Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-03-04
THE PUBLIC PRINTING.

As it has become fashionable for thu defeated
candidates for the public printing to say some
thing apologetic to the public, and to the
power which defeated them, do not think
it prudent, if proper, to make myself an ex.
ception to the rule. Hence, desire to place
myself right upon the record, for feel that I
am in the same position as others-the great
defeated; that is, that my history is yet I'M
written, ~,s
Believing it to bs more manly to assume al
the consequences and responsibilities attend
ant upon the defeat, than to attempt to shift
them upon the shoulders of others, feel it to
be duty incumbent upon me rs an honest
man, and Us q consistent Democrat, to make a
brief statement in regard to my candidacy for
that office. l do it now, as a prudent man,
having sof,,e k'iowlege Of weak human nature
Already my ears are assaulted by Recommendations,
not only Of myself, but Of persons who are
known to be my personal friends, hecauee
had the hardihooS 20 present my name to the
candidate for public printer, against what was
assumed to be a caucus neminstisn of the or
Fanised Democratic Representatives. / weighed
all Tho RESPONSE bilities of the position assumed
before my name was presented. Ny mind was
fully impressed wi III the consequences of defeat.
l weighed well the unpleasant contrast of sue :
cess and defeat At tone time my mind was elatcd
with the beautiful vision of success. with scores
of warm friends clustering around me. Nay,
| saw even the lukewarm hands of affected
friendship protruding towards me occasionally,
to mar the evanescent happiness of the moment.
With the next hour came the depression of de-
feat-the miseries of disappointed hopes. My
senses were assaulted by the Kisses and sncers
of those even whom l saw IN the other contrast
of the vision as my friends Others were
gyrating about me like birds Of ill-omen,
scattering pestilence from their foul wings.
The vision has been dispelled. The reality is
nov upon me with all its force. Even those
whom 1 have served more faithfully before and
since this Administration came into power,
than did myself, can entertain evil thoughts
OF ne, and whisper ambiguous destinations
against me. Well, be it So This life is made
up of contrasts. The man who basks in the
sunshine of power to-day, may on the morrow
be too foul thing to be communed with by
honest men. Hence, am too charitable to dc
| aught to mar the brightness of an ephemeral
exaltation. Let those who denounce me do
their worst. They cannot deprive me of the
consultations Of conscious honesty, morally and
politically.
I do not write this SO much as a vindica alton
Of myself; but I do it to remove an impression
| or an affected belief, that John C. Rives, ESQ
had prompted me to the course / pursued
Such charge I must positively contradict as
| not founded on truth.
If 1 had listened to his counsels, should
have been saved the necessity of this writing.
To my knowledge, scores came to hiih to induce
him to be a candidate, and he emphatically
responded in the negative on all occasions
saw and heard so much tending to convince
| me then that Major Nicholson could not be
elected TINT I determined, not in enmity t.
him, but with a hepe to benefit myself, ma,
| even to benefit the Democratic party, to become
candidate. This determination was coneIu
| ded before the caucus met; and even read thu
letter which presented to the House, to Sew
| eral OF the members who constituted a portion
| Of the caucus the day on which and before thu
| caucus met. Ny name was mentioned in the
| caucus without my knomledge and consent, a:
I stated to the House by the Hon. Mr.. Hem.
| who proposed me. L was determined to keer
| myself in position from which 1 could b(
! taken as an available candidate in case
! the Democratic members of the House coull
not concentrate upon Major Nicholson Tn,
| caucus, as it was assumed, was held. It is said
that there were some sixty votes thrown Of
which Major Nicholson received ffty-six
p; was, however, a minority one. and that the vote
/ thrown for the nominee did not constitute
much more than one-third of the actual vote
| OF the Democratic members in the House.
| There was an rpresscd determination by many
| members of the House, nay some of those ever
who were in the caucus as observers, and who
| did not vote, that the caucus nominee should
| not be sustained. Some of the members of tn,
House, whom l never approached upon the sub
| Ject, came forward to me on the evening afte
! the doings Of the caucus and f1attered me Will
| assurances of support if 1 would adhere to :
| previous determination to be a candidate.
twas under the impression thus made upol
me, that there wOsld be an open field and fail
| hight for the prize, that became 4 candidate
| But the morrow came. l saw around the lob
| bies Of the House, and even within the Hall
| clusters Of men whispering as if they wer,
pregnant with the fate of the empire. The
| lofty mods were significant that the Union til,
party, and the country were safe. L needed
nothing more to convince me that | was don,
| up. L hope that the prenonitions of the mo
ments, as to good results, will be fully realized
| Ii it be not, am certain ii will not be f on
| any fault of the honorable man who has beer
selected as the public printer. l say this un
afectedly, and not because he has the position
and to convince him that am sincere in tn,
declaration, pledge myself to him thus pub
| licly. that [ shall never approach him fo
| friendship or favor. l further assure him ant
| the Democratic party. that if | had known in
| time that any arrangement had been entered
| into to secure the election and to harmonic
the Democratic party, would have been the
last man to intervene myself as a candidate t,
produce another disruption of the party.
In conclusion, feel it to be privilege t.
return to the gentlemen, who, under the inau
| spicious circumstances, cast their votes for me
| the thanks of warm and grateful heart
And as l feel proad of their distinguishes
| names, l will take the liberty of saying thai
they were the Hon. Messrs. Thomas ii. Bayly
Benton Cutting, Eastman, Grey, Lindley
and Yates.
For what l have done l feel that have n,
apologies to make to any man. l endeavoret
by the position l took to bring the House O
Representatives. composed of large majorit.
| of the party to which belong, to the election
Of a practical printer to fill the position o
public printer. 1 deemed that there was
matter of principle involved in it, which shoult
have been sustained.
WIN. W. CURRAN
WASHING TON, March 4th, 1854.
70 A trial recently came off in Liver