New-York daily tribune., 1854-05-17
A WORD On VERY POOR SUBJECT.

notice the antics of all the individual sneaks and traitors
who have damned themselves to greater infamy than
is their natural right by their speeches aud votes in
favor of the Nebraska bill. But the struggle in
Congress on this and fax reaching question
has now at least reached breathing place,
we may perhaps be allowed TO turn aside
to some of the more distinguished among
this miserable class of persons, and among
them to one Moses Macdonald, who halls from the
State of Maine, and libels its intelligence much
be betrays its interests 1t that this individual
has printed speech, wherein he comes out hot and
fierce for the abOishment OF the Missouri Compro-
mise in foolish defiance of the well-known convictions
of his constituents and the people Of Maine. 1t might
be thought that the gentlemen OF the South would have
assumed the work of arguing the Nebraska bill, re.
quiriDg of the poor northern tools which they have
purchased only silent vote in its favor, when the
question up for action; but, having found fun
key of the purest type, they determined to put him
through all the menage of seryillty Hence this
speech. With what scorn such high-minded southern
representatives as Cullom and Hunt and Benton must
have listened this pettfogger, urging the hundred
times refuted sophistres offered arguments why all
the territories of the Union should be evenp to the
cruel uses OF Slavery, in the teeth of concession
Inhur Dy tDe save power Il thiIu VI ttutui. nsV
The speech is readable on account OF the cOpous ex
tracts il contains from the writings of men Of some tai
ent and ability but the part supplied by its author is
sufficiently poor and the comment which he keeps
up upon his texts sufficiently disgusting Politicians of
his stamp have the best reason to think contemptu-
ousy of the people Finding all the sneaking, mock
humility the direct and indirect bribery studied and
impOrtunae arts losthsome to all honorable feelings
by which. under the tyranny OF Fictitious and pue-
rile partysm. and the domination of the caucus sys-
TEN. Offices Of distinction or profit must
now be obtained TO have been successful in
their particular cases, they have some rea-
to think the dear people are easily dnped.
But the captrsp which forms the body of this speech
assumes in the mans constituents greater lack OF in
tellgence even than what was indicated By sending
him to Congress. Mr.. Macdonald irsl makes procla-
nation that he is of three members of the House
least OF the Hudson that voted against referring the
Nebraska bill TO the Committee OF the Whole House
a vote he says significant of his adhe:ion to the BILL
Is this then, an act of such great selfdeyOton AT
home il may draw down upon him some more con-
tempt from those who dsspsei him before; but in
Washington where Slavery is in the ascen liant, it is
good for any amount of salary and any grade OF Office
not reserved Dl lnt fTtsiutut to up ttmc m'it
formidable and more respectable opponent.
He rectes the resolutions of the Maine Legislature
passed by nearly unanimous vote, only handful OF
excentrc and excessive Democrats dissenting. and
declines to regard them because the Legislature
elected primarily with reference to the question of
Temperance 1t was not a legitimate election. The
people had not special reference 10 the permanent,
normsl and natural distinctions OF Whig and Demo-
cra in the eyes of politicians important TO be main
tanned They actually took il into their heads to act
politically upon some matters, which they could un-
derstand and which had some reference to their own
interests most unauthorized and perous abuse of
the machinery OF election, fatal to all the aspirations
of hunkeys of the Macdonald species No wonder be
ignores the existence of such Legislature Sir
Leicester Dedlock's apprehensons about the food
gates society could have been lively than were
all the fast-men that play at the swndle ofDemocracy
at the assemblage of such egsature-apprehensIon
not at all allayed by the highly irregular proceedings
a, the late elections in New Hampshire. Rhode Island
and Connecticut.
Hin shorld there be hostility bsireeH the North and
"he Southl Does not the South furnish the North
with freights for her ships markets for her me-
"chanical products, and cotton for her looms :" Jus
So Mr. Macdonald. The whole truth in nutshell
Nobody Congressnano or President. summed upthe
whole pith and marrow of your sort OF patriotism and
good citizenship half forcibly as you have done
Why not let the poor South have Nebraska TO breed
slaves in She will send more cotton TO our looms
Why pay $l00 COO 00O for Cubs for her ii she wants
il She will furnish more fre ghts for our ships. Why
not reopen the African slave trade when she shall re-
quire it viii she not buy more Of our shoes our
wagons and our whips In fine why hold the slave
drivers to any compact compromise they have made
since drunk with the lust of power and the rancor Of
negro hate, they repudiate to-day what they bound
US to but Yesterday and prescribe as the only test
of safe craftsmanship the easiest acquiescenee in
their insulting wishes
The "sectionalism' lths Is the eant-word) Of de-
string 10 lid Christian government of completely with
the monstrous crimes of slavery Mr. Macdonald thinks
originated with the Hartford Convention The Hart
ford Convention effort TO organize and
unite the public sentiment of those portions of The
American Union not interested in the slave sys-
TEN. and ii has been the special study of the slave
Democracy 10 libel its character and traduce it, men,
bers. This has been done chiefly to dscour-
sge and intimidate the North from taking
any political action in concert. from assembling
together and learning the of their actual power
Thus. while the South has KEEP: Itself unit while il
has e.rued the habit of concerted sctiOn while it has
hsd its almost annual conventions such a, I; Memphis