Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1853-12-28
WHO Is RIGHT.

The Jefersoniai,, published at charlottesville
Virginia, concludes an article on the recent
election of printers to the Senate and House of
Representatives with the following paragraph:
"The Union is not the government, neither
is the Sentinel. Why, then, should these jour
mails wish to kick up muss in the democratic
party? The proprietors of both these journals
are now public printers, let them faithfully fulfill
their contracts and the people will not COM
plain; but we do protest against these journals,
or any other, making the vote for public prin-
ter test of ones, democracy"
We have never pretended that the Sentinel
is the government; and the Jefersonian does
MS great injustice by the intimation that we
have ever manifested wish to "kick up
mnssn in the democratic prrty. or to make the
vote for public printer a test of any ones de-
mocrary. Our files will show that, so far from
pursuing such a course, we have protested
against it when pursued by others.
We labored with answering consistency to
prevent the spread Of the New York difficult
ties; and, when we failed in that undertaking,
we could not but espouse the cause of the ma
tional democracy, which had proved itself to be
faithful in the hour Of adversely, against the
Buffalo platform men, whose treason Frustrated
the party and gave to the wings the control of
the federal government in most important
crisis in the history of the confederacy.
The Washington Union had strained every
nerve to nationalize the New York feud, and
to impose new test Of party fidelity, and to
devide the democratic phalanx by denouncing
and driving off all who did not approve Mr..
Guthrie's illadvised conduct with regard to
New York politics, and who were not willing to
see the bond Of democratic fellowship changed
into buccaneering league, under the ridiculous
idea of general amnesty, SO construed as to
give power and place and consideration to Van
Buren, and his followers, by ostracising such
men as Daniel s. Dickinson and James c.
Bronson and Charles O'Conor, who had breast
ed the storm of anti-slavery excitement which
shook the confederacy to its foundations.
But yet when the House of Representatives
saw mt to elect the publisher of the Washington
Union printer to that body, we made no COM
plant. We believed that the conduct of that
journal had been most injurious to the demo
cratic party. We believed that its course was
eminently calculated to weaken the admins
tration and endanger the supremacy Of demo
cratic principles. Still we made no attack on
those democratic members Of the House Of
Representatives who voted for the publisher Of
the Washington Union. Our conduct was not
Influenced by sordid and selfish considerations.
Our ideas were not formed in spirit of stolid
dogmatism or icy uncharitableness. We claimed
the right of independent thought, and VIC are
always willing to grant to others all the rights
and privileges and prerogatives we claim for
ourselves. We do this without hatred or
malice, although our Indignation may be ex-
cited when we see the success of democratic
administration deliberately put in jeopardy,
and the triumph Of democratic principles de-
liberately put in peril by weak, vain men, who
look only to their own ACKNOWLEDGMENT, as fur
nishing the only safe meter Of party success,
and the only reliable test of party fidelity.
We can say with truth to the Charlottesville
Jefersonian, that It has permitted itself to fall
into grievous error, if we have properly un.
derstood its language. If II has read the Sen
hinel regularly, and will reflect upon what it
has read in the columns Of the Sentinel, it can
not fail to acquite us of any wish to create
disturbance in the democratic ranks-of any
wish to make the vote for Public Printer test
Of democracy. If the Je6ersonida has read the
Washington Union regularly, and will reflect
upon what it has read in the columns Of the
Washington Union, it must admit that the
Washington Union has labored With pertina.