Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1855-12-20
Tha whig Senators.

A statement was telegraphed to the Nor
thern and Western newspapers from Wash
ington. to the effect that several distinguished
Senators who had heretofore been Wings
| but now. being unable to cooperate with the
Know Nothings or Republicans" had de
termined to act with the Democratic party
This statement, it appears, was incorrect
The New York Commercial Advertiser
which, We believe, is the only professed Wing
paper in that city, thus states the position OF
| these gentlemen:
Senators Fish, Jones, Geyer, Benjamin
] Pratt, and Pearce did meet on Tuesday eve
| ming last ut Governor Jones's rooms. The
invitation given to Senator Fish was to meet
with unspotted Whigs-gentlemen who were
''W higs and nothing else"-an invitation
that he could not courteously have refused
seeing that he avswed himself to be such a
Whig. In fact we do not see thas he could
we'll have refused to meet any Senators in
consultation At this meeting 1t was stated
that some Senators of the dominant party
had intimated willingness, and even a de-
sire. that those who were Wings, and had
not Joined either the Know Nothing or Re-
publican organizations, should meet with
them in caucus, for the purpose of arranging
the committees; with the understanding that
they should be treated precisely the same as
Democratic Senators so far as concerned the
distribution of places on the committees -
The reason given for making this proposition
was, that in view of the division in the ranks
of the opposition, the customary course coul.i
not be adopted in the arrangement of the
Senate into committees. 1t was further sta
ted that the Democratic Senators who had
authorized the proposition had said that as
a national party they were unwilling to treat
as q party with those whom they regard as
sectional.
The "six oldli Whig Senator'S" so far
from embracing that opportunity to "signal-
ize the dissolution of their former party"
declined the above proposition in the same
courteous and respectful manner in which it
was made. They replied that they were un-
willing to go into caucus with Democratic
Senators; that the organization of the Senate
was under the control and responsibility of the
Democrats, and they as Wings declined to
interfere with it; that as to themselves indi-
vidually, they were content to be placed
where the Democratic Senators chose to place
them, and would endeavor to discharge their
share of committee duty accordingly Such
was the length and breadth of the action and
the non-action of the "six old line Wing
Senators" at the meeting referred to in the
telegraphic despatch in the morning papers
of Wednesday.
1t is apparent therefore that unless Senator
Fish and his friends had taken just the
course they did-that is, stood aloof from the
organization of committees-they must have
gone into caucus with either the Democrats
or Fusionists. As men resolved to stand by
their political faith and their political party
that is, to continue "Whigs and nothing
else"-they could not adopt either of these
alternatives. If they hail done so, they
would have done just the very thing falsely
charged upon them;--they would have "sig-
nalized the dissolution of their former party"
By the course they did pursue they did just
the reverse, and "signalizel the continued or
ganization and existence of the Wing paIty"-
This-nothing more and nothing less than
this-is their offence. They did not fuse,
but remained Wings true to the party that
sent them to the Senate.
1t will thus be seen that there are few
gentlemen of eminent talent and distin-
guished position who are determined to stand
by the fallen fortunes of the Wing party
Whether they Will remain isolated in their
position, or whether they will form nucle-
us around which others Of their old associ-
ates will rally, depends upon circumstance.
which the conduct of the opposition during
the present session of Congress will in a grea
measure elucidate.