Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-02-22
PARTNERSHIPS or THE ADMINISTRATORS.
SPEECH OF HON. JOHN WHEELER

on the state of the Union,
Mr.. WHEELER said:
Mr.. Chairman. rise to address this COM
1nittee with some little reluctance, notwithstand-
ing the gratuitous assertion of the honorable
gentleman from Alabama Mr.. SMITH that
"he knew was anxious to make speech for
my constituency" Sir, when / arrive at that
point in my political history, of which he
boasts,* ] will hold my peace; until them
shall, at all times, despite the threats of power
or executive promises, speak the honest senti
nents of my heart in behalf of an honest con-
stituency. Cries of .Good, good
Sir, in the discharge Of my duty shall be
honest and fearless. came here TO sustain
the principles of the democratic party, and to
assist in legislating for the common good-not
TO pin my faith or opinions TO the coat'sieeVe
Of any man or any administration. am here
to do nv duty to nv country and myself. II,
in the discharge of that Duty use language
that CRATES harshly upon the ear, attribute II 10
the plain rarb in which truth is clothed, rather
than desire to wound the sensibilty of any
member of this House. That's right; that's
fair Sir, to me the most despicdbie position
for man on this floor is to have motiCe for
his vote, and be ashamed to avow it. | do not
insinuate that such has been the case do
not say that the ereciHire sword has been sus-
pended over the head of any member of this
House but do say there have been some who.
honored by seat upon this floor, have pro-
pressed in notoriety, and hold conspicuous
places where they do not enjoy the largest
liberty;" that under the cotcGrdly threat Of de-
CAPTIVATING one friend, and refusing to appoint
another, men have exposed themselves TO the
suspicion of having forgotten their allegiance
to their constituency and the common good.
Sensation
In passing the .'White House" at the other
end OF the avenue, a few days ago, friend,
looking at its graceful columns and fine pro,
portions suddenly exclaimed, "AxEs GROUND
HERE" Great laughter. was then, for the
first time, struck with the force OF the answer,
when asked why certain member voted as
he did, "Oh! he has an axe to grind. Re-
newed laughter. 1t seems that there is a
great government gtindstone, the approach to
which is guarded by modern Cerberus, called
..yield ALL" In order to use this grindstone
You have TO divest yourself of all independence
Of thought and action-you are to have no will
Of your own. Having constituted yourself q
Giving corpse" you are at liberty 70 give a
keen edge to your axe, in order that you may
cut through the grating of principle and seize
fast hold of the spoils. Long and continued
laughter.
Sir, my constituency did not send me here
to sharpen my axe at the expense of principle:
they sent me here to yield nothing; they sent
me here to stand up boldly for sound national
democracy against our common enemy, re-
/. CARELESS of spoils or executive dictation. They
use no trick or subterfuge to obtain place. IL
requires no interpreter to tell what they mean
when they speak. They are independent in
their action, asking for nothing to which they
are not entitled, and that they will have tif at
ALI without fawning. Il shall, in all the best.
obey them
Sir, there was a time in the history Of this
government, when, to insure the success OF .
great public measure, it was not necessary TO
ask: q Does the President approve it?" = How
does Mr.. Guthrie feel on this subjectT wont
jefferson Davis take offence?' "Will Caleb
Cushing, independent in nothing but his poll
tics, sanction it?'' Great sensation. say,
sir, there was time when such questions
would have been an insult to gentlemen on
this foor That, however, was the golden age
OF principle, when it was not necessary daily to
define ones position; when mems principles
were embodied In oil thoir acts; when there
was no MISUNDERSTANDING or time-serying; no
getting astride of the line. waiting the issue OF
the contest and then leaping to the side of the
victor and claiming the spoils. Applause
and cries of "good, good."l The man who
dared that was sure to have his shins cracked
on both sides of the line, and be made las he
should be- political cripple for life. Elk
cessive laughter.
But alas! times have sadly changed.
Nothing can now be done without consulta-
ton with the powers that be" You must
trim your sails to the executive breeze, or
you will be driven among the breakers; you
must lose all independence, and submit to
dictation as impudent as it is overbearing
you are commanded to take to your bosom
the assassins who struck down the party il
lS4s you are to make glorious ,0tio,t
of all the isms of the day. in order tina
the democracy may be invincible. The ole
rank and file, who have borne our banne
in triumph through many a hard-fought con
test, whose courage is undoubted, and WHOSE
scars are honorable. are thrust aside to make
room for-whom, sir? For rencgades ana
traitors for the ragged p-followers-th'
miserable deserters, who, near starvation
through their own treachery, now crave tn
food that will strengthen them for a still mort
damning treason. Sensation. Has it COM
70 tfiis?. Is the democratic party SO power
less. utterly powerless. as to need the assis
lance Of its enemies? Must she not onl
grant an amnesty but pay bounty to traitors
or meet defeat Where, OH where is tina
auickenng, lte-giving power that for sixty
years has crowned with laurels the genius o
Our party? Where is that spirit that breathed
into our system an activity that enabled US tc
embrace the land that lies between the Allan
tic and the Pacific, and say to all the world
this, this is the gift Of liberal, unadulterated
national democracy?
That spirit is still with US, and we need not
the aid Of designing and treacherous men. That
spirit Is fully equal to its mission, and is fully
able to cope with enemies without or traitors
within. Ii makes no truces it grants no
amnesties; it pays no bountes it cannot live
in the same atmosphere with Van Burenism or
freesoilism [Ciies Of True true, most true Y
Sir, the people have the honor to represent
are national, in the strictest sense Of the term
opposed to Van Burenism, freesoilism. or any
other ism that can in the least degree raise
the question Of disunion. They are against
an, ALL federal encroachments upon the
rights of the States, and will denounce any
President who exercises his official power tc
muzzle any citizen in the free expression Of his
opinion, o: in the exercise of the elective fran
Il