The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-12-14
THE poIIoY OF THE FUSION LEADERS.

When Mr. Campbell had talleh Daek Hom ms inquest
VOTE which was s he withdrew his candidate
Speaker and declared that he satisfied that be
could be elected unless upon making pledges which
would make him object of public contempt Mr. Banks
placed the track and at time reached as
high votes but afterwards fell back TO l04 where he
has stuck fast Upon these facts curious public win very
naturally indulge in various surmses and comments.
First what is there in the personal political character
Of Mr. Banks that enabled him TO poll 20 votes more
than Mr. Campbe2 II will be readily conceded that on
the of qualification presiding officer Mr. Banks
has the advantage and If he his superior strength to
that circumstance he ought to feel highly compimented
Whilst do not undertake TO decide this matter we ven
ture the opinion that this explanation will hardly be re-
ceved satisfactory In regard to the political positions
of the gentlemen of difference either
to their views of know-nothngism ree-soism-on
these subjects examination Of their PAST and present
sentiments and associations us6es in regarding them
as par mobile yatrum Besides they both gentlemen of
talents and in this regard are SO nearly match that
either may feel compimentcd to be set down the equal
of the other.
But whilst the two competitors for the honor of the
speakershp harmonic completely in regard to know
nothingsm and aboltonism and closely yoked
derencetho one has no antecedents that not whg
the other gloed until recently in proclaming himself
democrat Can we find in this fact satisfactory explana
ton of the superior strength of Mr. Bank2 He claimed
to be democrat down to the new cast of parties which
took place when abolitionism and know-nohingsm COM
bned sweep the last vestge of natonalism from the
northern States. lie then surrendered his democracy,
gnoby deserted the glorious old flag under which he had
fought and enlisted under that of the usons Can it be
that in this circumstance to be found his superior
claims the honor of presiding House of Repre-
senatives in which large majority of the opposition have
but wing antecedens Is possible that Mr. Camp
BELLS consistent adherence to wing principles as long
there wing party is visited upon him by mem
bers Who like himself were also wings until whgism
merged into nothngism and abolitionism? Is this
the rule of the present fusion House Of
reward democrats who have deserted from their party
with the highest honors and set them wings who
were true to whigsm 50 long it existed2
Without any great stretch of reasoning might repu
diate the idea that it Mr.. Bankss ancient democracy
which constitutes his present strength in the fusion ranks
indeed it is not easy to resist the conclusion that in
House composed chiefly Of quondam wings the fact that
Mr. Banks heretofore democrat could be any other
than objection to his elevation to the speakerhp The
facts, however, too stubborn to admit of such
cuson they point rresisby to the policy which con-
trolls the majority in the House That policy is to make
every consideration subordinate to the leading
mount object of combining all the elements of opposition
to the democracy into compact sectional organization
To effect this purpose and to issue between the
North and the Southan issue which will inevitably put
the Union ralhe policy of the leaders dictates an
entire obteraon of all past differences to other party
questions and the giving of preference in the dstribu
ton of honors democratic recruits with the view of
inducing still further assertions from the democratic ranks
We might very we'll maintain that hIr. Campbell
could be elected unless he would repudiae his sec
tona and his abolitionism unless he
would degrade hmsefby making pledges to the
ment of the committees Mr. Banks may his superior
strength to the fact tat has resored to the the
other of these alternatives.
But we pot yet prepared to believe that any gentle
man could SO FAR forget the dignity of his position
member of Congress as to be willing to receive to give
votes on consideration which would subject all partic
pating in such arrangements to public contempt Mr. Camp
bell elevated himself in the eyes of the country when he
declared that he would sacrifice his sefrespec and make
himself Just object of odium if he listened such
as the means of obtaining votes wewil suppose that
BELL and therefore reject the superstition that any
of the twentysx votes which he received in addition to
those given to Mr. Campbell cast for him any
dersandng direct or indirect to the arrangement Of
the committees
We fall back then, upon the explanation that it is the
policy of the fusion leaders to recruits from the
democratic ranks by holding out inducements the hon.
ors or in other words the spols of fusion victory in
1856 As the Inauguration of this policy the cham
pons of black republication exerng every to bring
about combination Mr. Banks and their chief organ
openly urges the election of that gentleman because he has
heretofore been democrat 1t is most startling fact
that at the present moment Greeley Weed, and Webb
are all in Washington laboring to elect Speak
er a man whose antecedens democrat they
have heretofore denounced in unmeasured terms. In
the very midst of the crisis Francis p Blair to their
support in elaborate argument in favor of merging all
subordinate questions in the great sectional issue
Who then doubt that the policy which has given Mr.
Banks his strength is designed, first to perfect the m
sion of all the elements Of opposition ut the North and
next to seduce democrats from party by the hopes Of
the spoils Mr. Banks has received his reward; but
trust that there few democrats who will his
example Mr. Blair has stepped forward to contribute his
influence to the grand result and the sequel viii show that
he too is looking for his reward In this policy of the fusion
leaders we sec nothing weaken confidence in the
triumph of the democracy in 1885, it only mpreses upon
H.. ,ttal