Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1853-12-23

struction the Union endeavors to put upon their
votes, had they voted for Mr.. Armstrong, they
would have endorsed measure subversive Of
the principles Of their party The contest was
between two papers, both protesting to be dem
ocratic. As we understand It, our Senators
chose between them.
We are assured on all sides that the utmost
harmony and good feeling exists between the
administration and the Virginia delegation
and that the former may rely upon the hearty
cooperation of the latter in all matters involv-
ing the principles or success Of the democratic
party.
1 From the Richmond Examiner Of December 90
The Washington g Union" and the Senate Of
~ the United States.
The decree has gone forth from the Wash
ington Union, that o portion of the United
States senators, belonging to the democratic
party, are to be gibbeted for their contumacy
and want of fealty to democracy. No issue of
that paper, we believe, since the election Of Mr..
Tucker, has failed to hold up the tabooed sena-
tors to public censure and democratic repre-
hension. Of the nine offenders, cauedt is en-
tered against some; but the Union has not
condescended to designate the reprobates from
those who are still upon pleading grounds and
| within the pale of ultimate redemption. They
are all as yet confined to strict quarantine,
| whilst the Union subjects them daily to the
washings, fumigation, sweats, and elastic pur-
gatives, as well as all the other appliances Of
| the democratic pharmacopGia applicable to
contagion and common in plague. The con-
| tainination of these gentlemen is soundly as
serted to be most monstrously offensive, and
the Union, with the eternal cry of unclean!
| unclean p warns the democracy Of the nation
from all contact and sympathy with the leprous
! outcasts.
It intimates pretty distinctly there is no river
Of Damascus whose healing waters could cure
| the malady--that the etficacious waters of re-
| lief are to be found in no pool of Siloam--in
no Jordan, except that which flows from the
| crystal streams Of the Washington Union, rem
dered healing and balsamic by the stirring, not
Of an angel, but Of the graceful and sagacious
| Guthrie. &
"A new shiboleth is instituted by our metro
politan contemporary, by which the real friends
of democratic principles are to be distinguished
| from their foes. The Washington Union and
printing for the Senate, are the precious words
of grace which must be distinctly pronounced
| by every senator who hopes to escape instant
| immolation. This is now the test Of true de-
mocracy; this alone is orthodoxy; all else is
not only heterodoxy, but fiat burglary beside.
The resolutions Of '98 and '99 are effete-the
| Baltimore platform the Presidents inaugural
and message are salt that has lost its SAVIOR.
| The senator's may have observed all these
things, and cherished the precepts of Jefferson
from their youth up; but one thing lack they
veto give all the public printing to General
Armstrong and follow the Union. The honors
| and riches which the official organ enjoys are
nothing in its sight. The smiles of power, the
sunshine of favor, the confidence of the great,
carry along with them no comfort whilst Nor
decai, the Jew, sits at the kings gate. The
Union has erected lofty gallows, upon which
it intends to see dangling, not only Mr. fuckers
| "big belly, with fat capon lined" but likewise
the nine fagicious senators. The nation is in
| yited to the entertainment and privileged seats
| are reserved for the democracy. There is a
| moral in the story Of Haman, the Union's great
prototype, but we fear the moral will be lost
upon our contemporary. Indeed, we believe
they have no use for morals in the national
metropolis. There is, however, such a thing as
| an engineer being hoisted by his own petard.
General Armstrong is a soldier and must know
all about that indeed, he must have seen some
thing Of this pyrotechnic operation when his
worthy predecessor in the editorial chair of the
Union took ahis heightened steps and slow"
| back to the murmuring waters of the beauti-
| full Cumberland.
We incline to the opinion that Mr.. Hunters
| senatorial antecedents would do something in
the eyes Of Virginia towards shieldiag him from
the yehementsuspicion ofwhig sympathy, which
| a vote even in company with the wings, given
against the Washington Union for public printer
might cast upon him. And we think it more
than probable, in this benighted region, many
men may be found who would look upon Mr.
Mason's action upon the compromise measures
and the fugitive-slave law as some slight guar
anty against any reasonable combination
with abolitionists to overthrow the democratic
party. That, at least, is the opinion now some
future phosphoric flash of the great metropoli-
tan FREELY may, indeed, show these gentlemen
in different light; but without this illumina
ton, our senators are likely to maintain their
favor in the eyes Of our people. How far Mr.
Weller may have abandoned his former bitter
unyielding, and fearless opposition to aboli-
tionisis and freesoiers, which rendered him
conspicuous throughout the nation, and en-
deared him particularly to the southern democ
racy, we are not exactly prepared TO say. Still
we think it may be fairly doubted whether the
service of q whole political life of faith, and
honor and courage, and truth upon the slavery
question shall be considered as cancelled by
the IacC OI VOtpiS dgdiuSt tnc cuItoT VI the
Washington Union for public printer, even if
Mr.. Sumner did vote in the same way. But if
the Union's logic should be true, that to vote
for democrat in company with wings and
abolitionists taints democrats with their sins,
how is Mr.. Guthrie to be purged Of the sin Of
turning Bronson out of Office because he would
not put feesoilers in How is Mr. Campbell,
the Postmaster General, to be justified for APP
pointing to a lucrative and important Office Mr..
w. j. Brown, the most odious freesoier in the
United States, John Van Buren, and his fol-
lowers not excepted? How is the appoint
ment Of General Dix to be defended How is
the retention ofso many wings in the best sub
altern Offices in the departments about Wash
ington to be justifed7 a aaespisc
But these are small matters--and so, in truth,
is the election of either this or that man to the
Office of printer to the Senate. 1t is great
mistake, which sometimes the disinterested pa.
triot and the deeply interested partizan make,
in common, in supposing that the people cannot
draw the distinction between the support of the