Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1853-10-26
BULLS OF ExCOMMUNICATION AND
POLITICAL THUNDERBOLTs

carry dismay and terror into the hearts OF the
refractory and incorrigible reprobates and here
tics against whom they are directed. In the
depriyations they ental-in the positive evils
that follow in their train---they are not unlike
Uncle Toby's curse, which is but rehash of
the awful denunciations of his most Catholic
Majesty, and which, when heartily uttered and
practically applied, blasts, withers, and utterly
demolishes the miserable victim and offender.
But whilst the power of accommodation in
power in the democratic party seems to be pos
sessed by all who choose to exercise It, But
the thunders Of accommodation have become
so familiar that they have ceased to be terrible.
People have found that they are quite as harm
less as the tin-pan thunders of the theatre.
One press after another, assuming all the insig-
MIA of its usurped authority, stands up before the
world, raises its arm and levels its harmless bolts
at the head of some independent free-thinker or
press. But latterly most extraordinary state
Of things has come to pass. Because the best
democrats the trustiest and the truest, and the
oldest constitutional democrats of New York
have fallen out with their quondam enemies, the
freesoiers, whose sins, though scarlet were, by
the magical efficacy of the Baltimore platform,
transmitted into virtues, and made as white as
snow-because they will not swear-upon the
principle we suppose that extremes meet-that
their present purity is increased by their former
guilt their present fidelity by their former
baseness; because the national democrats will
not do all these things, their adversaries and
some of the public presses of the country have
taken it on themselves to denounce them as
factonists, to brand them as disorganizers, and
to declare them broke, cashiered, and regularly
outlawed Not content with that, they have
gone so far as to excommunicate from the de-
mocratic party all who wish well and render
aid and comfort to them
The order has gone forth that no man shall be
reckoncd democrat who does not declare that
Mr.. Guthrie's first letter to Judge Bronson was
in all respects right and proper-who does not
pronounce Judge Bronsons reply regular bill
of denominations, and who does not raise up his
hands before high heaven and swear that Mr..
Guthrie's second letter was as true as truth, as
sweet as sugar, and at the same time as strong
as poison. II, in a word, man dares to dis
approve of Judge Bronson's removal from Office,
he is to be incontinently driven from the demo-
cratic party. Now, verify, this is a great issue
on which the great expounders of democracy
81 1afnnJa,s nor axoallapoa IF he o1n mic.
tration, are to stand before the country. All
that hitherto made democrat, is now as no
thing What avails it that a man values as his
life all the principles, usages, and traditions OF
the democratic party? What avails it that he
has adhered to them through good and evil re-
port? Unless he approves the expulsion Of
Judge Bronson from Office, he is no democrat.
This is Enthusiastically, authoritatively de-
clared.
Has the great democracy Of the country come
| to this? If so, it is balanced on the point of a
needle, when it should be poised on the Con-
stitution of the country. No, it is not reduced
50 low. For one, we acknowledge no such tests
of faith. We disapprove the removal of Judge
Bronson. We wish success to the national de-
mocrats of New York, and we claim to have
as good right to act with the democratic
party as the very presumptuous selfconsttnted
| Judges in the matter.
The folly and stupidity of attempting thus
to frighten grown men, as if they were children,
| is to US and to the country generally the occa-
sion of merriment. Let these gentlemen climb
higher and still higher, initiating the noted
monkey whose fate they obviously design to
emulate. We laugh to scorn all such who take
| it on themselves to prescribe new tests Of de-
mocracy, and feebly and impotently essay to
hurl down the thunderbolts of Jupiter on the
heads ofthe free men and the staunch democrats
of the country for not suffering themselves to
be dragooned and horsewhipt into slavish nc
| quiescence.
| These gentlemen are playing strong game,
bold game, but they will find ont in the end a
very imprudent and losing game. Go on. Give
us more Bulls of accommodation. Be more
lavish with your thunderbolts. Shower them
down until they are as thick and as plentiful
as the rain-drops Of spring or the snowfakes
of winter-as blackberries in June or chinque-
pins in September,
We like them. In these dull days something
is needed to refresh, to enliven, and to amuse
the good people of the country. The only dis
agreeable thing connected with the affair is the
unfortunate failure to do what is attempted.
Our humanities are strong, and we cannot help
feeling sorry to see strutting, swelling tragedy
kings debased into provoking clowns.
When they look for tears, groans and walls
Of frantic agony, they get only the merry laugh.
We are sorry that such is the case, but, indeed,
we cannot help it.
But to be more seriops,, these gentlemen for
get themselves. They imagine, although free
| soil people do not acknowledge the relation,
| that they are the masters, and the people are
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