Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-09-02
THE "RICHMOND WING AND THE
NORTHERN WINGS.

with pleasure, although opposed to us in poll
ties, is not only ably edited, but it is usually
candid paper 1t is the leading Wing paper
of Virginia, perhaps of the South. In COM
pany with the Petersburg Lntelligencer and
other journals of the same complexion Of poll
itics, it promptly took its stand in favor of
the repeal OF the unconstitutional restrictive
clause of the Missouri Compromise, and rem
dered signal and patriotic service in persuading
the Wings of the South to declare in favor of
that measure. No journal has denounced with
more severity and more effect the factious and
sectional course Of the Northern wing of its
party than the Richmond Whig. 1t was one
of the first to snuff the odor of Freesoilism in
the Northern wing, and to declare that it
would not cooperate with men who were Gov
cred all over with the plague spots of Adolf
tonism. The bold and patriotic course of the
Fling won our appreciation, and commanded
our respect.
But we fear that the Wing is becoming APP
prehensive that it went TOO far in its denuncia-
tons Of its former allies, since it manifests, in
its issue Of the 3lst of August, a disposition to
moderate its censures, and also takes the De-
mocratic papers and Democratic politicians Of
the South" to task, for intermedding with the
domestic troubles of the Wings. The Whig
says;
The position Of the Northern Wings on the
slavery question is held up at the South as
shocking to the senses Of every Southern man.
The peculiar guardians of Southern rights are
ortto tl
papers, from the metropolitan organs to the
most obscure country prints, are terribly horr
hed at the Abolition propensities they pretend
to discover among the Wings of the North
Now we would, in the kindest spirit, remind
the Wing of the fact that no journal was more
prompt in holding up the course of the North
ern Wings to the reprobaton " Of every South
ern man" than ITSELF 1t speaks ofthe "Aboli-
ton propensities" which Southern Democrats
pretend to discover among the Wings of the
the North Would that it were but pretense
1t is a sad and sorrowful reality, SO marked
and melancholy reality, that several months
ago it drew from the Richmond Whig series
of strong, eloquent and sarcastic articles
But our respected contemporary says that
We apply a test to the Wing party, that we will
not submit to ourselves. 1t instances the Ne
braska bill, and says that while we censure the
Northern Wings in Congress, all of whom voted
against that measure, we have no censures for
"the Northern Democrats" "the Southern De.
mocratic United States Senator" and the ode
mocratic representative of the Virginia Demo,
cracy," who voted in the same way.
Tho Whig will bear in mind that we did
eensure al who opposed the Nebraska bill,
though we never, on any occasion: declared
that such opposition necessarily made man
an Aboltionist. No one, in his senses, can
call General Millson an Abolitionist; and he is
the Virginia representative alluded to by the
Whig. We regarded such opposition, wher.
ever manifested, as a very ugly sign, and we
deeply lamented that any Democrat from the
North or the South could bring himself to ex.
hibit such opposition. That some Freesoiers,
acting with the Democratic party, voted against
Nebraska, we do not deny. The speeches they
made, and the reasons they assigned for their
course, indicate that. But all the Northern
Whigs roted against that measure, who voted
at all, and their speeches and explanations
more than their votes, showed the cloven foot
Of the monster of Freesoilism.
But let the Wing meet the test manfully
Nebraska alone is not that test. II is not q
simple but compound test. The repeal Of
the Nebraska bill, the repeal Of the fugitive
slave law, and the exclusion of slavery from
the Territories by congressional Intervention,
constitute that test. Now, how do the Northern
Wings and Northern Democrats stand in re
gard TO those measures? 1t is in vain for the
Wig to ask how is it with the Democrats
who I'll the land with their patriotic denun
Citations Of the Northern Wing party? Have
they Judged their Northern Democratic brethren
by the same test? Have they said aught against
those Of them who stand precisely where the
Northern Wings stand on the slavery question
or have they uttered syllable against any
longer affliating with them ?"
We viii undertake to say that the Demo
cratic party will scorn TO fraternize, associate
or cooperate with any faction which stands
"where the Northern Wings stand on the
slavery question" There is no place in the
Democratic party for any band of men styling
themselves Democrats, who advocate the re
peal of the Nebraska bill, the repeal of the
fugiiive-slave law, and the exclusion by Con
gress Of slavery from the Territories. Let the
Wing, once for all, make itself easy on that
point.
How is it with the Northern Wings? In all
their journals all thertown, county, and State
conventions, they have proclaimed that hostility
10 slavery is the cohesive principle that holds
them together They have declared themselves
in favor Of excluding slavery from the Terrific
RES, Of reviving the restrictive clause of the
Missouri compromise, and Of repeating the
fugitive slave law
We would not have constitutional Wings, Ia