Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-10-25
DEMOCRACY In MASSACHUSETTS,
THE NATIONAL NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..


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DEMOCRACY IN MASSACHUSETTS,
THE NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
The Boston Post, Democratic Nebraska
Journal, assigns its reasons for not supporting
the nomination of Nathaniel p. Banks, jr., a
candidate for Congress for the Seventh Con
gressional district of Massachusetts. These rea-
sons are, that Mr.. Banks "not only labored in
Congress to defeat the Nebraska bill-speaki
ing against it and voting against it-but in
June he visited his constituents, just prior to
period of unparalleled excitement on account
of the rendition Of Burns, and in an address
delivered at Waltham, he declared that by AN
irretrievable step he had separated himself
from his political friends, and that he should
wage eternal hostility to the Nebraska bill
and to the men who passed it. Since that
time, SO it is currently reported, he has joined
the Know-nothing organization, and came as
near as within four votes of being their candi-
date for Congress in this district" 25. s
The Post says, and says truly, Hthat the De-
mocratic party in Massachusetts, as in every
State in the Union, are either taking bold
ground in favor of the Nebraska bill, or APP
proving Of the principles Of the bill, and we
are not aware of a'single Democratic conven-
ton or meeting in the State or out Of it where
Democrats, though they might not approve of
the repeal of the Missouri restriction, yet have
declared their intention of continuing their
opposition, or Of laboring to work repeal of
the Nebraska bill. 1t is, therefore, a fact that
cannot be disputed, that the Democratic party
are unanimous in the position of acquiescence
in this great measure" ts n
The only exception that we know of to this
general announcement of the Post, is to be
found in the convention by which Mr. Banks
was nominated. b sGl ls2r
The Post thus concludes its article:
"Thus Mr.. Banks, besides uniting with
another political organization, has repeatedly
declared his purpose, not only not to acquiesce
in this great measure, but to continue to oppose
it. We understand by this that his purpose is
to labor for its repeal. Now it is our convic-
ton that not only every good democrat but
every good citizen, every friend to the future
harmony of the Union, should set himself
against such policy as this. We believe that
such degree of success, namely the election.
of congressman, senators, and representatives,
as would render such result possible, would
hazard the existence of the Union. No course,
therefore, would be more suicidal-more dan
gerous. AS it is Mr.. Banks purpose to favor
such policy, we cannot, consistently with cur
conviction of public duty, support him for re-
election"
Our contemporary, the National Intelligencer
in its issue of Monday, presented its readers
with an extract from the speech of Mr.. Banks,
in which, he declared himself to be 3for the
North and liberty" The Intclligencer ap-
pended to this extract the following brief but
suggestive comment: The Democratic papers
Of the State .(says the lnteuigencer) do not
question the, orthodoxy Of Mr.. Banks as a
Democrat, get if a Whig ,oere to utter the fore
going sentiments, he could be set dozen as an
Abolitionist."
Scarcely has the ink with which this SEN
tence was written, dried on the paper, before
the leading Democratic paper of Massachu.
sets, the Boston Post does what the batelli-
gencer declared would not be done. The Post
repudiates Mr.. Banks, on account of his un7
sound opinions-a thing that no Massachusetts
Wing paper would dare to do towards any
whig candidate, however unsound.
The batelligencer has labored of late with
great assiduity to do two things. The first is
to prove that the repeal of the restrictive clause
Of the Missouri Compromise will bring disaster,
il not ruin, upon the country; and the second
is TO prove that the Democrats of the North
without whom it could not have been passed)
are opposed TO it. 1t ransacks all its ex-
changes, with great industry, TO hunt up ex.
tracts to bring against US. 1t does two very
inconsistent things. 1t holds Democrats re-
sponsible for passing the Nebraska bill, and
holds them responsible for opposing it.