The daily union., 1854-11-12
THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE ELECTIONS.


arrivals at the seat of government
THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE ELECTIONS.
We called upon the Philadelphia North American the other
day from behind its wretched covert of gen.
and pointess denuncaton and to state in detail if
could those specific faults of the administration which
has been long accustomed to aggregate in general
howl of indefinite and ineomprebensible complaint We
Lard open the whole field of inquiry, and invited this bos
complainant to search diligently it, and make
his full presenment of the charges with which he seemed
heavily to labor. We deied him the proof of his
bullying denunciations and challenged him to point
out to his readers and the country wherein this admins
ation had contributed to the defeats of the democratic
party and in what single particular Franklin Pierce had
failed when great principles involved The answer Of
the North American back in its Fridays issue
and forms most lame and impoent conclusion to its
vious hgh-soundng declarations 1t has entered the
broad field into which invited it but with all its
eager search for materials with which justify ITSELF it has
been able find absolutely nothing of what sought and
has back its poor generalies and its old and
thrcadbare upon the Nebraska bill "This it
exclams dis proof enough of the justice of charge for
upon this question is that the democratic party has been
oyerthrown" We do not know how far the opposition
journals have persuaded themselves that all this is true
but before they really and firmly believe it, they must
shut their eyes the glarng ct and obterate the
whole record of the years elections.
Who does not know and and understand that there
hare not existed in the country and do not exist two
great parties distinctly taking opposite positions upon this
naked question of Nebraska and stalking upon it their
spective estines Who does not know that antNebras
kn democrats have been remorseessy cut down by the
wings Ill the time they were clamoring, the North
American caors now about the overshadowng influence
of the Nebraska question? Who does know that the
policy of reeecng every member of Congress who voted
against the Nebraska bin totally failed from the first and
has not been anywhere carried into effect? Who does
not know that far from resting their before the peo
pie upon this single ISSUE the opposition have found it
necessary in greater degree than before combine
for its support all the sms and ooges which nat society,"
and to get from Mane-aw men and know-nothings and
abotonsts tiat aid and comfort which it felt it stood
sadly in need of? Look into New York. Will any
have the brazen efrontery contend that the Nebraska
question the only ISSUE the leading ISSUE in
the late election in the Empire State? Does Seymour great
vote base ITSELF in the opinion of the North American upon
the popularity of the Nebraska bill Had Carks sup
porers interest in the Maine law Was Ullman nom-
mated any other issue than that of knownothngism?
These questions themselves, and they may be
peated with slight variations, concerning almost every
State in the Union which has had election the present
rear. II SO in Pennsylvania; it in Maine it
so in Iowa il was everywhere. The elections have
turned such ssue the North American represents
but AT period when all the crude schemes Of fancifu
tamers and eaded agators have oated to the
face of society," opponents, skulkng alike from their
principles and their organization have been arot enough
and wicked enough to combine them all for their pur
poses, and get shelter behind aggrega
on of ncohercnt elements from the of popular rep
rotation which would surely have overtlrown them had
hey taken the open field and rendered any all of their
destructive political issues And now, sheltered thus be-
hind this rcketty and il-oined of opposing
ims which is itself of their weakness
and their reckessness they have the strange
talk of whg victories and administration rebukes A
counterpart the mpudence of this conduct can scarcely
be found in political history
But than this when the opposition have pre-
tended to discuss the Nebraska bi they have always
avoided the principle of the BILL and have directed all
their batteries against of its incidents The
repeal of the Missouri Compromise is what they
ored against and the great principle of
rIoN which constitutes after ALL the whole life spirit Of
the Nebraska bi did also of the Compromise of 1850
There greater dishonesty practsed than op
ponens have exhibited this subject The doctrines
of the Nebraska bill all contained in the compromise
measures of 1850 Upon those the adminstra-
ton was elected by popular demonstration which
whemed all opposition to them Upon those the
administration yet stands, and yet to stand. He
who honestly and faithfully supporter Of the Baltimore
platform of 1862 have good of quarrel with
the administration the democratic party. But if any
man pretended to subscribe that platform without
heartily doing so and thus played the hypocre to himself
and to the country it is fault Of the administration that
he now shraks from the application of doctrines which he
once openly approved Let hn take hereafter TO look
well TO his position before he undertakes 10 justify it, and
never again pledge his faith to his party unless he sin
cerey means through good report and through
evil report The opposition, repeat have not dared to
meet the Nebraska bill They will dare to meet it
The Missouri line has best very slight connexion with
II II was really repuGated by the legislation of 1850 1t
had always opposed and abused by northern poit
clans as bad bargain for the North The abolition lead
era had refused recognise its binding force Their mouth
piece ae had repeatedly haangued against in the SEN
injustice to freedom. And, more than all
they who now, in the free States profess themselves most
outraged by s repeal admit, the time that the repeal
is of practical importance and may work the whole
to their advautagcl Was there such before
presented TO the American people? Here is great
ure whose cardinal principles have been time and again.
nd b,, 4 10