New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-12-22
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENCE.
Censspopaense Of Tie ~ Y Tribune.

The great and overwhelming question of
Slavery, which, in one shape or another, has for
q dozen years been the real issue at stake 10
every political struggle, seems for once to be tenn
porsrly eclipsed BY the new tangled phase Of
Native Americanism, deDominsted X 20 " Nothing
ism. Who could have dreamed . year ago that
VIM. II. Seward and Henry A. Wise would be at
this day fighting shoulder to shoulder, 10 a COM
mon battle field, in defense of the liberty Of
speech And who could have believed that the
late over. whelmipg Anti Nebraska excitement,
which swept over the free States like hurricane,
would 90 soon die away. and its lusty champions,
who have been waited into Office upon it's breath,
instead of venting their Indignation at the enemies
Of freedom, be now affatng with them in mean
and contemplate effort to control the liberties Of
freenen' Truly do politics, in these days, make
strange bed-feOws.
The general impression that Know nottingham
is to rule the country for years TO come is. in my
opinion, not well founded. Its growth has been
too sudden to carry with it the elements of durs-
bility II has sprung up like mushroom from
the impurities Of the body polite and is doomed
to an early decay. Whenever practical issue,
involving the Slavery question shall arise the
Know othiDg party will be rent into thousand
atoms. For the most part the leaders Of the
movement are demagogues, who love an easy going
hobby, who have no genuine strength OF purpose,
and who will quail at the fret encounter Of real
obstacle. Many Of them-in fact most OF them
have been heretofore the meanest panders TO Irish,
German and Catholic prejudices, and have often
apologized for Popish bigotry and Irish insolence
at the polls, while honest American citizens were
then. as now, arrayed against them
The earnest men, north and south, are almost
universally against the proscrptive principles Of
Know Notbingsm, and they cannot fail, in CAM
paign or two, to rOut the fox-fre orators whose
patriotism is awakened by the prospect of Office.
There are, doubtless, good men who are unwilling
10 quarrel with KnOw-NOthingism so long as it's
disciples are true to freedom; but the indication
Of purpose which ia now too clear, to ignore the
Slavery question for the sake of southern support,
must open the eyes Of Anti Slavery men TO the fact
that the new party is merely the revival, under
new name, of the old Silver Gray bunker spirit
of scquiescence in the demands of the slave in
terest.
The speech of Mr.. Bsnks has Disguised the
friends of freedom in Washington He is re-
garded as back slider from the faith of Liberty,
and as no longer reliable. II is poor excuse
that the Wings of his State would not sustain
him. Their want Of libersty will not atone for
bis want of principle.
Every man of reflection must now see that
fatal mistake was made by those enemies OF
Slavery who neglected to give in their cordial &C.
quiescence to the Republican movement r
cordial union on that basis had been formed, there
would have been little ground for KnOwNOthing-
ism TO stand upon in the free States. But the
failure to organize on genuine basis of truth
and right left men, in the disrupted state of the
old parties, to the leadership of paltry dema-
popues. The success Of Know Nothingism, under
such circumstances, was a natural consequence
of the hesitation or supneness OF the AntiNe-
braska leaders.
But is it too late to profit by experienced Is it
not the duty of every freeman to rally under the
Republican bannerl Whiggery has no longer an
existence. 1t is explOded-NOrth and South.
The last vestge of it in Massachusetts has been
swept away, while in New-YOrk / believe that
you do not call the election of Clark Wing tri-
umph. In the South it ia in intimate alliance
with Know NOthingism. In fact believe that
WbiQeery is ceaeing to have nominal existence
in the slave States, so completely is it identified
with the new secret order. In Virginia, for In
stance, it is not said or pretended the Wings can
triumph over the Democracy, but KnowNothing-
ism is TO sweep the State, and that Henry A.
Wise, the Democratic nominee, is to be beaten
by the candidate OF the secret order, who will
probably be Democrat
IL is time then, for all live men to quit the
called Whigparty-if there still be such party. In
the late elections it has only served rs stumbling
block and rock of Offense 1t gave Massachu-
sets to acknowledgment, and prevented such
triumph in New-YOrk as would have reflected
honor upon the free spirit of the people.
II is the Office of Prsviden sc to educe good from
evil; and cannot doubt but that good will result
from the wild fury which has been awakened in
the breasts of Americans by the arts OF dema-
popues. In the first place, it will cure an evil.
1t will cut of wide field of operations, in which
another species of demagOgism, or rather, in
which demagOgism, addressing itself to another
set of sons has reveled and riOted for years. to
the detriment of the public. l allude to the Irish
and Catholic capital which LocO-Focoism has al
ways been able to count upon; but which in fu
ture they cannot appeal to, without arousing
counter spirit of clanshness and bigotry-in some
degree iustifabe-in the breasts of Americans.
Another good will result from the general disrup-
ton of DID, and the formation of new parties. BY
this means the friends of freedom will be, on this
issue. brought into cooperation with the more
earnest and honest pro-Slsvery men of the South
in common struggle for religious Liberty, and the
rights of aliens; sympathy in common object
which appeals so strongly to the passions, cannot
fail to awaken feeling of respect for each other
which will be favorable TO the calm consideration
of the great subject which divides them. These
are far-fetcbed consultations, but they are better
than none.
The defeat of Seward for the Senate is conf
dontly hoped for BY all shades Of slaveocrats in
this question, from the national organ Of the
Know Nothings 10 the Simon Pure Democracy
Represented by The Washington Union. The Ste
phenses and Others who have had the impotence
10 arsert that the Nebraska bill had nothing TO do
with the late overwhelming defeats of the Admin
istration, will trumphantly point to the de sat OF
Seward in yndication of their views and, indeed,
it will be difficult for persons at distance TO con-
clude otherwise. How can it be supposed that
the people Of New York are the enemies OF Slavery
extension. when their great statesman the en-
bodneut of the principle. is cast aside like the
Douclsses and Cases who have betrayed liberty