Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-01-19

shall state 10 the House that have been In error
~ on lhe other hand, do exhibit il to him, my
trend need say nothing about it, and silence will
amount 10 what Is now the fashion of the day
| nof approval, but "acquiescence.a [Laughter.l /
am anxious, II wrong, 70 admit my error; but ask
| no snch concession from the gentleman. Isimply
desire HIM 10 gowith the administration in support
| of the manly and candid principle OF aacquies-
cense" IRenewed laughter.l
Now little more about the "hards' and 1soffs.n
| Mr.. CORWIN. | would ask the gentleman
from New York where those who stood upon the
Buffalo platform now are
! Mr.. CUTTING. They are mostly with those
| who are called "sotisn
| Mr.. COhWiN. protest, then, against the de-
clarailon OF the Ohio wings having anything to do
Mr.. CUTTING. The Ohio wings need no pro-
test to have il understood they are out Of such
company, because they stand so clear before high
Heaven, upon their own platform, that they need
nothing TO prove that they are not hunting with
the Buialoes. tLaughter.l do not care any
| Thing in this connection about the Ohio wings. Il
seems to me that the freesoilers have succeeded in
doing, in Ohio, the very thing that we prevented
them from doing, and mean to prevent them from
doing IN New -abolitionizng the democratic
| party
Mr.. HUGHES. Will the gentleman allow me
| TO put question 10 him?
The CHAIRMAN. Does the gentleman yield
to his colleague? ~ II
| Mr. CUTTING, am now answering an in
1
II the question IS IN regard TO that subject yield
| TO the gentleman.
The CHAIRMAN, The Chair is unable TO de-
| tcrmine that fact.
/ Mr.. HUGHES. The question is personal to the
gentleman. il may be that he will find difficulty
i in replying TO ii.
| Mr.. CUTTING. / desire TO proceed with nv
remarks, and hope that the committee will bear
! with me.
| [Cries Of q Yield to your colleaguem .Let the
question be propoundednI
Mr.. CUTTING. ! desire TO go on with what
| have commenced.
Mr.. HUGHES amid much confusion,) said:
would IKE to ask the gentleman whether he did
| mol preside, In lS49 over convention in New
| York, which nominated the Union ticket between
| the hunkers and burnburners?
| Mr.. CUTTING. / do not yield TO the gentle
man to correct him in anything at present personal
4 to myself | must proceed with the history of
| these parties. The presidential election of iS4s
resulted in this: Mr. Van Buren, and the Buffalo
platform We're driven out Of the conflict without
single electoral vote, and the contempt of the
people OF the United States, as pronounced on
| that occasion, renders wholly unnecessary that
! should again refer 10 that gentleman. leave
/ him. sir where the votes of every State of this
Union left him after that controversy. observed
that one effect Of the treachery OF the freesoiers
was to leave Mr.. Van Buren at the close of the
canvass without vote; another was to defeat the
democratic party, and 10 elevate General TAYLOR
| TO the presidential chair. - N
After this great national defeat, when there was
no hope OF reward or of patronage to those who
belonged TO the democratic party or who stood
unto our principles, we were left 10 rally upon
| principle alone. We proceeded forthwith in New
| York TO organize with good heart, with good
cheer, not the least doubling that we would again
/ resuscitate and restore the party to its ancient
strength. We fought in the State Of New York,
! as have before observed, on principles. We
went on after 1913 gradually improving and il
was palpable that when the next presidential cleo
ton came round there would be candidate NOM
mated at Baltimore favorable TO those principles
! iii respect TO which we had before nailed our flag
| 70 the mast. We asked Tor nothing and wanted
but TO wait patiently, hopefully, until that day
| came round which was 10 restore us in the State
| Of New York, and elsewhere, TO our former SUI
premacy. Our party y hich, when reorganized, was
like a feeble sapling, but promised soon 10 be a
towering oak, to shadow and protect our land
Unfortunately however, men who were DESTROYS
OF office, who We're lingering for the spoils and
could not wait, began 10 project combinations, TO
make coalitions, and see whether they could not
more promptly accomplish their ends by bringing
together those still-professng democrats who had
deserted our party in 1S4S-the Buffalo freesoil-
ers-with those ambitious Of power-and induce 4
them to act together in solid column, animated by
the hope Of spoils hold up before their eyes as an
inducement to band together. These men thus
over-anxious for office, set their wits in motion to
make up a sort Of patched platform for us in New
York; which, like more recent example, should
be an amnesty for the recent past, and which
should bring together opposing factions, united
by the gnoble hope and in the mere spirit Of
spoils This coalition was resisted until the cur
rent was overwhelming, by the force and infu-
ence ofthose who wanted to be constabes. and
clerks, and sherifls, and governors and senator's.
and cabinet officers thus creeping up from the
lowest to the highest Offices in the land. They in
our conventions, outnumbered all opposition and
formed what they called party for the sake of
union and harmony
When that coalition party way was finally de-
termined upon, acquiesced as my other friends
did. We were willing TO stand by the experiment
which was then determined on and if the party
could be thereby brought back to its ancient prir
ciples, we We're content. When the matter was
resolved upon, determined 10 yield il nv SUP.
port, and TO contribute fair and cordial support
to the efforts OF the majority, in order that no
blame OF preventing the re-esablishment Of the de-
mocratic party might in that State be attributed to
me. This experiment, sir, wenton till the election
OF General Pierce; and then announcements were
heard from New Hampshire, and from those States
where freesoism had most prevailed that there
had been truce with frecsoilers got up in Balti.
more, and an act Of amnesty passed, by which
yearling democrats should come in with equal
claims with those who had fought the good fight,
year after year, under all circumstances Of polti-
cal fortune, 10 which / have adverted. These
men, after the Baltimore convention had nomi- |
mated General Pierce rushed in TO his support.
because they saw the result clearly, and that the
spoils were within their reach They went into
'uc hSht ior tudt campaign, quite willing TO adopt
any principles for the occasion
And we, TOO, good-natured people Of the old |
guard, shaking our long ears, secure in the belief
that the resolutions adopted at Baltimore meant
something, and that they distinctly approved the |
principles Of The compromise acts Of 1880 and
carried out the doctrine which we had been fight
ing for so long, and for so many weary days; and
that they approped of, and not merely acquiesced
IN, the doctrines Of nonntervention with slavery
IN the Territories; we, too, went into the cleo
ton with good heart, and President Pierce was |
whirled into the lofty chair of State that he now
fills. Ae
But soon, Mr.. Chairman, denonmeat came TO |
satisfy most of my friends in New York that thew |
had been utterly deceived in what was meant Il |
began to be whispered by some of the knowing |
ones, that after ALL these Baltimore resolutions did
not mean much. For days before the assembling |
OF the convention il was said that some anxious
gentlemen had met to frame and nicely form reso-
lutions that would meet The appreciation Of all the
elements whose votes were needed. II seems that |
there was some gentleman, whose name is with
held from history, who is said to have been warm !
friend OF The compromise measures, who took the
initiative IN preparing the resolutions. Two or
three other gentlemen, whose names are eoualjv