Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-08-31


"PUTNAsI's MONTHLY ABOLITION
IzED-"OUR PARTIES AND POLITICS"
When the minister confines himself to that
holy sphere, the sacred circle of the church,
when the husbandman is content to SOW and
to reap, when the lawyer practices law and
the doctor physic, when the merchant sells his
goods and enjoys their profits, when the car
penter works in wood, the mason in stone, and
the bricklayer in brick-in word, when,
throughout the country, there is a proper divi-
sion of labor, each department combining itself
to its legitimate sphere, then may we conf
IDENTITY look for peace, prosperity, and happi-
ness But when all the departments of labor
and all the departments of science are mixed
together in chaotic confusion, when every man
aspires to do everything, when all are teachers
and none scholars, then may we look for
trouble and perplexity.
We are now unhappily in the midst of such
evil times. Men suspend their proper avoca-
tons to exercise those that they do not under
stand.
The sacred desk is profaned by blasphe,
nous demagogues, who, in place of preaching
religion, preach politics who, instead of man
ifesting the meekness of the lamb, exhibit all
the ferocity of the hyena. Literature is being
defiled and desecrated by sentimental fanatics,
who, In their insanity, imagine that there are
not statesmen, politicians, and newspapers,
enough to sound the alarm when danger is at
hand, and must needs place themselves as SEN
tinels on the watch tower.
We regret much to see that some of the
leading literary periodicals of the country,
whose army of patrons is confined to no party
and to no section, are breaking faith with
those patrons, by assuming political COM
plexion and character. One, particularly, for
getful of the rebukes administered TO it by men
and journals of all parties, for making violent
assault on the present administration some eight
or ten months ago, has had the indiscretion, the
hardihood and the folly to repeat the offence.
We allude to that widely circulated and we'll
known periodical, P1tnam's Monthly" The
last number of that Magazine contains a poll
teal article entitled sour Parties and Politics.
which is characterized by rancorous bitterness,
fanatical rage and Abolition violence. This
article, SO out of place and so illudged, attacks
the Democratic party, assails the South, de.
nounces the institution Of slavery and clamors
against the passage of the Nebraska bill.
1t is to be presumed that this periodical has
many readers and subscribers at the South, who
take it for its literary character. 1t purports to
be "a Magazine ofLiterature, Science and Art"
They did not wish or expect to get their politics
from it-least Of all did they desire or expect to
see themselves illuminated and their institu-
tons acclaimed against in its pages. How
grievously they have been disappointed, and
how shamefully deceived those can Judge who
have read the article TO which we allude.
The politics indicated by this article are of
the worst sort They are the politics ola north
ern Wing who has become thoroughly aboli-
tiOnized, and abandoned his party to ally him
self with that corrupt INSCRIPTIONS, and I'M
principled band known as Fusionists. They
are the politics Of a man who would blot out
all the great principles that lie at the bottom
Of old party organizations, who renounces broad
national platforms, and would band together
the corrupt the disappointed, the factious and
the fanatical 10 sectional organization, to
carry on an unholy crusade against their breth-
rem the south. The pages ofthe Tribune, that
disgrace to the American press are not more
foul or fanatical The closing paragraph Of
this article, which we subjoin, will show that we
have done no injustice to " Putnon.'s Montaly."
| 1t is as follows:
We have dwelt upon Tie proceedings of
the pro-slayery party so long, that we have left
ourselves little space for urging upon other
parties their duties in the crisis. But we will
not speak to them as parties. We will saw 10
them as Americans, as freemen, "a Christians.
that the time has arrived when all divisions
and animosities should be laid aside. in order
TO rescue this great, this beautiful, this glo-
rious land from hateful domination. AS IL
now is, no man who expresses, however mode.
rately, free opinion Of the slave system of
the South, is allowed to bold any Zee of profit
or trust, under the general government. No
man can be President no man foreign min.
lster, no man a tide-waiter, even, or the meanest
scullion in the federal kitchen, who has not
first bowed down and eaten the dirt OF ad.
herence TO slavery. Oh shameless debase.
ment-that under Union formed for the
establishment of liberty and justice--under a
Union born Of the agonies, and cemented by
the blood OF our parents--a Union whose mis-
sion it was 10 set an example Of republican
| freedom, and commend il to the painting ma,
| tons of the word--we freemen Of the United
States, should be spfocated by politicians into
a silent acquescence with despotism That
we should not dare to utter the words or
breathe the aspirations Of our fathers, or propa-
gate their principles, on pain Of ostracism and
political death just Heaven into what depths
Of infamy and insensibility have we fallen
\ "We repeat, that until the sentiment Of
slavery is driven back to its original bounds,
to the States TO which Il legitimately belongs,
the people Of the North are vassals. Yet their
emancipation is practicable IL not easy. They
have only 70 evince determination to be free,
and they are free. They are to discard all past
alliances, to put aside all present fears, TO
dread no future coalitions, in the single hope