Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-11-06


the high offices Of the National Government. A
concerted movement has therefore been made to
secure and engross, in the first place, all State
power OF offices, and the members of both
branches OF Congress, thus securing appoint
ments at West Point and the Naval Academy at
Annapolis. With the weight and power of these
influences, they hope to coerce some concessions
from the National Government The whole
movement is strike for the spoils, which it
had become clear could never be attained by a
Presidential struggle, at least, until they should
have secured the exclusive patronage Of the
free States.
This state of affairs reflects itse@ from this
movement, as from a mirror, and would sut41> :
convince any one, as it would US, if even we
had not information confirming it.
The whole tenor of Mr. Choates speech,
pencils this aspect Of the natter while it holds
up to oil who look, not to office and the spoils
of Office for support, but to their own industry
and private business, and asks them if they
are prepared to sacrifice their own interests,
the interests of their families, the peace and
harmony and the welfare and the glory of their
country, to provide these political cormorants
with office.
Mr.. Choate might have gone further, and
might have conclusively shown even to these
walters on fortune, to those who seek to profit
by office and by power, that by far the sooner,
as well as the worthier mode of securing DotI-r,'
would be to stand resolutely and uncompro.
misngly by their national faith, by the Const-
tuition and the laws, and in good fellowship
with all their countrymen Of this whole broad
continent; that adherence to these will alone
secure sure and permanent triumph; that
the success upon subordinate and distract
ing principle cannot be enduring, if achieved
even for a time.
In Presidential contest there are 200 cleo
toral votes, of which | lG from slave States are
immutably in favor Of a national man, leav-
ing only 80 votes more to render certain such
an election.
Can any doubt that there are sane and intel
ligent men enough at the North who value
their own and their country's interest more
than the dictates of cunning, which appeals
only to the fanatic, which would sacrifice both
to an idle and wicked crusade against the
South and against the Union and if even
that did not abundantly suffice, the entire GER
tain patronage Of the Northern States would
afford as ample temptation to the spoils and
Office. seekers as is held out by the leaders I'M
der the black flag, and more so, as they would
have both State and national
1t is impossible to conceive that there would
not always be some one at the North who
could rally sufficient votes with The great and
sure support of the entire South to secure
votes enough to give majority in the electoral
college.
Candidates could be run in every free State,
and when they came to the electoral college,
enough Of them would feel authorized to vote
for candidate having the support of fifteen
States, in preference to their own candidate,
who could not by possibility be elected, if the
election were thrown into the House.
1t appears to US that nothing can be more
apparent, than that this whole move is a clear,
sheer, desperate, and inscriptions rush of
frenzied and disappointed aspirants, who seek
to accomplish their selfish aims at any sacri-
fee; their hope is to secure State power and
Office now, that national office is beyond their
possible reach.
While these figures reveal the impossibility
Of q Freesoil violator Of the Constitution ever
reaching the Presidential chair, it also dis.
closes the true and only motive for the treason
able movements now in progress.
These same figures also glaringly reveal the
fact Of the utter impossibility Of the South be.
ing able to pass any aggressive measures
against the North, there being majority Of
Ga Northern votes in Congress. AS, therefore,
it is impossible for the South to pass any ag.
gressive act against the North, these figures
also reveal the perfdy Of this unhallowed
movement, avowed to be for the purpose Of
engendering sectional hate.