Temple and Van Alstyne. are as enthu-
| siastic, in general way. in support Of the in
| augural and the administration, as the Evening
| .4fias, the EUeniag Post, and the rank and file
| Of the free sellers and soft shells.
| But what baldfaced political hypocrisy is
here. Ordinarily, one would conclude that to
man who could glorify the inaugural in the
lump there could be no difficulty in digesting
il in detail: but these conscientious disciples of
the Buffalo platform End an impossible chasm
| between declaring that certain law should be
respected and the fat-footed declaration that
| they themselves will respect it. Brought to
this pinch. they are missing when called for;
| they are not prepared to face the music; they
| wriggle and twist, they jump up they chatter
they dodge-they are gone. They have sworn
to support the constitution, they admit that
| this Fugitive Slave law is constitutional act
| yet when called upon to sustain it they cut
and run.
Ifsuch conduct is to be considered as the true
| Interpretation of the Baltimore platform and
| the policy of the administration we shall soon
| have favorable opening for the reorganization
Of the whig party. The democracy cannot
stand upon this sandy foundation. IF they
are party of principles they must abide
by them and the man who cannot en-
| dorse them should be turned adrift. II was
| free soilsm that destroyed the late national
wing organization the American people could
not countenance party wearing two or three
faces upon the slavery question to suit different
latitudes. And the administration cannot safe
| ly venture upon the same delusiye and ruinous
| policy. If free sellers are to be retained In
the democratic ranks by conceding them a
conscientious reservation in favor Of the
higher law" the prestige Of the party, and the
| brilliant prospects Of the administration, are ex-
tinguished. If a man can swear by the Balti-
more resolutions, the inaugural, and the admi-
nistration, and yet execrate and spit uponr
| the Fugitive Slave law, and still be considered
member Of the democratic church in good
standing. then indeed has the glory departed
from rael. and the sceptre departed from the
house Of Saul"
We shall have in due time definite solution
of this question. The movement commenced by
Mr. Burke in New Hampshire is progressing.
| Read the letter Of our Concord correspondent,
| which. il this connection we publish this morn
| ing and mark how cautious the democrats d
| lie Granite Hills are against committing
| themselves to the common level Of equality
with the seditious faction or Martin Van Buren,
| & Co., Of 1913 They are devoted 70 General
| Pierce, these men Of New Hampshire they ere