Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-03-24
PROPOSED AyTI-NE8RAsIKA DEMON
STR ALTON IN ALBANY.

We call attention to the following article ex-
tracted from the editorial columns of the Al
bany .4rgus, of the ed inst 1t shows the
material Of which the signers of the call for
this meeting are composed. Malcontents are the
same everywhere. They are men of every hue,
stripe, and complexion. When everything else
has failed them, they betake themselves to agi.
tation, in the hope Of mending their fortunes.
They make great ado about patriotism, phil
anthropy, and religion What DR.. Johnson
include the other two-religion and philanthro-
py. He said patriotism is the last refuge of
a scoundrer' of course to throw no
discredit on patriotism, but on its hypocritcal
professors. The Argus says:
"The call, heralded by the freesoil -4has and
whig Ereai'g Journal in advance, for an anti
Nebraska demonstration in this city, appears
simultaneously in these two congenial organs
Of anti-slavery agitation.
!" The call is numerously and respectfully
signed-the names occupying near two col
umns of large type in the Ercntny. Journal, and
quite two columns of its smaller but not les,
Jealous anti-Ncbraska adjunct, the Alias.
Running through the list, We find it quite
as significant for its omissions as for what it
contains.
"Of course. it is made up, as far as we know
the men, chiefly of wings. But we look in vain
through it for the names of the we'll known
wheelhorses of the wing party in this city.
With rare exceptions, they are missing.
Not so with the freesoil partsans. The
/ &C. hat L.
editors Of the Atlas, who signed the anti-Ne-
braska memorial which Mr.. Seward presented
in the L. S. Senate, are almost the only
prominent freesoers who appear to have fel,
any delicacy or hesitation about signing. The
| absence of their names is probably well under
| stood, among the whig and their brother free
sellers, as in no way indicating detection or
want Of sympathy with the movement, but a:
the result Of prudential reasons, of which the
least said the better.
In saying that the sgners were chief
wings, it is proper to add that there is among
them fair sprinkling Of partisans formerly
known as "silver grays or rational wings
but who have now become fused with the whig!
| proper and ireesoilers, aud train in the anti
| Nebraska ranks.
| I've are gratifed to be able to say that, or
searching the list from top to bottom, and bacl
! again, We find but four names which belong t
democrats of the national or hard school
/ and they, we have reason to believe, either die
not sign the paper at all, or signed it unde
some misapprchension of its object and scope
If so, we shall probably hear from them wher
the matter shall be brought to their notice.
"No better proof could be furnished thar
! this movement presents on Its face Of the fac
that there is no real feeling among our citizen!
on this subject of Nebraska and the Missouri
compromise, and that, like most other demon
STATIONS elsewhere, it is a forced movement
the result Of a good deal of effort, to say the
least OF il, in procuring signatures.
Albany numbers some seven or eight thou
sand voters. There are about four hundred
and fifty signers to this call for an anti
I braska meeting. 1t is certainly remarkable, i
there be any feeling here adverse to The Ne
braska bill, or any such degree of it as has
been represented, that so few Of our thousand.
Of voters could have been found willing to lenc
| even their names to such movement.
"We have no belief that onefourth of thu
number who sign this call will attend the meet
ing, or that, but for the fact that many who ar,
opposed to the movement and in favor Of Ne
braska will be there to hear and see how ant
by whom matters are engineered, it could b
anything but decided failure in point Of mum
bers and everything else"