The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-03-03
The Ncb. aka Bombshell-TT oubIes or Gem
Cass and other Northern Leaders.


Cass and other Northern Leaders.
When an old politician is suddenly compelled
to face about and take the back track, he may
be allowed the privilege of grumbling He may
explain, he may expound, he may apologize, he
may demonstrate against the requisition that is
made upon him, if he only comes into line and
springs forward in the traces at the crack of the
whip. But in perusing the long rigmarole Of
special pleading of General Cass upon this Ne
braska question, the other day, in the Senate,
and the nice didactical hair-splittng noncom-
mittalism of Mr.. Everett, and the pompous re-
capitulations of Congressional action by Mr.
Clayton. human patience is exhausted, common
sense rebels, and we involuntary exclaim, what
does all this verbage mean? Let us briefly at
tempt an Interpretation.
This Nebraska movement was desperate ex-
pedient of the administration to clear itself OF
the concentrations of anti slavery aud free soil
ism. What with free soil coalition Cabinet,
free soil appointments to fat Offices free soil
affiliations antecedents, and Scarlet letters.
President Pierce had become so thoroughly
identified with the party and the principles
Of the Buffalo platform, that nothing but
some such bold, startling and radical Southern
measure as this Nebraska bill could restore
him to anything like national position before
the country. The move was desperate one
but it was the last alternative. And what did
it matter if politicians and parties were blown
up by the bombshell, so that the administration
might escape in the smoke?
But the perplexities and tribulations of Gen
Cass and others might have been avoided by the
judicious application of penny-worth Of indie
pendence and moral courage at the right time.
When the appointment of Collector Red6eld
came up for consideration, had General Cas-,
Judge Douglas and other democratic leaders,
resolved upon his rejection, because Of the great
issue involved between free soilism and national
Union principles, there would have been no ne
cessity for the poor mans plaster" Of this Ne
braska bill. The free soil policy Of the admit
nistration would have been condemned
free soil coalition Cabinet would have been re-
jected--and President Pierce would have been
driven to the saving expedient Of new
Cabinet of new men, whose principles, po-
litical affinities and antecedents would
have been sufficient to satisfy The country
cession coalition no longer controlled the des-
TIMES Of the government Unfortunately how
ever, neither Cass, nor Douglas. nor Houston,
nor even Jesse Bright, had the penny-worth Of
moral courage required to reorganize the ad-
ministI otion upon national basis. That act Of
II
the Senate Printer was too severely rebuked by
the Cabinet organ to allow the democrats of
the Senate even to think Of another step in the
work of rebellion. The audacity of what they
had done was enough. They would be excom.
municated--they would be turned out of the
party to starve. if they budged another peg
and so Messrs Cass, Douglas, Bright, and the
rest. met in caucus, laid down their arms, aud
capitulated at discretion. To this humiliatng
policy Of lodging the responsibility skulk-
ing the real issue-ofshuffiin off and quibblins
away upon cowardly excuses, from the main
question-to this miserable trimming and haul
ing up to the wind to this wretched trembling
and shrinking from the ludicrous threats of the
Washington Union-are the Senate indebted for
the task which is now upon them, to save
the administration if possible, even II
they destroy themselves In espousing
and in adopting the free soil coalition
of the Cabinet-in approving its free soil
appointments, in justify ing its repudiation Of
men whose only crime was their national priD.
ciples-t the Senate is thus forced into the duty
Of bolstering up the administration as II stands
al the risk Of an explosion which may blow up
all concerned sky high
The bombshell Of the Nebraska bill is throwo
into the Senate II is an admins tration bomb
she'll; aud all coed men and true who wish to
share with our free soil coalition Cabnc, in til,