The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-05-03
THE PAST = THE PRESENT THE FUTURE -
REORGANIZATION OF THE INDEPENDENT
DEMOCRACY.

L
THE PAST = THE PRESENT THE FUTURE =
REORGANIZATION OF THE INDEPENDENT
DEMOCRACY.
The Boston Erening Telegraph assumes thai
the declaration in favor Of General Houston as
a candidate for the Presidency in 1856, made
a few days since by the New York EceainS
Post, was meant to be satrical. Possibly the
TELEGRAPH may be ironical-if in earnest, it is
| mistaken.
March lst, commenting upon the Generals
lecture at Boston in defence Of Slavery, the Post
found in it much to commend, and referring
TO the lecturer as Presidential candidate, it re-
marked:
Unlike most Southern statesmen, he does
not think Slavery the only institution in the
country, and though STAKEHOLDER, is evidently
Indifferent rs to its continuance or extinction,
if it meets its fate peaeeaby at the hands of the
| people.
"This is something new in America and if
we have construed the Generals meaning and
disposition Alright, it distinguishes him from
nearly every prominent statesman in the land.
| IL is hard 10 name another chO has not so thor
oughiy identified himself acith one party or The
Other IN The late Stacery controversies, as to
| hare parted icith the advantage achich, IN the
present state Of the country, belongs only TO a
neutral; to one who can do what the people
| wish done upon that or any other subject, not
| only without reluctance, but cheerfuly, and
with a conviction that it is best. Gen. Hous-
ton, we believe, has left the impression upon
| the country that he occupies such neutral po-
sition, and that he has no political partialites
or prejudices which he could not cheerfully SUBJ
ordinate to the wishes of the country. To show
| his fellow-citizens that he is such man was
| perhaps as great an achievement, in the present
crisis, as to have made Webster's Grafton at
Bunker Hill, or one of Everetts Cambridge adj
dresses-though the rhetoric employed was, it
| is true, of different character. The North
'ciU require nothing more Of a future candi-
datc, us regards The Slavery question, for the
Presidency, than this attitude Of neutrality; IL
,ciU aeUer again be content ,oith less"
The recent declaration of the Post, referred
to by the Telegraph, is in SIMILAR vein:
But the chief recommendation of the Gen
eral, in our view, is his announcement Of q COM
nonsense policy on the ,SZare,y guestioa-a
policy aohich is truly northumberland tie only one
on 'chich the people Of this country, North and
South, can permanently unite-the policy OF
liberation. No man as more exempt from Abo-
luton dbhaities than he; no man better repre-
SCENTS individually the acreage Southern notions
cfHe right)uineSs Of Slarc1y, as ,cas sto,cn IL,
has tate discourse im Boston. Nor is he under
the necessity of clearing up his position to sat
isfy either section. All the concession that he
has made TO the North, if concession it may be
called, is, that under his Administration the Elk
ecutive Department shall not be diverted from
IFS legitimate business to serve the propagand
lists of Slavery. more striking illustration
4 of no e H.
aggressions which they have suffered, could not
be produced, than the fact that they are con
tent with an implied assurance of this kind"
The italicizing is our own.
Let us deal honestly and sincerely with one
another. There is no irony in these declare
tons: they define the position of the New York
Eccniag Post, and large class of Northern
People-but not of "the North" as that Jour
nal takes for granted. On a moments rcflec
ton, the Post will admit that no newspaper has
authority to announce what "the North " will
concede or demand.
The opinion expressed by this Democratic
Journal, in relation to the attitude Presden-
tial candidate should hold, is unquaiiedlv en-.
dorsed by the National Ltelligcncer, the rep
resentative of the remains of the Wing Party
and also by the American Organ, the mouth
piece of National Know Nottingham The re
marks of the latter deserve notice:
ave copy the following from the New York
Ecentng Post of yesterday, as one of the signif
icant signs of the times. We call attention es
pecially TO that portion of the remarks of the
Post, which announces that the policy of tot
grafton is the only one on achich the people OF
ttis country, North and South, can permanent
ty mute, an relation to negro Slavery 75l
} Grafton, on, in other ,cOrds Of the same signif
canoe, 'nOn-interfereace scith this question, 4,
the true national policy: and If tie EUenins
Post and ats coadjutors sciH come apon the Plat
farm of noninter ference pith iSarery, the Soutl
,ciH readily .forgire their former Anti- Slacer,
mani fcstations
: "We confess that we hail this article of tn,
New York Ecening Post as an omen of tn,
, most favorable character, betokening the peace
ful adjustment, on the true basis, of this ex
citing question.
"Can the country ever have peace until thes
sectional chickering's shall terminate? Will no
every patriot unite in the good work of restor
ing harmony amongst brethren? We readi
confess, that we have hitherto looked upon tn
Post with great distrust, bat the sentiments con
tanned IN its article Of yesterday, nosc referee
I tot Wt acc S"tyCtt W totc'uttON, Wt euttJteQ
the highest commendatioa.
ain reference to General Houston as a car
didate for the Presidency, ere hare only to n
peat, that zoe shall abide the decision of a.
american National Conrention."
: The New York Express, edited by gentle
men who have always signalized themselves
hostility to the Anti-Slavery movement, an
who, now that the Wing Party is defunct, ar
! laboring through Know Nothingism to construc
. a Union-saving Nationality, is as complacer
as its Democratic Anti-Know Nothing coten
, porary towards General Houston 1t say,
. speaking of his life, just published:
Among the names which are regarded a
available for nomination for the Presidenc,
: that Of Sam Houston has already been prc
/, claimed in more than one quarter The yo
!. ume in question closes with New Hampshir
nomination. In view Of the fact that not onl
I Will the people elect our next President, bu
probably nominate him, it is important that e,
| ery information which should conduce to a fai
> appreciation of our public men should be earl
! disseminated. Il is our own purpose TO AVA
the voice Of the people, since zoe are aosO conf