Washington sentinel., 1854-06-01
THE PRESENT CONDITION OF PUBLIC

BY the President:
w. L. MARCY, Secretary.

sEtte ol tne pouticS anu INC Poiiucai Pai'SS "
this country.
We have just passed through trying or.
deal. A measure perfectly just in all its prin-
ciples, strictly constitutional in its character,
and perfectly equal in its operation, has just
become law, with the sanction of the Execu,
utive. It's enemies foretold that it would excite
fearful strife, and convulse and agitate the
whole country. With the exception of the
eclipse, which was known to astronomers before
the Nebraska bill was known to politicians,
and with the exception of the mob in Boston,
nothing of an alarming nature has occurred.
Now, that eclipse we regarded but as the fune-
raj pail of abolitionism, and that mob as its
dying effort to do evil
Abolitionists are people who could be happy
no where. They would rebel in Heaven, agi-
tate on earth, and gnash their teeth in hell.
They had as well be in the one place as the
other, for they carry in their bosoms angry
passions, that, like scorpions, sting them to
madness.
But the passage of this measure has wrought
some change in the relations of parties which
it may not be altogether Improbable to con.
slider.
The bill we speak of was neither northern
nor southern measure 1t was the measure OF
the friends Of good and equal government, the
friends of the Constitution and State rights,
from both sections, designed to restore the Con-
stitution to its pristine purity, and to repeal
and remove all unwise, unjust, and unauthor-
lied enactments that conficted with that Con-
stitution.
Fine gold will stand any test. and men Of
right and pure principles are afraid of no touch
stone. But all that passes for gold is not gold,
and all who pass for true men are not true
men. The test of canine madness is said to be
water; it throws the mad dog into convulsions.
The test in politics is the Constitution. I'm
sound men, proaigate politicians, and miserable
hypocrites foam at the mouth like mad dogs
when that test is applied to them.
It has been applied, and its effect has been
magical.
It split and severed the whig party into three
distinct divisions. The northern wings went
against it. a portion of the southern wings went
for it, and portion against it. Of the whole
southern democracy, but one went against it,
and one other who calls himself a democrat; /;
and of the democracy from the free States a
majority gave it their support.
As the enemies of the bill chose to make it a
sectional matter, and manifested much Of bitter
hostility against it, the question arises: Will
they keep banded together as a united organi-
ton? Have the democrats who opposed the
measure, and have the wings who opposed it
quit their respective parties and gone over to
the abolitionists and freesoilers
Now the only, form in which opposition to
the bill can exhibit itself, is in making an
effort to repeal it. Then the question is: Will
all who voted against the bill join with The
abolitonists in the cry Of repeal? Far from it!
We believe that the northern wings, with very
few and honorable exceptions, will. We be-
lieye that none of the southern wings, neither
those who voted against or those who voted for
the bill, will--certainly none of the northern
democrats who voted against it can, and yet
call themselves democrats. Then the repeal
party will be composed of abolitionists, free
soilers, and northern wings. They will organize
at once, and endeavor to agitate They will
| make the question of repeal, the issue in the
next presidential contest. If they do SO, who
will be their candidate? VIII it be q northern
man or southern man? Certainly no south
| ern man could run on such an issue. Then
| it must be northern man. He must be whig,
as contradistingushed from an abolitionist.
We will not, thus far in advance of the period,
speculate as to who that candidate will be.
"Sufficient unto the day in the evil thereof"
But another question arises, and it is, What
will the southern wings do? They cannot vote
for an abolition candidate. They cannot vote
for repeal candidate. They will not be will
! ing to be lost--to lay on their oars, to do
nothing, or to throw away their votes on man
who could not by possibility be elected.
Seeing that their northern associates have
deserted them; seeing that those associates
have no feelings and principles in common
| with them, and being, as most of them have
proved themselves to be, Staterights men, we
cannot see what they can do but yield their
support to the democratic candidate. If they
cannot elect one Of their own, if they will not
vote for repeal candidate; and as they, or
most Of them, sustained the Nebraska bill, they
ought to sustain the candidate who would pre-
serve and perpetuate its principles.
We believe that the democratic party now
is pure and untainted. We believe that it will
grow stronger and stronger. 1t has been sub
jected to a trying test, and has passed through
the ordeal so triumphantly, that the whole
country must have faith and confidence in it.
Good and true men who have hitherto acted
against will, we doubt not, now be attracted
to IT,