Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-11-03
THE WASHINGTON UNION AND THE
"REFRACTORY MEMRERSn

THE WASHINGTON UNION AND THE
"REFRACTORY MEMBERS"
A small number of members met in caucus,
and placed him in nomination. Others Of the
Democratic members refused to participate in
the meeting, and, without their concurrence,
the election of the Administration candidate
was deemed exceedingly uncertain. What was
done? The refractory members were con-
voked, and distinguished gentleman of this
State was authorized to assure them in the
most solemn manner, both on behdLf Of the
President aud General NICHOLSON, that IN
no ecent should the Nebraska Kansas bill be
made a party test, nor should support of, or
opposition TO, the bill in any wise affect the
standing Of the person uah tie administration
or the Democratic party The pledge was
accepted. The election was made
The disclosure contained in the above ex-
extract from the Albany alias of recent date
has now been published sufficiently long, ,cithom
contradiction or explanation By the Union, to
be AIKEN by the world at large as admitted.
The Union and Atlas, as our readers are
aware, have been engaged in controversy,
the Union reading the atlas out Of the Demo
cratic party. In the midst Of the controversy
the atlas made the disclosure which heads this
article, and the Union is dumb. We should,
to speak more correctly, say that the alias ter
minated the contest by its disclosure
Under the circumstances we think the silence
Of the Union must be taken as confession.
We can now account for much that puzzled,
perplexed, aud panied us. Turning back to
our files, W find the disturbance which at the
time the unaccountable and eccentric course
Of the Union gave US.
In our editorial columns Of the 9th Of
March, 1854, we find coliocaton Of the ineos-
sistent positions of the Union. We find that
we then deplored the inconsistencies Of the
tickle Union. We left to the Union at that
time the Office, TO which we confessed ourselves
unequal, Of reconciing its patent and palpable
inconsistencies.
We propose now to reproduce, to be exam
ined BY the light she'd upon them by the dis
closure Of the Atlas, some Of those changeful
positions assumed by the Union, which at the
time drew forth our comments
From the Union's article, entitled "The Abo-
Htionists aud the Nebraska Bill, Of March 4th
1854, we extract as follows:
"WE HAVE NEVER BEEN 50 PAR MrsLED,
HOWEVER, AS TO REGARD EVERY MAN As Az
ABoLITIoNIsT WHO COULD NOT RECONCILE IT
TO HIS CONVICTIONS OF DUTY TO SUPPORT THE
BILL'-the Nebraska BILL
Again: !" In our judgment IL lco,,ld Je as ~.
Uise os Il rould be unjust % regard and treat
such opponents ot the measure as thereby ado.
htionizing themselves. Such Democrats as we
understand them, recognized The principle Of
Hon-interDentiOn az sound, bit are not satisfed
THAT 1T SHOULD BE APPLIED TO THE NEBRASKA
TERRITORY"
Again: "When, therefore, we speak Of the
Abolitionists in connection with the opposition
to the Nebraska bill, we do not wish to be IN.
derstood as designating all who oppose the bill
as Abolitionists"
The article, from which the above are ex.
tracts, appeared but few short weeks after the
Union had announced that the President was
in favor Of the Nebraska BILL The Union
had also declared its own advocacy Of it, and
pronounced it with much emphasis to be the
"TEsr OF DEMOCRATIC ORTHODOXY
The article Of the Union, from which we
have made the extracts above, seems to have
been written in good faith towards those TO
whom the President and the editor Of the
Union stood pledged, "that in no event should
the Nebraska Kansas bill be made a party test.
nor should support Of, or opposition TO- the
bill in anywise affect the standing Of the per.
son with the Administration or the Democratic
party"
This agreement Of the president, and editor
or the Union parties Of the first part, with the
"the refractory members parties Of the second
part was not at the time it was entered into
made public by authority. Indeed, We doubt
If il would have been prudent
We think we know Of some members" who
do not reside in the neighborhood Of the AHGS,
who would have been refractory had they
known the agreement.
The article Of the Union, from which we
have made the extracts above, appeared on the
4th March, 1854. Three days after, to wit
on the 9TH March, 1854, the Union has the
following:
GAS we have said before, this paper does not
make the details Of the bill for the organization
of Nebraska and Kansas party test. We have
no power, no authority to do il. As we under
IL Al.