The daily union., 1854-02-21
r.. ID. Union /.
public sentiment.

Slate,
eop and Others representog every parry and every section
of parry ia thai He tboaght the petition upy repre-
sen,ed the snanmoos sentiment Of the people of that
He also presented the petition Of the yearly meeting o.
Society Of Friends. OF Massachusetts against he eAen
Mf Seward presented the petition q ninety voters Of
mssss MISC aaa s@s Ike psons rom Peansyvania
Mr. Clayton presented lie p"iiuon ifom ciuzehS o.
"Mr Foot, like petition flom citizens Of Vermont
Mr. summer. Two like petitions ifom Massaenuse's ana
Mr Chase, seven like petitions from Indiana and Ohio
"Mr. Brodhead. eleven petitions hom PenhsyWaiha V
the same effect .
Rejecting on this subject, ! was led TO ask myself,
how far these petitions expressed the sentiments OF
majority of the people D! the States from whence they
emanated The petition pIssented by MI Everett pur-
ports to be signed BY fourteen hundred citizens OF the
county OF Worcester one OF the largest and most pop
uous in the State of Massachusetts,. have not al hand
the means OF asceranng the precise number OF lis
habants but will venture 10 assert that not one in
twenty or even forty. signed this petition. The same
gentleman at the time presented petition from the
yearly meeting OF Fend', as they are coueously styled
meaning, presume friends OF the negroes exclusively
against the extension OF slavery in the Union have no
data before ascertain what number OF people was
represented at this yearly meeting, but have always
under erstood that Quakers did not abound 10 New Eng
land i, Is said it is diamond cut diamond with them
and the Yankees and that they cannot flourish in the
same soil, but whatever may have been the number OF
these Friends" will venture TO say there were no
democrats among them. Their ancestors were a tories
during the voulionary war; except Inc gaah' uieene
whom they read out OF meeting tor taking up arms III ae
fence OF his country; and thef poSeis "'o "o" oil
whigs. as a matter OF course.
TIE pe,,,on presented by Mr. Seward from lbe county
20 N,sara in The State of New York. signed by ninety
nersons men, women, and children; 1t IS procured ac-
cordin1 10 the custom OF abolition documents. Now, in
he census OF s40 which s the latest have access to at
this moment, Niagara county contained 3lll4 inhaoil
an,s OF course one out of 345 signed this petition
third petition 10 the same purport was presented by
senator from Delaware. but the number Of signatures
ia not stated Other petitions were presented by sena-
tors from Vermont Massachusetts,, Indiana, Ohio, and
Pennsylvania under similar circumstances. These
States contain millions OF people, and OF these, al most,
few thousands have demonstrated against The passage
of the Nebraska bills In the city OF New York, con-
tanning almos, half million OF inhabitants, meeting
WAS called for similar purpose, and held IN single
room. which, a, most could not accommodate more than
two or three thousand people.
Can this be called an expression OF the public senii
ment and ought Congress to be influenced by voice
which NAV be kened to that OF one Crying In The Will
derness. We know how most II not all, OF these pe'i-
tons are got up what sort of people are employed IN
drumming up recruits, and by whom they are. for the
most part. slgned. They are generally set on foot by
foamDg fanatics philan,hropc busy bodies having moth
ing 10 do but attend 10 the affairs ol other people, or DIS
appointed trading politicians who only rise TO power
on The back of an excitement. The grea, mass OF ra-
tiona fetlecDg and orderly people know nothing and
care nethng for them or their remonsrances they are
mindng their own basiness and though entirely opposed
to these petitioners and their principles have sufficient
fdence in their representatives in Congress 10 leave them
to their own Judgment and discretion. Hence, in the
course OF long life and pretty extensive experience
have generally observed that petitions and emonslrances
10 Congress come from lean minority of the people,
The majority seldom petition
There are men many OF grea, cities, and proba-
bly, elsewhere who make profession OF procuring sig
natures for reitons well subscriptions TO books,
newspapers and periodicals. at much per mead Where
no money 10 be paid there is little difficulty in pTocu-
ring signatures Some lend their TO escape i'm
por,upily some rather than offend The applicant some
without reAs ling; some, without comprehendng and not
few from seeing The OF some bewea,her OF their
party al the head Of the list People like 10 be in good
company. This is the way in which petitions very
often, perhaps almost always got up They are not gen.
uine expressions OF public sentiment The public senl
ment 10 the United States has no need OF peuuoningt
commands The people the sovereigns here, and a
majority never become beggars. When the proper time
arrives for exercising that sovereignty they can remedy
their own grievances. Where. as in England, great
majority OF the people have voice in choosing their e
sisa,os they have no against grievances, and
no mode of obtaining redress bu' by peitonDg PaIlia
ment In the United States, the people redress their
wrongs by turning out OF office those who Dct them,
and putting in Others who will their proceedings
They thereto feel their strength and seldom, if
ever, condescend to petition That is the OF
conscious weakness. At the sane time, Il is the mali
enable right of the people TO petition Congress whenever
they feel themselves sggrieyed, II they think proper.
II am right then the petitions daily pouring in upon
Congress indications OF public sentiment among a
majority OF the people They The voice only OF The
abotonists and their abeiors OF The wing party, who
at all events and under all circumstances, would oppose
any great democratic measures They have hailed with
revivng hopes lhs--perhsps the las-chance OF blow
ing the fires OF fanstieism into flame which may
same the Union, and opposing, with all the energy
OF DESPAIR the recognition OF great constitutional prin.
cipe which, il inAexbly maintained, will prove i'm.
penetrabIe barrier TO their own pernicious dogmas
Nor do think the voice OF a majority OF the public
journals il always the true exponent of the public sent
men That The press ba. great influence the people
am not disposed deny. but believe that influence
has been much oveaied The press does not, and
not, ereo public opinion, and at best only lis organ
People subscribe 10 newspaper because lis principles
coincide with their own and they feel gra,hed seeing
them supported by such auxiliary But let any editor
OF public journal change his principles great pub
lie question, and will venture TO predict that instead OF
carrying with him his former patrons, be will be left
high and dry ashore, like broad-horn on a sand
bank in the Mississippi. The mos ignorant man
has his creed both in religion and politics and il
you wish TO acquire influence over him, il must
not be by opposing. but harmonizng bis conyic-
lions. The many quite such fools as wisescres
thiok them. The greatest writers and orators much