Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1853-09-07
THE NEXT CONGRESS.

THE NEXT CONGRESS.
The Detroit Free Press holds the following lust
and appropriate language in relation to the state of
parties in the next Congress- and the responsibilities
which will devolve upon the Democratic party.
Large majorities, as the Free Press observes, are
not always desirable in legislative bodies They
tend to create factions and divisions they are not
easily welded and besides they afford scope for the
workings of selfish and ambitious men. There is
but one way to ensure harmony and concentration
of strength far officers of the House are concern
ed and that is, to make nominations and require
members to support them and hold them to rigid
accountability if they refuse to do so. The Free
Press says:
The THIRTY-TH1RD CONGRESS. The democratic
majority in the next Congress will be large The
Senate will be composed of SO democrats 81 wings,
and free soers with three vacancies yet to be filled
10 the House there already chosen 142 democrats
66 whgs and free soilers Elections are vet to be
held in four States whence the democratic majority
will be increased.
These are certainly acorksng majortes- majorities
that give the democratic party the entire control of
the legislation OF the country. 1t follows that the
country will hold the democratic party responsible
for every measure that may be adopted by Congress-
and for every failure to pass such laws as the exigen-
ces of the public service and the wants of the peo-
pie demand. And it is right that this should be So
We hold to the doctrine of strict accountability of
political parties. When the people repose confidence
in party, that party must at all times stand ready
to give account of its stewardship; and failing give
a good account, experience has demonstrated how
ready the people areo hurl it from power and trans
fer their confidence to other hands, One of the chief
causes of the immense majority given to General
Pierce in the late contest the fact that the whig
administration had proven recreant to the trust
posed in it.
The public treasure was wasted upon partisan ia
vorites peculaton and fraud peryaded every depart
ment of the public service-the executive govern
ment proved to be mbecile and careless of national
interests-the American name abroad was sinking
into contempt and failed to command the respect
that the power of the country justly entities it to
among the nations of the earth 1t was to correct
snch abuses and shortcomings as these that Gen.
Pierce was elevated to power; and should the demo-
cratic party through its representatives in Congress-
fail to answer the just expectations of the people in
this regard-should not the promises made through
the democratic press during the presidential canvass
and in the inaugural address of President Pierce
the 4th of March last be faithfully fulfilled nothing
less be expected than that, at the end of four
years, the men and the party who have been guilty
of violating pledges and disappointing the popular
| expectation will be discarded.
delicate trust rests with the administration 1t
is its duty to frame all its measures as that they
will thoroughly command the public appreciation. It
is not impossible though should be sorry to pre-
dict that such would be the case-hat ambitious and
aspiring men, members of either house, may become
factious and that fraction may seek to ruff1e the
smooth current of the democratic waters Large
party maorties nlegisative bodies not always de-
srable they sometimes weaken rather than strength
| political organization. We do not now serious
ly apprehend any difficulty of this Sort though il
cannot be anticipated that among so many conflict
ing elements are developed in the democratic party
of some of the States local dissensions be KEPT
entirely out of the democratic counsels of the nation
al capital To greater less extent it must be
pected that sectional animosities will be introduced
| into congressional discussions.
But the success of the administration is very mucl
| dependent upon its own action. Let the PreSiden
pursue the same bold and fearless of conduc
that has distinguished him thus far-et all the mea
sures he may recommend be such as he feels con
sciousness the democratic masses will heartily ap
prove-et him abide by the principles of the Balti
more platform, and by those enunciatcd in the inau
gural address-let him require that all public officer
shall honestly and faithfully discharge their dute
let his conduct of the foreign policy be such a
will make the moral power of the American Unio
felt in every quarter of the habitabe globe in short
let the spirit of American progress be infused into
his recommendations and into all his acts, and hi
administration cannot fail to succeed. Even thoug
the spirit Of faction should its unseemly head
Congress- even though the democratic majority shoul
be divided upon some questions of national impOr
ance, yet so long the President pursues the eve
tenor OF HIS way-so long as he performs HIS dut
to his country-he can look with unbounded COZ
fdence to THE PEOPLE for countenance and supper
The ensuing session of Congress- from the gre.
number of important questions that will be brougf
before it, will be most interesting one. Castin
aside all misgivngs in respect to party divisions,
shall look to its action for results that will mark tt
period as an eventful one in American history"