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


it is that controls their Federal Executive and
Legislature.
The National Inteiigsneer, including all Its
issues daily, tri-weekly, semi-wsekiy, and
weekly-goes to between nine and ten thou
sand subscribers the Washington Union: in
GLIDING all its issues, to between eight and nine
thousand the Republic, including all its issues,
to about four or five thousand. The aggregate
substitution list of all of them does not exceed
twenty-four thousand.
The subscription list of the National Era, on
the Ist of January, 1853, was twenty-elght
thousand-three times larger than that OF the
Union, four thousand greater than the aggre-
gate subscription of the whole of them.
The Law explicitly requires that the Execu-
tive Departments shall publish their notices in
"the ttco papers at the seat Of Government hdv-
ing the largest permanent subscription, and IN
such third paper as the President shall desig-
nate
At no time, during the last five years, has
this requistion been complied with. We have
presented our application for the Executive ad-
vertisements in due form, taking this law as
the ground of our claim, and submitting the
necessary afidavits as to our subscription list
to each successive Administration since that OF
Mr.. Polk the fact that for FIVE years past the
Era has had larger permanent subscription
list than any paper at the seat OF Government,
has been admitted: under the last Administra-
ton, the Attorney General (Mr. Crittenden)
gave a written opinion conclusive in our favor,
holding that tho Law looked to the extent OF
the subscription list, not to the frequency of the
issues of newspaper ; and yet, to this day, the
application of the Era has been coolly dsre-
garded, its just claim rejected, the Law uni
formly volated-the advertisements have been
given to the Union, InteLigencer and Republic
What is the reason Is the Era inferior to
these papers in the quality of its paper or ty-
Biography Just the reverse. Is it conducted
with less decorum, less ability, less regard for
the public welfare Nobody has ever said 30.
Why, then, have three successive Administra-
tons, in palpable violation OF Law, withheld
partments, and given them to newspapers with
less permanent subscriptions
The Era is opposed to Slavery, the Union,
the Intelhgeneer, and the Republic, are not.
That is tho single reason for this monstrous
outrage--this habitual violation of Law by the
Federal Executive Can there be more con-
elusive proof of the supremacy of the Slave
Power
And now for the action Of the Senate. In
the Senate Chamber, outside Of the bar sur
rounding the chairs of members, is space al
lotted to persons who have occupied certain
Offices, or who may be specially invited by Sen,
ators. The printers Of Congress are held to be
officers of that body, and as such entitled to
the privilege of the floor " and this privilege
is tacitly continued, even after they have ceased
to be its printers, Some four years ago reso
luton was passed, extending the same priv
lege to the publishers and editors of the Re
public, on the ground of courtesy to that paper
as an organ of the Administration. In this
way the editors of the old party papers were
comfortably accommodated. The friends Of
the Southern Press thereupon introduced a
resolution to give its editors and publishers the
same privilege; and this would undoubtedly
have passed, had not Mr. Hale, always vigilant
moved to amend by adding and the editor Of
the National Era This settled the question
The said editor had several friends in that
body even among Southern members and nc
one had ever dreamed of questioning his re-
spectabilty, but the resolution was killed he
was an opponent Of Slavery, and the Slave
Power, governing the Senate, prescribed him
Prescription, political and social, is its maxim
The proceedings on tho resolution of Mr.
Seward, providing for printing the debates in
tho I,tcligeneer, published on our fourth page
furnish another illustration in point.
Democrats warmly supported the resolution
among them the most jealous were strict con.
structonsts from the South.
8 Tho resolution proposed to pay money for
publishing what had already been Published
for publishing, during the summer, debates that
took place last winter; for publishing them in
Wing paper Of limited circulation. The sum
and substance Of the whole movement was, tc
do favor, at the expense OF the Federal Gov
ernment to n Wing newspaper. The econo
, mists of the South, the strict constructiOnists
a the Hunkcrs Of all stripes, were anxious for it
passage. The ItRigenesr was decorou
9 paper, highly respectable paper it repre-
sented minority free and fair discussion
, should be the rule Of tho Senate Wing reader
b. needed to be enlightened: wide publicity of tn,
a Senate debates was desirable These were tn
i: reasons urged by tho Democratic supporters o
' the resolution MIR. Chase opposed the who'll
$ system of supporting Party papers in this indi
: rect way. He tried to have the resolution lai,
on the table, but failed He moved to discon
!, tinue hereafter the engagement with the Union
: but failed. He then moved to embrace in tn
. provisions of the resolution the National Era
. Let Senator's be consistent. The National En-
!, was decorous and highly respectable-it repre-
}. sented mnority-free and fair discussion
should be the motto of the Senate-Anti. Sa
{ very readers or Independent Democrats neede
a enlightenment in the judgment of the Senate
!. ifwide publicity were desirable, the Era woul
n send their debates to three times as many read
crs as those of the htelligsncer.
: What was the answer OF the very consistent
: conscientious members of that body, Not
$ word was said against the decorum, the re
: spectability, the fairness, of the Era !, not
I suggestion made that its circulation was no
o what it is represented to be- No answer coul
i be made only Judge Butler SAID he would no
s wish to give the printing to any paper wit
o certain idio,ynerasies,' and Mr. Weller d
f not think ii worth while to least pearls bsfor