Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-01-18
NEW YORK PoIIrICs-A NEW POLICY.


NEW YORK PoLITIcs-A NEW POLICY.
Yesterday, in Committee Of the Whole on
the state Of the Union, the Deficiency bill being
under consideration, the long looked for dem
onstration on the subject Of New York poll
tics was made by Mr.. Walsh, Of New York,
sustained by Mr.. Cutting. The speech Of the
former was remarkable for nothing. However
luminous he may be at home, in Washington
he will never be star. New Workers., amidst
the Babel voices Of their great city, are apt to
fancy that il Is the centre Of all things--that
there is no world to speak Of outside Of its linn
its-that whatever it may do or say is regarded
as authoritative and decisive throughout the
Union--in fact, that New York is metropoli-
tan, the whole country besides, provincial.
The truth ia If we leave out of the account
the Press Of that noisy city--which beyond all
question, shows more enterprise, industry, and
talent, than the Press Of any other city--New
York is merely commercial metropolis. Over
the literature, science, social system and poll
tics Of the nation, it exerts comparatively
little influence. In the political system it con-
stitutes very feeble force. No Administers
ton dreams Of governing itself by what New
York City thinks !; no statesman, in discussing
great measure, no politician, in making out
the programme Of his party, asks how New
York City stands It's population is too hete-
rogeneous, too discordant, too crude, too much
addicted to the worship Of Mammon, to exert
decided influence on the opinions or policy
Of the Republic. Nor have its representatives
in Congress generally, of late years, risen above
the dead level of mediocrity. Mr.. Walsh may
produce sensation in Now York, but Con-
gress seems unable to appreciate his eloquence.
The speech Of Mr.. Cutting was more to the
point, but unfortunately it was wanting in
ideas--a fault, for which the subject not the
speaker, was to blame. He is evidently man
Of ready utterance, respectable abilities, and
would perform creditably, if he could lift HIM
self out of the mire Of New York politics.
The great effort of his speech was to show
that the aSoftsn had always been disloyal, the
aHards" always loyal to the South; and to
prove this, he reviewed the Texas Controversy,
the Wilmot Proviso Question, the proceedings
of the Baltimore Convention that nominated
Gen. Cass in lS4S, the Buffalo Movement, the
Coalition and breaking up of the Coalition in
New York, and the treatment to which Daniel
s. Dickinson and his section of the Democratic
Party had been subjected by the Administra-
ton OF course he madesout fair case for
his friends. They had always stood by the
South, fought and suffered for the South, while
the Softs had played fast and loose, at one time
affecting great friendship for the South, at an
other leagued with its enemies 1t was they
who opposed the annexation of Texas-who re-
fused to be bound by the action of the Balti-
more Convention Of lS4S - who nominated
Martin Van Buren, against the regular nomi-
nee of the National Convention-who went to
Buffalo, and united with Abolitionists and col
ored people on new Platform-who defeated
General Cass-and who, subsequently, for the
sake Of the spols, sent delegates to the Balti-
more Convention in 1882, and hypocritically
acquiesced in the resolves concerning the Com
promise, while at heart they were opposed to
them And yet these were the men who had
engrossed the favor Of the Administration, who
had been taken into the confidence Of the South,
while the Old Guard, who, through good and
evil report, come veal or woe, had stood, stead
fast and immovable, by the South, were treated
as faclionists and schismatics.
This was q pretty fair representation, but
Mr.. Cutting makes the mistake, quite common
among politicians Of his class, Of supposing
that the Slave Interest can afford 10 act from a
principle of gratitude. Thanks it has, in any
quantity, for those who have sacrificed them
selves in its service, but support only for those
who are still capable Of service. II may drop
tear over the hard fate Of the former, but it
cannot wed itself to the dead. IA living dog Is
better than dead lion" Gratitude in the
praticed politicians Of the South is subordinate
to ambition. Mr.. Marcy, with all his doubt
ful affiliations, is preferred to the " Chevaler
Bayard Of Slavery, because, stalwart and I'm
scathed he can do for the ruling Interest,
what the PROSTATE "Chcvalier" has, by his
ultra zeal, disqualified himself for doing. Cen
eral PIERCE the choice Of the South, could not
have been elected without the votes Of the
aSoftsn MIR. Cutting, innocent man, is under
the impression, that the Shareholders ought to
have insured certain defeat by imposing con-
ditions which those "hypoeritical" politicians
must have rejected
Let him and his associates bear this in
mind-that the Northern politician who would
secure the support Of Shareholders, must COM
mend himself by his capacity and readiness for
present and future service, not by his saerifces,
and must take care, while attempting TO court
their smiles that he does not divest himself Of
position at the North, the surcst passport to
their favor. For IL is this nice calculation Of
forces which characterizes our ordinary poll
tics The problem is, how far Northern
politician can 90 in concession to the demands
| Of Slavery without losing so much Of his