Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1855-03-22
NEW YORK POLITICS AND PARTIES.

NEW YORK POLITICS AND PARTIES.
A recent number of the New York National
Democrat comments with some degree Of Sc
verify, yet with courteous kindness, on an edi
torial in which we addressed ourselves to the
Democracy Of New York, and advised concilia
ton and harmony between the two divisions
Of our party in that most populous and power
full State. The Democrat says:
| "We have lately become fearful that the
| Sentinel has ceased to feel-we are certain
that it has ceased to express-apy further
| sympathy with that organization of National
and State Rights Democrats, among which we
| are proud to class ourselves. We Judge by the
tone of recent articles in that paper, that the
Sentinel is no longer to be considered our
friend"
Again:
In the effort making by that portion of the
Democratic party Of the whole Union which
does not depend upon the patronage of this
Administration for support, to re-organize its
forces, to bring back its honest but mistaken
members from the enticements of fusion with
Wings, Know-nothings and Abolitionists, and
to prepare for the next Presidential campaign,
we had hoped to see the Sentinel maintain a
consistent and prominent part. We hope still
that its late tone towards US has been actnated
by misinterpretation or mistake. But in that
effort no prominent Democratic sheet can main
tain doubtful position and, least Of all, q
paper from which the Democracy of New York
have expected 80 much, and one which but q
few months since inflicted such deserved chas-
tisement upon the mean and low men who
surround the high places at Washington
"We speak frankly upon the subject We
have no lamentation to utter over detection.
We know the Democracy of this State are ca
pable of knowing their friends and their enc
mics without our attempts to enlighten them.
We know that they intend to abide by their
organization, and to pursue the even tenor Of
their way, under all circumstances, and at all
hazard. But we should deeply regret to rank
the Sentinel in the number of our opponents,
and we hope the time may be far distant when
we shall"
We, and in the utmost kindness and ccur-
tesy, will take leave to say to our contemporary
that we do not need stirring up "by way of re-
membrance.". We have most lively and dis
tinct recollection of the part we took in the
controversy between the Hards and Softs Of
New York. We must be permitted to say that
had the former proved, when the pinch came,
as consistent as. we claim to have proved, we
would not have abated one jot or title of our
zeal in their service. BY all their antecedents
by all their professions, by all their pledges,
by all their appeals to the South, they were
committed to the principles Of the Nebraska
bill, and by their integrity as men, and by
the persecution and martyrdom of their Gu
bernatorial candidate, they were bound to vote
for Bronson, the advocate of that bill. They
dragged him by earnest and importunate solicit
tation from his retirement, and forced him
into the candidacy for Governor.
When the Nebraska bill came up on its
passage through Congress, some of the New
York members who had been most clamorous
in their protestations of respect for State
Rights, the Constitution, and slavery, voted
against it. A faithful few, true to their ante
cedents and pledges, met the crisis like
honest men. Then again, when the Guber-
Material Election in New York came on,
the candidate of their choice, the man whom
they had been accustomed to extol as one Of
the ablcst purest, and most patriotic men in
the nation--the man who had suffered for
their sake and fallen q victim to their cause,
was basely betrayed and heartlessly abandoned
BY them. He received, when the election came
on, only about thirty thousand votes.
In this aspect Of the case we unhesitatingly
say that they deceived us, as they deceived
him. We concede to those who remained
faithful the highest degree ofcredit. They did
their duty, and that is the most that we can
say. For the unfaithful many, we have only
this to say, that their ultimate treachery was
only equalled by their former noisy hypocrisy
The National Democrat" may rest assured
that we are devoted to the State Rights"
party. We viii do all we can to promote that
party. We will do all we can to crush the
Federal party. But which is the Estate Rights"
party Of New York We respectfully PROFOUND
this question to our contemporary. We did
think that the Hards we're. But who are the
Hards2 Not the great bulk Of those people who
called themselves Hards'-for they violated
their pledges. They voted Through their rep
resentativcs in Congress, against the Nebraska
bill, and pih their opn poices against their
chosen, nominated candidate for the Office Of
Governor. This was conduct that we will not
characterize by such terms as they deserve.
But a crisis has arisen. All the isms, all the
factions, all the demagogues, all the mercenary
and leprous politicians, and all the Abolition.
lists and Free-soilers have banded together un-
der the name Of Knownothingism." They
are endeavoring by fraud, oftentimcs by vio-
lence, to defeat and 10 crush the sound State
rights constitutional Democracy Of the country.
Our hearts desire is that all who are Demo
Gratis in any State--all who are Democrats in
New York, whether Hards or Softs, viii unite
like brothers and patriots and meet the crisis.
What care the people Of the United States for
the names of " Hards and Sofs?" They, at
lost 40 horharoue and vnl0ar uames All