Washington sentinel., 1853-10-20


kept in unity by the external pressue Of su-
perior opposing force. The honors of official
station in the convention itself as the presi-
dency, &c, and the Offices to be filed, afford
them ample means of temptation, and are in
their hands efficient weapons of offence and de-
fence. They have but to assign to themselves
the hons share of these, and enough will still
be left as corruption fund wherewith to pur-
chase the small number of votes usually re-
quired to turn the scale. If the factions.stand
as forty to sixty, it is only necessary to pur-
chase eleven votes; and where four good offices,
as is usually the case, can be offered to the
weak, the wicked, or "the soft, among the sixty,
it will rarely be difficult for the lesser faction to
prevail. This may seem paradoxical; but,
however contradictory it seems to theory,
very little reflection will convince any sound
thinker that it is practically true. The political
history of New York, since lS49 illustrates and
yerifes it to the letter.
have said that this system Of bringing to-
gether and keeping up recognized opposing
sections, within the same political party, col :
rupts and demoralizes the whole body. Wit
ness its effect upon the free soilers. Univer-
sally condemned as insincere in their profes-
sions Of sentimental loyalty to the principles
adverse to those on which their section was
founded, they are subjected to the contempt of
all honest men, and to the derision of each
other.
What has been its effect upon the democratic
party, or upon my section, as the nomenclature
sought to be legtimated by authority would re-
quire me to call it? Nominations to office at
these conventions, in which the freesoil section
had seats, could be obtained only by an intrigue,
except in rare and exceptional cases and com
monty the existence and cousumation of that
intrigue were demonstrably proved by the very
fact and method of the nomination. A demo
cratic candidate was observed to have the en-
tire and undivided vote of the freesol or mi
nority faction this elected him, being added to
a small corps of his own personal friends, and
those of two or three other democrats who, like
himself obtained nominations at the same time
and by the same vote. A combination with the
freesoil or minority faction against his own
section was at once apparent, and was de-
accordingly Driven by that denun-
citation into the ranks of his former foes, now
allied to him by the advantages resulting to
both from their successful intrigue, the nominee
was soon found employing the power and in
fiuence of office in forwarding the views of the
faction which elevated HMM securing Office
to its members, or wreaking vengeance upon the
of his original section, who were hon.
est enough to become disgusted with his in
trigue,. and "hard" enough to oppose its con-
These men-to cap the climax
of their demoralization-al always claimed to be
continuing members of their original section
They might be known by their continual use of
the following conversational phrases e., the
united democracy" "union and harmony "the
union Of the party" "our section of the party"
"your section Of their party" and the like.
All this is well exemplifed by the career and
fortunes of several distinguished citizens now
high in office under the State and general gov
whose names will at once occur to
every well informed New Yorker. 1t is not
necessary, and might be thought invidious, to
name them. BY their deeds they are known.
What experience has proved, in respect to
this recognition OF sections, was apparent to me
in l849. From the instant the coalition was
first proposed-from the first broaching of the
idea that there might be two recognized Sec
tons in the party, down to the present hour
in all places where the subject came up, and to
all persons before whom | have ever spoken
upon either subject-with the most undertaking
consistency, and in the strongest terms of re-
probation / could command, have denounced
both the coalition itself and the pernicious pol
icy Of recognizing sections or sectional divi-
sions in the same party.
This was known to every democrat who has
ever had occasion to know anything concerning
my opinions; it was known to all who were
concerned in comforting Office upon me.
In the State convention of 1850, where, for
the first time, feesoil members sat with demo-
Gratis, they held themselves aloof as section
claiming to act as such; they denounced the
leading democrats of that day, such as the Hon.
William l.. Marcy "for their political conduct
they voted against the democratic PLATFORM and
yet they were not expelled but, on the contra
ry, were awarded share of the offices ~but
openly and most distinctly opposed the unhal-
lowed combination. In the same season was
a member of the so-called democratic conven-
ton for the district of my residence, which
nominated for Congress notorious freesoiler
and abolitionist. | pronounced both of these
heterodoxical, irregular, and pos
sessed Of no binding authority; because they
had in effect admitted the section which the
Hon. Secretary now requires to be formally
and distinctly recognised as section, and as
such fed from the public treasury. declared
my opinions, and announced in the most public
manner my determination to wage unceasing
war against the policy of maintaining the Sec
tions At the celebrated Castle Garden meet
ing, held just after these conventions, and be-
[ore tne elecuon, delivered an address which
was circulated throughout the Union. Among
other remarks of like import there expressed
myself as follows:
In future elections, let us single out for pre-
ference those candidates, no matter of what name
DR. political sect, who faithful to the Constitu-
lion and devoted before all other earthly duties,
10 the preservation of the Union Both Of the ex-
sting great political parties have allowed them
selves to become more or less contaminated with
the sin disappearing tolerating these agents of
sectional strife and disunion, the abolition or free
soil agtators. Between the freeso managers
and the expedency-men of sound opinions true,
staunch and reliable men can, with difficulty be
found amongst the nominees for Office II may, |
be difficult to select; but the best
must be done that the circumstances will admit |
shall single out, for my ticket. men who are in
favor ofpeacc measures, fraternity with the south
and the permanency oftbe Union If cannot find |
such, will take those who pretend to be So and
hus give my voice for the principle"
In reference to that class of pretended demo
Gratis who are known as freesoilers, j said
The tactics and purity of that class were well
in the proceedings of the late demo- |
cratic State conventions held at Syracuse nor did
heir nominal opponents appear on the occasion in
IL IL. IL II Il