Washington sentinel., 1853-10-20

obscurity and misapprehension which might
result from his indirect forms of language,
the accusation is above restated in distinct
and ineligible form. / proceed to refute it.
/ The New York appointments, including Dan
iel 5. Diekinson's and my own, for the office of
! collector and attorney, were gazetted on the
same day; and soon afterwards bore to Wash
ington, and delivered to the President, the
written declinature of Mr. Dickinson. Judge
Bronson had not then as yet been named in
connection with the collectorship; but within a
few hours thereafter, and upon the same day,
he was nominated by the President, and unan-
imously confirmed by the Senate. / am morally
certain that, from the first suggestion of his
high and honorable name until his confrma-
tion as collector, neither the President nor any
member of the cabinet had an opportunity of
comforting with any friend of Judge Bronson,
unless, indeed it had been thought fit to confer
with me. He was at the time travelling in
Connecticut and, his exact Whereabouts being
unknown, it was impossible to have conferred
with himself even by telegraph. From these
circumstances, it will be seen that ! am as COM
petent TO testify in respect to his acceptance of
his appointment, as in respect to my own ac-
ceptance of that which was conferred upon
myself No one concerned in his appointment
could have inferred, from any facts then appear
ing, that his political sentiments differed from
mine; and, consequently, shall henceforth
speak only to exonerate myself from this scan
dalous imputation, claiming, on the strength of
what has already been stated, that Judge Bron-
son, when his appointment was made, must
have been considered and treated as standing
in the same category with myself.
From me no pledge of any kind in favor of
the distribution policy was ever obtained or
/ IL L., 1,nl w.
! this it will be convenient briefly to review the
rise and progress Of the sections"
For more than quarter of century prior
to lS47, Martin Van Buren had guided and
controlled the democratic party in this State.
In that year opposition to him as candidate
| for second presidential term assumed form
and force which led to his opposing, in l84S,
| all the democratic candidates in the State and
| the Union. Accustomed, as they were, to fol
| low his lead, and long connected with him by
the ties of political association, considerable
number of democratic politicians were deceived
and drawn into his party. His friends con-
structed the Buffalo platform, raised the stand
ard of the freesoil agitation, formed an alliance
with the whig abolitionists, and obtained for
| their mixed State ticket a vote slightly ex-
| ceeding that Of the regular democratic can
| didates.
Very soon after the general election of ls4s,
the democrats who had supported the freesoil
ticket began to return to their old associations.
The rank and file needed no leaders in this
easy and natural movement Neither COM
pacts nor coalitions were necessary; and if the
leaders would have permitted the honest masses
who had inconsiderately gone into the revolt,
would soon have been found side by side with,
and undistinguishable from, their fellow demo-
cracts. No sections would then have been
| known in the democratic party; it would have
! become, as it was originally united and har-
monious-one and indivisible. The freesoil
leaders could not consent thus to disband their
section, and permit perfect fusion and recon
ciliation of the democrats who had erred with
those who had held fast to the faith. Such a
course would have left hem to win what honors
| they could as mere working democrats in a
fair field of individual competition, unaided by
party feuds or sectional divisions. They de-
termined upon different polcy--it was to
keep up and continue their faction, mark and
number its members, so that they might always
be distinguishable, unite it by compact with
the unchanged democracy, call it section of
the democratic party, procure its recognition
by authority as an integral portion Of the party,
and claim on its behalf and in its name a rate
able proportion Of the Offices.
Whatever partial and temporary success may
seem to have attended this design, every at
tempt toward its execution has been met by
steady and determined resistance.
twas evident injustice and folly to admit into
the bosom of the party an unrepentant corps
of political rebels, with its officers at its head,
its drums beating and its colors flying. Instead
of acknowledging its errors, dissolving its or
ganization and mingling with the party, it was
clear that the members of this section would
keep up line of separation between them
selves and other democrats, and claim, not that
they had received pardon, but that they had
achieved victory. The leaders of such Sec
ton must necessarily be disturbers. Their
claims to Office and promotion would rest not
upon their personal merits, but upon their in
fuence over faction having its origin in re-
volt, and distinguished only by the history of its
political offences. True to its original instincts
and its antecedents, the section itself would
ever stand ready to renew its assaults upon Just
authority. The project was Justly denounced
as an effort to organize body of political dele
gates within the party, which the timid could
be made to propitiate, and with which knaves
could DEAL
The effort to establish this kind of coalition
was nevertheless persevered in, had partial
success, and thence to the present time the free
soil faction, and some politicians whose interests
are promoted thereby, have constantly struggled
to maintain distinct sections in the democratic
party, thus seeking, under the false pretence of
a desire for union and harmony" to give un-
dying perpetuity to faction and discord.
In the autumn of lS49 men witnessed the
singular spectacle of two conventions, composed
of delegates nominally democratic, convened at
Rome, openly endeavoring to form such a coa-
lition; but these bodies separated without COM
ing to auv agreement The freesoilers aimed
at too much, and in that instance failed to ac-
complish the union they desired
Soon afterwards they passed, at meeting of
those who happened to be present one day in an
interior country town, certain resolutions affirm
ing freesoil doctrines, and through their presses
announced that upon the basis Of these resolu-
tions union between themselves and the late
Cass party--as they styled the democrats had
been formed and was in actual existence. A
falsehood well persisted in, sometimes wins, at
last, degree Of credit; and from this small be-
ginning arose the union of the sections.
In the same autumn the democratic nomina-
-. A n C.l A ~