The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-03-22
CHANGES IN THE SENATE.

OF the Old Liberty Guard, none is now left
in the Senate. Mr.. CHASE retires. Mr.. BRAIN
ERD will be succeeded by Dir. CoLLAMER, an
Anti-Slayery Wing, but representing, we are
informed, the Fusion Party in Vermont. Mr.
GILLETTE viii be followed By Mr.. Foster, also
an Anti-Slavery Wing, OF whose views respect
ing the reconstruction of parties, We are in the
dark. The old Conservative Wing Party is left
without representative from New England in
the Senate. HENRY WILSON, who takes the
place of Mr.. EVERETT, seeded from that Par
ty in lS46, is a man of the masses, of radical
and reformatory views. Mr.. FEssESDES, of
Maine, is in communion, we believe, with the
Morrell or Republican Party of that State. Mr.
FooT, of Vermont, sympathizes, it is under
stood, with the new order of things in his State.
The result of the late election In New Hamp-
shire, authorizes the belief that two Anti-Ne-
braska Senators will be returned, probably Mr..
HALE, and some gentleman hitherto member
of the Wing Party. The Old Line Democracy
is a little better off in that section. Mr.. HAM
LIN will hardly separate himself from the Nor
rell or Republican Party, but Messrs. ALLEN
and JAMES, of Rhode Island, and Mr. ToUcEY,
of Connecticut, still cling to the old dynasty.
What changes since 1852, when Franklin
Pierce was inaugurated Then, of the twelve
New England Senators, the Wing and Demo
cratic Parties, each claimed FIVE, and the Anti
Slavery, but two, Messrs. Hale and Sumner.
Now, the old Wing Party can claim none, the
old Democracy, but three, while the rest repre-
sent the Anti-Slavery Party, under one or other
of its forms, Fusion or Republican
The delegations from New York and New
Jersey, in the Senate, continue unchanged.
Conservative Wing from Pennsylvania
goes out, but what strange creation may take
his place is unknown.
Michigan is without any representatives in
the Senate, the two gentlemen claiming to act
there in her behalf, having disavowed her au-
thority.
To the disgrace of Ohio, Mr.. Chase is to be
succeeded by disciple of the Calhoun school,
the only loss Freedom has suffered in all these
changes.
Mr. Petit, a Hunker Democrat from Indi
ana, retires, to an asylum, we believe, in some
county court. Although his successor is not
yet chosen, Freedom gains by his absence.
Illinois sends an AntNebraska Senator in
the place of ro-Nebraska Gen. SHIELDS.
Mr.. HARLAN, of Iowa, representing the Flu
sion, AntiSlavery forces of that State, takes the
seat Of Augustus Caesar Dodge, whose extraor-
binary abilities are to be exercised in repairing
the mischiefs of the Ostend Conference.
A doubtful, halfway, compromising Senator
from Wisconsin, is succeeded by Mr.. DURKEE,
one of the Old Liberty Guard, who will never
under any circumstances give aid or comfort to
Slavery.
Finally, we have great hopes of vacancy in
the California delegation, the chances of Mr..
GwIN for reelection becoming every day more
doubtful.
Outside of the New England States, then,
Slavery and Conservatism gain one Senator,
and lose six, while Freedom gains three, and
secures the chances for two more.
deeply afflicted contemporary, in view of all
these changes, exclaims:
Gradually the conservative and constitu.
tional influence in the Senate is passing away
before the Know Nothing organization. Grad
ually the stern and well-tried champions of the
rights of the States are being stricken down in
the North"
You cannot cheat the People in this way.
Know NOthingism had nothing to do with the
election of Messrs. Fessenden, Brainerd, Cola
mer, Gillette, Foster, Seward, Trumbull, Dur
kee, or Harlan; and, although Wilson was sent
here by a Know Nothing Legislature, the eff
cient cause Of his election was, the power of
the Anti-Nebraska sentiment
Beyond all doubt, the changes which so
disturb and alarm the Slave Interest, are the
direct results of a reaction in the free States.
produced by its outrageous aggressions. They
attest the strength of the AntiSlavery senti-
ment, which will go on, conquering and to con-
quer, unless counteracted or diverted by the
mischievQus element of Know Nothingism.