Washington sentinel., 1854-05-10
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE NEW
YORK NATIONAL DEMOCRACY
NEBRASKA RII.I.

YORK NATIONAL DEMOCRACY
NEBRASKA BILL.
The proceedings Of Monday in the House
of Representatives were of great and porten
tous interest The long-talked-of Nebraska
and Kansas bill was successfully taken up by
decided majority in Committee Of the Whole
Notwithstanding some twenty bills of varied
character and Importance had precedence Of
it. This parliamentary achievement was hail
ed with an irresistible outburst of applause
from its friends within and without the bar of
the House. We partook Of the general JOY,
though we were of the few, perhaps, who felt
that Joy tinged with touch of sorrow. 1t
was o sorrow, however, not without strong hope.
A portion of the representatives of the ma
tional democracy stood out against the present
consideration of this, in our opinion, most i'm
portant measure--a measure which, even were
it without any present practical effect, estab-
fishes principle which will go far, very far, to
put to rest the inaammatory element to which it
relates. @
1t is hard and grievous thing 10 differ upon
any important point with those by whose side we
have fought many hard battle, and for whose
principles, counting never the cost, we have
bent our every energy. Between ourselves and
any of the representatives of the hundred thou.
sand patriotic national democrats in New York,
we will not believe the day for divergence has
come. What can be their objection to this
bill2 Surely the principle involved in it is
similar to that for which their noble party
fought and triumphed through every peril, and
reached the haven to which patriotism pointed
through every storm. Was it not for like
principle in that contest in New York when
unprincipled violence on the one side and
steady persistence IN the right on the other,
: made it almost national, that the New York
hards parted with administrative favor and con-
sideration
Will any of them, then, weigh in the balance
the fate of this great measure with their own
personal and political wrongs, great as they
were, and great as we believe them to be !?
mouths Of their enemies the ready rebuke
to those who stood by them faithfully unto
the end, that these are your boasted "na-
tional men," who, at the first trial of their
sincerity in that contest, give back before their
own great national principle? Must they not
expose themselves to the charge that the injus.
tice they have received has induced this course?
or that the administration fayors the bill, and
hence they cannot? Isl not more patriotic and
magnanimous to rejoice that some good may
come ont of Nazareth?
We cannot believe that any Of the repre-
sentatves of the national democracy Of New
York will SO far stultify themselves and their
constituents, and SO stain their own clear
record, by Withholding their support from the
first practical Illustration Of their own princi-
pies, in defence of which SO many gallant spirits
were enlisted. No; we will not believe chat
they will cast the representative votes Of
100000 patriotic men in the Empire State
against this bill, when put upon its passage.
They cannot do it. What if the administra.
ton is in favor of its provisions? What il
the administration has acquiesced, and cor.
daily acquiesced, as in justice we are bound
to believe it has, in the consummation oi
this great measure? Is it noble to forget, and,
forgetting, to desert the wise and disinterested
statesmen who conceived framed, and success
fully sustained it in the Senate? Is it noble
to forget the men in that chamber, who, threat
ened with political extinction, even vet daunt-
lessly sit with the sword Of Damocles impend.
ing over them? VIII they turn their backs
upon those men, some Of whom they will re.
member are not yet relieved from the ban Of
displeasure, because Of their afiliation with
and sympathy for them in their severest strug
giles?
Have we ourselves, not suffered, as they have
suffered, for the same thing? Are our limbs
unbruised? Have we no story Of our wrongs ?
Has not the attempt been made to crush us
out? What means. have not been resorted to
10 muzzle our press or subdue our indepen-
dence? Yet have not our columns been con.