Washington sentinel., 1854-04-06
THE scAPE-eoAT FoR ALL SINS.

When anything goes wrong nowadays, the
blame is all saddled on the Nebraska bill. 1t
was so in the New Hampshire election, and
election. Nebraska is to be made the scape.
goat for everything and everybody. We do
not agree to any such thing, and will endeavor
to show that great injustice is done to that
measure and its advocates.
The vote in New Hampshire was not taken
on the Nebraska bill. 1t was not made test.
Democrats were not notified that they would
be expected to vote for or against it, or to give
their votes with any reference at all to it. The
hopes, the policy, and the popularity of the ad-
ministration were not staked on that measure,
either directly or indirectly. If the result had
been different, if the democrats had carried the
State by their usual majority, the credit Of the
victory would not have been claimed for the
jectors; then we contend that it is unjust to
hold it and them responsible for the reduced
democratic majority there. 1t would be as fair
to single out the steamfrigate bill or any other
bill, and say that the New Hampshire election
turned on that rs it is to say that it turned on
the Nebraska bill. The same thing may be
said of the Connecticut election, which, candor
compels us to acknowledge, presents much
uglier and more repulsive aspect than the
former.
We believe that the best way to make an
issue is to make it boldly, and the best way to
meet responsibility is to meet it bravely, in the
good old jackson fashion. Wavering hesitancy
is equivalentto defeat, and trembling timidity to
ruin. We are convinced that the result in the
two States referred to would have been differ
ent had Nebraska been made the test of
democratic orthodoxy We believe that we
speak the sentiment Of nine-tenths of the
friends of the bill when we say SO. 1t is not
difficult to trace the operation of the thing.
When there we're rival candidates, holding diff
ferent opinions in regard to this measure, the
friends Of the one holding anti Nebraska opinions
could say this is not test question; your
party and its leaders have not indicated that
you will be expected to vote for it or the can
didate who favors it; you are left free to vote
as you may choose to vote. Being thus left to
guess the wishes of the heads of the party, we
do not doubt that many of them guessed that
they would be acting more in accordance with
the views and wishes of those heads by voting
against candidates holding anti-Nebraska opin.
ions, than by voting for those holding opinions
in favor of that measure.
The great authority on the subject of party
fealty and democratic orthodoxy was the Wash
ington Union, and we will defy mortal man to
say what its articles on the subject meant and
what they did not mean. Nebraska was to be
a test and Nebraska was not to be test. 1t
said every thing, and it said nothing. Fluc-
tuating, uncertain, and contradictory, it mysti.
fed and perplexed everybody.
Politicians and journalists should learn that
candor, frankness, fair dealing, and manly de-
cision achieve q thousand times more than can
be accomplished by timidity, indecision, and
duplicity. The American people, more than
any other people on the globe, love frankness
and fair dealing in their public men. No pop.
ularity can be enduring in this country, unless
founded on respect and confidence.