Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-05-17
PROFESSIONALISM.

FAEESOlLlSMs " f
The congressional factionists have been
striving, as we foretold they would do, to get
up popular demonstrations in the north to sus-
tain their disorganizing conduct, and fill the
timid with alarm. The first attempt was made
in the city of New York, and it came off on
Saturday evening. We were not present, and
Of course did not witness this demonstration,
which had been so carefully prepared; but we
are informed that it was an entire failure.
Some Of the anti.Nebraska journals aver that
the meeting was large and enthusiastic, yet the
dull and tame and strained manner in which
they speak of it shows that the gathering was
small and devoid of interest chiefly
Of men who followed the impulse of curiosity,
without having any regard for the subject Of
the meeting.
But we gather certain facts, from the various
accounts we have received of the New York
demonstration, which ought to be noted In
the first place, it is clear that the movement
was made by wings of the woolly-head class,
acting in conjunction with abolitionists and
freesoilers, and their loving partners and com
| peers, the soft-shels of New York. The fac
| tionists in Congress present a fair and just
| type of the elements of the New York meeting
| when those who attended from mere curiosity
are left out of consideration. In such city
as New York, it is an easy matter to assemble
| four or five thousand men after business hours
to witness any exhibition which costs nothing.
| A Ioc Ec,bt ~. al cd
doors and no tickets of admission, will bring
ten thousand men together at any time in the
city Of Gotham. This being the case, failure
to assemble a large meeting in New York,
after strenuous exertions and due notice given
that o prominent and leading political mea-
sure was to be considered, must be regarded
as q failure indeed.
The character of the meeting is, however, the
important point to be considered; and its char
acter can be properly estimated only by the
complexion of the men whose names appear as
leaders and orators on the occasion, and by the
sentiments which they announced. The names
which are known to us prove that the gathering
| in New York, on Saturday, was a meeting of
| woolly wings and abolitionists, and of the
freesoil and soft-shell co-partnership. Benja-
min E. Butler, the righthand man Of Mr..
Van Buren,, was the first speaker to mount the
rostrum; and, after mounting the rostrum, he
| entertained for an hour those who would
listen to him, with diatribes levelled at the
Nebraska bill. This same Benjamin +. But
Ter is one of the Buffalo men of 1913; and
he is the oldest and most prominent leader, now
resident in New York, of the faction which was
formed by the fusion Of the forces Of the free
and the soft-shells, who marked time, marched
and halted, turned, and wheeled, and changed
front to rear, and rear to front, at the bidding
of the Secretary of State, and who have been
welding, since the 4th of March, General
Pierce's patronage to punish and crush out the
men who procured General Pierce's nomi-
nation.
About the time that a printer to the House
of Representatives. was elected to succeed Gen.
Armstrong, it was announced, by the paper
which is understood to be the government or
gan, that the Nebraska bill was not a test
question 1t had averred the contrary Just be-
fore but that averment did not seem to be
embarrassing. We will not repeat what has
come to our ears on this point, explanatory of
the reasons which induced the relaxation of the
Nebraska test, because we have to deal with
the present, rather than the past. We have
alluded to the relaxation of the test as a part
intimately connected with, and necessary to
explain the factious proceedings in the House
| of Representatives, and the composition and
complexion Of such meetings as that which
came off in New York on Saturday.
1t is very well known to the whole country
that the whole weight and influence of the adj
ministration was given to the freesoil and soft
shell alliance in New York last fall and that
government minions undertook to ostracize
those who objected to such course of policy,
and who predicted that the traitors Of 1S48 had
no claim to confidence or reward, and would be
treacherous and reasonable again, whenever
an opportunity offered to make treachery and
treason profitable. Now, it turns out that on
the first test questionable first to which the
President and the democratic party are thor
oughly committed--the Van Buren, freesoilers
and Seymour soft-shells, Fat from emoluments,
confident from patronage and insolent from
plumber, present factious front and make
bold war upon an administration which does
not seem to be able to disengago itself from
improper commitments and impure entangle-
ments.
The freesoil and sof-shell appointees of the
administration seem determined to illustrate o |