The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-02-07
WHAT'S fM NATTER
Trouble Between Young America and tho
$50 Old Line Democracy,
&C., &C., DC.
TIE WASHINGTON UNION AND ITS AS
- lAH.ANTS-


THE WASHINGTON U NrS AND ITS As
rErouo the Washington Union, February IL
In the last week of January the November and
December numbers OF the Democratic Rer,er-
the organ of the selfstyled progressives and fast
men-came to us freighted with its usual cargo OF
buccaneer morality and savage denunciation The
semoccasional appearance OF this piratcal print Is
in keeping with the irregular and ilegitimate pur-
poses Of the plumber party which it represents and
whose interests it seeks TO promote by its unprnc
pied forays in the field Of politics. The style,
too, in which it is written, partakes, by analogy,
Of the character OF its ethics; and as the one Is but
q profigate disregard Of the PRINCIPLES Of common
honesty, 80 the other treats with contemptuous
scom the rules Of common sense. The half-edu-
Gated writer who makes up its articles, conveys his
c0ntraband sentiments by the DISCUSSES and con-
cealments of the guilty smuggler, and contrives,
either from incapacity to speak with an honest
candor or with the design Of masking his illicit aim
to obscure his meaning in cloud OF violent anutne-
ses farfetched illusions, swelling epthets and ridi-
culous sOlecisms. II could hardly be expected
certainly was not dseired-that the washington
Union should escape the abuse OF lournai es'aD'
Nshed for the purpose OF promuigaiing .le M;o
profigate principles Of political morality ana WHICH
has sgnalized its career by the ndiscrlmnate denul
ciaion of all who would not enlist under tne placn
flag which foated from its mast. Arrogaung 10 iseI
the name of Democratic Rerier IL mas estaplisneu
is claim 70 the confidence of the democratic party
bv waging an incessant war upon nearly every man
Of eminence whom that party have agreed to regard
with respect and esteem. Distinguished democrats
and iustrious patriots have been traduced and as.
called by it with venom and scurrilty unsurpassed
by the coarsest and most vulgar slang OF the fish
market. 1t was due rather to the weakness OF
arm than to the Hot vO N ncuraSe dsson
sion ia the democratic party prior to the meet
ing Of the Baltimore Convention 1t is not
loahed and repudiated by the respectable Of the
democratic party 1t is not surprising that the Rich
mond Emquirr, the Baltimore Argus, and other
faithful organs OF the democracy should dscredit its
arrogant pretension TO speak for party by which
is detesed and discarded. Nor is it more mattero Of
surprise that it should be applauded and allotted by
the clique whose interests it subserves and to whose
instincts it panders Ofthe coterie which surrounds
and sustains this Rerier, it ambitiousy calls itself
every individual is intent upon some scheme OF per-
sonal aggrandizement; and, although they did no
thing to promote, but everything to defeat, the sue
Of the democratic party in the recent election,
they yet the most clamorous and importunate Of
the seekers of Office. The honorable gentleman who,
in performance OF his part Of the conspiracy recently
made an assault upon the Washington Union, from
his place in the House, is rumor says) in hot pursuit
of of the most lucrative posts under the govern
ment And thus it is with the entire catalogue OF
flaming patriots who make the columns OF the Demo
cratic RepteC the medium of periodic dissertations on
the sweets of plumber and the beauties of carnage.
We say it is consistent in the Democratic Rerier,
its retainers and eiaqmews to labor TO destroy the
character and undermine the influence Of the Wash
ingt0n Union. From the start we saw through their
selfish schemes, and understood the disorganizing
tendency Of their operations We never gave them
c0untenance or support and on the issue Of the first
number of a new Reuie,c, promising to deserve the
confidence Of the party, we fastened to commend it
30 the support Of the democracy.
Since the Washington Union has been under the
control Of its present editor, it has been conducted
the great and now triumphant democratic party. A
long life of devotion to those principles as taught by
the wisdom and illustrated in the administrations Of
Jefferson and jackson, the pledge which we gave
H. $50 lnto nktorSt tn IL
vance its cause and uphold its honor in the respon
sible position which occupy. 1t liz for the party
to say if our pledge has been redeemed. or the
result Of our labors it does not become US to speak,
something without mourning that reproach to
which Mr.. George Sanders 6llibuster monthly
is 80 obn0xious-we mean the reprOach OF be-
ing an impudent and staggering braggart
II has been our anxious desire to heal those divisions
which have disturbed the harmony and fettered the
strength Of the democratic party, and to unite all
protesting allegiance to a common faith upon the
one common platform Of principle promulgated by
our National Convention In pursuit Of this purpose
we refused to recognise sections and divisions of
party but strove to rally all in support of the princ
pies and candidates proclaimed by the great conven
ton of the Democracy. To all who stood npnn tho
Hing we extended the hand Of friendship
and cooperation. Against those who rejected either
one or the other, no matter to what political party
they might affect to belong, contended in the spirit
Of an unfiinchng adversary. Our party and our prn
cIples trumphed in an election as remarkable for the
energy with which it was contested az for the bril-
lancy OF its result We have not sought to learn
what estimate our friends were disposed to put upon
our services; but that we contributed something to
the crushing defeat Of the wing party is evident,
think, from the acrimony with which we are abused
by men of the stamp OF Mr. Edward Stanly-the gen.
teman whose physical" if not moral I" weakness"
usually makas him miss his man.
But the Union is not progressive, say the fast men
OF the Democratic Reriew it is silent; it takes no
dox
TO sum up all in one killing word it is an "old fogy.'
II the tone of the Union has been somewhat curious
and reserved since the result Of the election 1t is
from policy which all sensible men will appreciate
and applaud-t is from solicitude to say nothing
which might anticipate or embarTass the incoming
administration. Reposing an undoubting confidence
in the President elect, we mean to await his own de-
claraton of policy seeking neither to anticipate nor
to shape it by crude conjecture oficous informed
ding But has the Union been silent when the int.
rests of the democratic party babe it to speak, Has it
ever shrunk from the fearless defence Of democratic
prncpes Has it on any occasion been recreant to its
tus But we are not least such is the
charge of the Democratic Rerieir. We do not deny
our opposition to that sort of progress which Mr..
Ssnderss Rer'e'c advocates and exemplifes Most
earnestly do we deprecate that sort of political pro-
gress which would soon convert this nation into
nest Of marauders and bring the country to destruc
ton. We do not propose to progress at speed
which must end in a smash up. II is our ambition
that this republic shall grow with the progress of
natural Development, and not by the spasmodc effort
of an ungovernable and destructive impulse We
wish its resources to be developed and it, dominion
extended, not by plumber and piracy but by honest
industry and legitimate expansion. Therefore,
whilst we abhor the buccaneer morality and repro
bate the insane policy Of the Democratic Reriec, we
have yet been the Jealous advocate Of every
contemplating safe, rational, and honorable acqu
sitiOn OF territory,
It may be thought too great condescension in
the Washington Union to notice the idle and I'M
meaning censure of an irresponsible pamphlet which
avishes its praise and its abuse upon principles Of
the grossesf selshness and corruption: but we are
willing to incur this imputation for the purpose Of
notifying certain set Of political Adventures (Ns
mo letter-writers and alD that we understand their
schemes and perfectly familiar with all their in
trigues. If the occasion demand, we can be more
full and explicit in exposition 1t is sufficient
for the present to say what we have said. We seek
q controversy with nobody, for it Is wish to see
every fragment of the democratic party united in q
jealous and cordial support Of the approaching
deunncrafic administrator diaarnca