The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-02-14
A FEW PLAIN WORDS FOR THE PEOPLE
NO COALITION.

congress, opposed the NEBRASKA Bill and voted
against it, not as a Pro-Slavery measure, but
as violation of good faith, and calculated to
aggravate agitation in regard to Slavery. This
honorable course was not approved by his con-
stituents, and, chiefly for this reason, we are
| told, he failed of reelection.
But Mr.. Cullom was also Know Nothing
| like other Southern Know Nothings, consented
to acquiesce in q measure which he had disap-
proved when on its passage; has always been
in favor of the policy affirmed by the 18th Sec
ton of the Philadelphia platform. In full
view of this, he was elected Clerk of the House
by the supporters of Mr.. Banks, acting in
combination with his Southern friends.
Now, We have no sectional feeling. For the
last nine years we have resided in the South
and have more personal interests here than
at the North. 1t would not trouble US were all
the Offices in the hands of Northern men, South
ern men, or Western men, provided they occu-
pied the right political ground, and were com
petent. But let the Olgarchy teach its ad-
versaries a lesson. When did IL erer confer a
position Of influence on u Northern man, not
| hHoUH 10 Oc one run " ~ DOttCyE
Next came the reelection Of Mr. Glossbren-
ner, Sergeant-at-Arms,. by the Admnistra-
ton men, aided by the votes Of some of the
supporters of Mr.. Banks, who doubtless felt
that this movement would divest the election
OF Mr.. Cullom OF all political significance, as
showing that the action of majority of the
House in both cases was determined by other
than political motives.
But the rest Of the Offices, it seems, were not
TO be disposed of in the same way. caucus
was called, Monday night, the 18th instant not
of Republicans that title does not seem to
be popular here-not even Of Anti Nebraska
men-that would have been too restricted for
the objects TO be accomplished. An "Anti-
Administration caucus was called, and as a
sample of its competition, among those present
were Messrs. Giddings, Stanton, Broom, Walk,
&c., and two Know Nothing members from the
South AS we stated last week, Mr.. Darling,
of New York, was nominated for Doorkeeper,
Mr.. Morris, of Washington, for Postmaster
both Know Nothings-and by going into a
caucus with Messrs. Broom, Walk, and other
Fuller men, the supporters of Mr.. Banks COM
mitted themselves to the support of these NOM
inees 1t would be agreeable to overlook all
these matters, but we speak to the People, and
for the People. If the facts are creditable, no.
body will complain; il otherwise, nobody has
right to complain.
The next day Mr.. Darling was elected, re-
ceving ll9 votes, the Banks men voting for
him in combination with the Fuller men,
many of whom had signalzed themselves by
bitter and reckless opposition to Mr.. Banks,
and by denunciation of the Black Republi-
cans "-Messrs. Broom, Bayard Clark, Fuller
of Pennsylvania, Haven, Milward, Moore,
Walk, Wheeler, Whitney, from the free States,
and Messrs. Carile Cullen, Harris, Hoffman,
Kennett, Lake, Paine, Reade, Ricaud, Rivers,
Smith of Alabama, Underwood, ZollicofTer,
from the slave States.
Did these twenty-five gentlemen, almost
cry one of whom had distinguished himself by
uncompromsing hostility to the election of Mr..
Banks for nine weeks, leap to the support of
Mr.. Darling, without knowing their man Not
another word is necessary
Mr.. Morris was then elected Postmaster
yeas los, nays 97-eected by the votes of the
Banks men, aided by Fuller men, as follows:
Messrs. Broom, Fuller of Pennsylvania, Har-
rison, Haven, Millward, Moore, Walk Whitney,
eight from free States Cullen, Davis, Harris,
Hoffman, Paine, Reade, Ricaud, Smith of Ala
bama, Seward, Zollicofier, ten, from slave
| States
The question recurs-Would these eighteen
4 Il Al
should forever remain unorganized, rather than
have Mr.. Banks elected, have voted for Mr.
Morris, had they not known that he was a Ma
tional Know Nothing?
How the caucus managed about the Printer,
we do not exactly understand. We have been
informed that Mr.. Folett, of Ohio, got the nom-
nation by one majority, and that the opposition
10 him then bolted. Mr. FolIett, we are told. is
not a Know Nothing; but, like the majority of
Republican editors in Ohio, has been willing
to temporize and compromise with the Order,
10y coalitions with it. But even this policy was
not tolerable to the orthodox Know Nothings
SO said the subsequent proceedings. The
rules of the last House were adopted for the
government of this, and under a rule making
a previous nomination necessary to the cleo
ton of all officers, a direct resolution to elect
| Mr.. Foett, Printer, was ruled out of order, and
the House then proceeded to nominate Our
record shows that Mr.. Follett received but
eighty votes on the first trial, and only one
Fuller man, Broom, of Pennsylvania, voted for
him Can evidence stronger be required of
the Froscriptive policy of Know Nothingism,
of its fixed resolve to vote for no man for any
office who is not a member of the Order, and
in good standing?
Enough. We have opposed all coalitions
with the Order, all coquetting with it, among
the People. We should be false to our convic.
tons, did we not oppose it here, among their
Representatives. If Mr.. Banks had been uomi-
mated by coalition between two Parties, rep
resenting both, pledged to both, we should
have opposed his election, and reioiced in his
defeat, even had the organization of the House
passed into the hands of the Administration.
He was not nominated by coalition-he was
voted for by men driven together on one issue,
and one only-he represented, not American
ism, not Whigism, not Democracy, but Anti
Nebrakaism, or the policy Of establishing Free
dom ia Kansas and Nebraska. On this issue
alone he was elected, and therefore we reioiced.
just so far the victory was the triumph Of
one sound principle, unadulterated by the tri-
umph of any wrong principle.
But the proceedings of the body of his sup
porters after that, in forming a coalition in a
common caucus with National Know Nothings