The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-04-21

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are two parties in Ohio When the Independ-
ent or Anti-Slavery Democrats have acted with
the old-line Democrats they have had large
majorities. When they have not acted with
them, they have had mnorities They did not
act with them at the last Presidential election,
| and the successful candidates lacked Is, 900 Of
having n majority of the people of that State
We see now in New York a union Of the Barn.
| burners and the Hunkers, and no little pains
taking at the other end of the capital and at
| this end of the capital to cement and CONSOLE
date that union. There is a distribution of
patronage with reference to that object take
it; at least it looked very much like it the other
day. How it may go on, do not know but
when two parties unite, nothing is more usual,
and nothing more inyariable, than to have re-
spect to the opinions of both. But | will say,
Mr.. President, and say proudly, that in the
union which took place in the Legislature of
| Ohio there was no sacrifice of principle. The
old-line Democrats sacrificed no principle the
Free Democrats sacrificed no principle. They
stood together, it is true but they voted in a
question of concurrent opinions, differing mere
ly in the line of political action. have nothing
to regret upon that score-nothing at all.
do not value a seat in this body so highly that
| would be willing to sacrifice jot or little
Of my independence, or of my principles, for
the sake of retaining it for day or for an
hour, sacrificed no principle to come Here (;
| would sacrifice no principle to stay here. The
prophecy of the Senator from California may
be fulfilled; do not know but that it will be ;
shall not regret il, if it is. ! am perfectly
willing at any time when my constituents will
it, to retire to private life; for private life is
not less acceptable to me than public station
| am quite wilirg, as have demonstrated by
all the acts of my whole life, to act with mi
nOrities, and to take the consequences of acting
with minorites and maintaining my princi-
ples-far more willing than to act with major
tiles, receiving their rewards and adopting their
! principles.
AS to the sentiments Of the people of the
State of Ohio, say, simply, that believe that
| represent the opinions of majority of the
people of Ohio at this moment. do not pre-
tend to say and never have said, that repre-
sent party organization. There was no rea-
son, if my friend from California will allow me
to say so, why he should be sensitive or pro.
voked because have never taken any other
position than that which now take No Sem
ator can point out a sentence which | have
ever uttered here, in which have claimed to
occupy any other position than that which
occupy now. Isay that believe that repre-
sent the opinions of vast majority of the
people of Ohio. There is not word or q syl-
liable In the whole Democratic platform of Ohio
from which dissent | have advocated it
through the whole State. | expect to advocate
it again through the whole State-every word
and every sentence contained in the platform
! shall shrink from no advocacy of it. All that
| ask, and all that have ever asked, from the
Democracy OF Ohio, is, to be consistent with
their avowed or profcssed principles; because
know, just rs the Senator from California
knows, that when body of men concur in the
support OF candidate nominated upon a po-
lltical platform, the majority who concur in
that support have right to say that the mi
nority have abandoned their principles. |
know that 1t is always said that the vote rep
resents the platform | know perfectly well,
too, that vast number of voters in nearly
every Northern State repudiated the Baltimore
platform, and yet supported the candidate,
and thus placed themselves in tho position of
having it said to them, You acquiesced in this
platform you arc bound by it, and must con-
tinue to acquiesce. The Senator says that no
person has been confirmed here who has not
acquiesced in the Baltimore platform. Acqui-
esced in it how! By supporting the nominees
and not by any public declaration. Point me
to the public declaration of John A. Dix, in
which he has ever said that he would acqui
e;ce in the platform, or in which he ever re-
canted single opinion he had ever advanced
In relation to it. | am not aware of the exist
ence of any such declaration. know that he
supported the nominees. A great many others
supported the nominees; and merely mention
this distinguished gentleman-dstinguishe in
every respect; distinguished for his talents
distinguished for his information distinguished
by his personal worth, and standing upon an
elevated pedestal in the public regard-I men
ton HIM as representative of the class | am
not aware of single instance in which he has
ever repudiated single sentiment he had ever
advanced when he and went together and
supported the same candidates ] know it can
be said of him that a vote for the nominees i'm
plies acquiescence, and know it can be said
of great many others. 1t was precisely for
that reason--it was because vote for the
nominees would imply acquiesccnce in the plat
form-that | felt myself constrained to take
my position with the minority of which my
friend speaks. am not afraid to occupy that
position. ] have no more doubt than have
| that stand here, that the sentiments of that
minority will yet become the sentiments of the
majority of the people of this country. | do
not know when it will be but If you take the
ratio Of increase, and the change in the tone Of
public sentiment which has been going on
| during the past ten years. you will see that it
may occur much more speedily than some gen.
tlemen imagine.
shall not 60 into those principles now
have detained the Senate too long. regret
that have been obliged to say anything at all
| upon this subject | entered into this discus
sion with no disposition whatever to invite gen.
tlemen into debate of merely political na.
ture. entered into it, as | said in the begin
ming, from sense of public duty, because
thought that bad usage was intended to be
still further continued and enlarged at this
session of the Senate, when you can hardly
muster quorum upon any vote. | thought
that was wrong, aud opposed it; and should
have been perfectly willing to have Limited my
remarks to that point,
Mr.. BRODHEAD. Although this is very
thin Senate there seems to be very large
majority in favor of this resolution Still, if
| my friend from Ohio, and those who think with
| him, though only two or three in number, per-
| slst in their opposition to the resolution thiak
we would better understand it, and adjourn at
| once. | think we would better pass tho reso.
luton, and give 81 per column for most of the
speeches have been published and there are
few to he published hereafter. am quite will
ling to vote for tho resolution. hope that by
| general consent, it may be passed
Mr.. CHASE. wish to say, in reply to what
has fallen from the Senator from Pennsylvania,
that it is my deliberate judgment that it is not
right for the Senate to pass resolutions involv-
ing large expenditures of money without quo
rum; and cannot consistently with my views
| OF public duty. consent to it,
Mr.. BRODHEAD. That the gentleman is
opposed to the resolution is pretty well known,
! suppose But this does not involve a very
large expenditure of public money; and there
are certainly enough Senators present to adopt
a resolution of this kind, particularly when no