Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1853-11-02
HON. A. w. YENABLE.


State he was first brought forward for Congress by
| a Convention, elected because he was Convention
candidate and he would have been in all probable
ity member of Congress still, if he had not turned
upon the very means of organization and concentra-
ton of Democratic opinion to which he is indebted
for whatever of political promotion he has enjoyed
In his contest with Mr.. Kerr he was elected by
the strictest and most determined party Efforts and
but for the united support of the party he would
not have beaten Mr.. Nash. There are but few men
who play the part of Mr. Calhoun and exist po-
lltcay. Daniel Webster could not do it i; and if he
could not, when in the right, sway State Mr. Ven
able cannot hope to control when in the wrong even
a Congressional District
But Mr.. Venabie became at length quite too large
for the demands of the occasion" Jeshrum waxed
fat and kicked" He began his course of dsorgani-
cation than many suppose, for in his speech
in the House. in January, 1852 against Messrs. Don
elson & Armstrong, he strongly intimated that he
would not support Gen. Cass if he should be the
nominee of the Baltimore Convention and he declar
ed, also, that he foot-loose that he repre-
sented constituency that required him to be foot
loose Or, to use his own language he said &c
footloose and bound by party ties or obligations,
which require me to abandon any principle I have
asserted" This language evidently carefully
grooming disregard, his part Of party oGliga-
tons He also declared, in a subsequent speech we
believe that he would support neither Gen. Cass nor
Judge Douglas for the Presidency, even if nominat
ed by the Baltimore Convention. What authority
had he for this declaration? Did he speak the SEN
timents of the party which elected him
His course Delegate, at Baltimore, was in keep
ing with this declaration. After it had became APP
parent that neither Gen. Cass Mr.. Buchanan
could be nominated, and after the North Carolina
Delegation had stood for several days by the latter
a meeting of theDelegates was held in their room in
Baltimore for the purpose accompanying opinions and
of uniting, if possible, man. Mr. Ven
able publicly committed against Judge Douglas,
and his pride of opinion therefore involved. All
of Judge Douglas friends, it is known were also
warm friends Mr.. Venable was, of Mr.. Buchanan,
and had supported him unflinchngly up to the last
hoar; but notwithstanding this, Mr. Vcnable in
that meeting and delivered speech against Judge
Douglas and his claims which grossly unjust in
it's character, and which had the effect to greater
or less extent of preventing union of the vote of
the State upon that gentleman 1t was just such
speech Wing would have delivered against him
but mr. Fend6le not to be placed in a false po-
ston, whatever might be the wishes of large por-
ton of his co-Delegates-he was for taking care of
hinseJ-he had said in substance publicly that he
would not support Judge D., and he did not intend
to yield one little of his preudices though the Con-
ventlon at and the result of its deliberations
involved in uncertainty and doubt.
We give this bit of history only for the purpose
of illustrating the native stubbornness and seshness
of Mr.. Venable's character; and to show that his
dsorganizng declaration in the House the subject
of the Presidency, carried out far he could
do it, in the Baltimore Convention.
Soon after the Baltimore Convention Mr. Venable |
voted for Benefits land bil-a bill which was high
y unjust towards the old States, and which sup
ported by but few Democrats and the bulk of the
opposite party He acted with the Wings under the !
pretext that the land plumber as it termed had
begun, and he wanted crumb from the loaf for
North Carolina. He acted avowedly upon the ground
that if he could not get all the rights of his constt
uents, he would take one-half or one-fourth, or a
small consideration which would just serve to show
that North Carolina still existed and had clams
he humbled himself for penny, when if the "plun-
der" had really begun, as he alleged it had, all men
of spirit would have said if you sciW participate in
this thing demand the rights of your State like
man and in voice of thunder do not whimper
over the injustice of the measure and still vote for
lido not consent to set a precedent which will
give Arkansas, with member of the House, twice
as much as North Carolina with nine members! But
no-he deserted his party, its platforms both State
and national, and his Democratic colleagues, Messrs
Ashe and Daniel, and went for that measurement
for it with the Wings and few high tariff Democrats
"a measure which man of any party can ap-
prove account of its palpable injustice to the old
States.
1t has been limited by some-not uncharitably we
hope-that Mr. Venable had his eye upon re-eec-
ton when he gave that yote and that he thought it
might not njure him with the Wing party-but we
pass this by for the present.
Not long after this, in January, 1853, Mr.. Venable
delivered speech in the House of Representatives
in which he complmented Mr. Fillmore for his course
in relation to the Cuban expedition and in which he
took ground against the acquisition of Cuba on any
terms, except in case England some other power
should attempt to wrest the island from Spain. His
remarks record, and viii speak for themselves
He argued that to acquire Cuba ecep By fair means
'could result iyargouss to the slaoeholding States
He also, in the speech referred in rather cold
and contemptuous terms the struggles of the down
trodden masses of Europe against their oppressors
and tyrants He avowed himself a Conservative
in the highest sensethis being the name, as many
of our readers will remember, which Messrs. Rives
and Tallmadge assumed for their party when they
deserted the old Hero, Andrew jackson. 1t was
a 1Yhid xrorss e1seacl. 10,