Daily American organ., 1856-04-14
AMERICAN NOMINATIONS.
who is Responsible 7

city, was Washington Naylor, in the report
takes occasion to state, that Mr.. Naylor IS
now Vice President Of the Second Ward
Council, and a member Of the District COun-
cil tho american party here. The motives
which would prompt a partisan editor to refer
to the political complexion of men, occupying
humble positions in life, and who violate the
laws, are not to be envied. When those who
occupy prominent political positions, and for
whose acts their party can be held justly re-
sponsible, yield to the temptations which sur
round them and fall from their high estates,
it may he tolerated, that, in times Of party ex-
citement, partisan presses should seek to make
capital, by an array of their crimes, in connex-
ion with their political relations But even
though under such circumstances this course
may be and is tolerated, we can by no means
assent to its justice.
Thousands of men, from whom better things
were justly expected by their personal and poll
tical friends, have deceived both, and shown the
frailty of poor human nature, when their char
acters had been Heretofore unblcmshed. We
do not recognise the justice or propriety of
holding those Dho hare been deceived RESPONSE
BILE for the unworthy acts of those By aohom
they have been deceived. 1t is an old maxim
and true one, that If a man deceives me
once, it is his fault but if he ieceiyes me tsoice
it is mine" Was it the fault of the Continent
al Congress, who intrusted Benedict Arnold
with power and position, that he proved trai-
tor to his country? We suppose not, but that
on the contrary, the crime has been set down
to the account of the man who committed it.
To come down to later times, is this admins
tration or is the anti American party RESPONSE
BILE for the reckless black-mail propensities Of
one Of its representatives in this cityf There
| would be far more reason and propriety in
holding Frank Pierce responsible for the al
legged attempts Of his lesser representative to
black mail claimants before Congress, than in
holding the American party responsible for the
misconduct of any one or even dozen of its
membersl
But suppose it were otherwise, and suppose
the American party were responsible for the
private actions of its members, and that Frank
Pierce, or his party, is responsible fol those
who are recognised as their legitimate political
representatives, How would the matter then
standP Why, recognised member of the
American party has stolen, or participated in
stealing, few hundred or at most few thou
sand dollars worth of merchandise, whilst the
stands publicly charged (without deniaD with
having offered to aid in taking millions upon
| millions of dollars from the public treasury, if
paid, a good round fee for his prostitution
We contrast this isolated case Of one individu-
al representative of the anti-American party
with the case of Mr. Naylor to show, that if
the position obviously taken in the report of
MAYORS case by one Of our contemporaries
be even true, and that the American party
| here is justly responsible for his crimes, it
would be the easiest thing imaginable ito
| fight the devil with fire."
But the report in that case by our contem-
porary, is not true---it is false that Mr. Nay
lor was, when arrested, the Hce President of
the Second Ward Council, and delegate to
the District Council He was neither the one
nor the other, nor has he been either for months
and months past But we suppose our contem-
porary will reply, that he has been. That may
be true, and yet its truth can bring no dis
honor upon the American party. Aaron Burr
was once Vice President Of the United States.
He was charged with treason He died in dis
grace. Martin Van Buren, has been the Presi-
dent Of the United States. He turned traitor
to the Democratic party and now there is
"none so poor as to do him reverence" Were
the Federalists of 1900 held responsible for the
treason of Aaron Bur2 Were the Democrats
of 1874 or 1S4S responsible for the political
treason of Martin Van Buren, Certainly not.
To come nearer home, our contemporary is
"one Of the has 6eens"--he fought gallantly in
the Indian war near Matagorda--but in an
evil hour he fell into temptation, and offered
himself and eight members Of Congress for
sale Where is he noso? Alas, hop fallen
1t won't do to refer to what man has been
Merchandise only sells for what it is worth at
the present time, and on this basis we suppose
that neither our quandam american" Mr.
Naylor, nor our present Black-mail contempo-
rary, are 81 in demand at former rates ~
Suppose we were to pursue this subject of
party responsibility little further. If true
in principle as claimed in the article of our
contemporary, (by direct implication sup
pose we look into the prisons and pcnitentia-
ries of the country and learn to which party,
american or anti-American, the mass of their
inmates belongf The published statistics will
soon settle this question, for they present the
undeniable fact that without counting the