Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-05-01

purpose was reported by Judge Douglas. The
repeal of the Missouri Compromise and the
other features Of the bill met our warm APP
proval, and the Enquirer and Sentinel fought
side by side in the terrific contest that eusued.
We will not do more than allude to the course
of the. President and his organ, the Washing
ton Union. The former electioneering for the
bill as a bill for freedom, while the latter would
at one time advocate the bill--at another, vio-
lenty denounce the amendment repeating the
Missouri Compromise-the making this same
amendment test Of Democracy-then, for the
purpose of being elected Printer to the House,
declaring the Nebraska bill TO be no test of De-
mocrdcy-iadicdting every reasonable opposi-
ton TO it-pronouncing that every Democrat
who might use his utmost power TO defeat The
Nebraska bill was as good Democrat as
Bright, Slide, and Brown, and should be kept
in as good communion aud fellowship as those
gentlemen themselves! When the bill, how
ever, passed, the President signed If, but still
continued in high and numerous offices the men
Of that fraction of the party who 50 traitorously
opposed i'll! But in the organization of the
Territories it was confidently expected that
Kansas or the southern territory would be or
ganized by southern officers while the opposite
policy would be pursued towards Nebraska.
Not So however. The unnatural policy was
adopted by the President, which has resulted
MT only IN 1appar md trnnhla ~
may be-to the emigration from the two Sec
tons of the country, but has clearly endan-
gered the admission of Kansas as a slare
State Now we ask our friend Of the En-
quirer if it is prepared to justify this course of
the chief" or to reconcile the fatal inconsist-
encies which marked it? 1t has, we admit,
an Offset to all this in the special message of the
President twelve months after the damage was
done, and eren then not basing his removal Of
Governor Reeder upon the true ground, to wit:
his hearty utilization with the Freesoilers, aud
his cooperation with the nefarous purposes Of
the /" Emigrant Aid Societies. Does the En-
quirer endorse and approve the treacherous
conduct of the Administration to our three dis
tinguished representatives abroad, in the Os-
tend Conference, which excited the Indignation
not only of the whole country, but of these
gentlemen themselves? What would our con.
temporary have thought, if, in his late embassy,
his obedience to his instructions of his own
Government was made the cause of reputation
and reproacA to him? Still the cases are quite
analogous. This, then, is the boasted Demo
cratic Administration at whose head stands
this Wanted Chief and Representative of the
Democratic party!' Is there no cause, too, for
the augmentation of the Democratic party
throughout the country-no cause for the pre-
dominance in the popular branch of Congress
of the Black Republicans and in the Senate
of the United States for the great increase of
Freesoilers? Surely it lies at some ones door,
and at whose but this famous "Chief Of the
Democratic party?" Again, says the Enquirer
"The Cincinnati Convention will endorse Presi-
dent Pierce, and the Democracy will 90 into
the fight on the issues presented by his Admin
istration !" and again: "The party would not,
if it could, get rid of the responsibility for the
acts Of this Administration !" We are glad to
know that our contemporary is not TO be
deemed as speaking by the card for either the
Cincinnati Convention or the Democratic party,
when he SO positively makes these assertions.
The Cincinnati Convention viii not, we believe,
place upon the name it presents to the Ameri-
can Democracy any such crushing incubus as
an endorsement Of President Pierce! 1t will
not SO stuhiy its action, if it does so, in pre-
,enting another name than his (for we hold
that there is no constitutional ineligibility
for second term y and if the Cincinnati Con-
vention, therefore, are prepared to endorse Mr.
Pierce and his acts, it should renomiaate him
This would not only be just to General Pierce,
but il would be due to the country. Nor will
the party 90 into the fight on the issues pre-
scented By the Administration" We have emu.
merated some (for space does not allow us TO
proceed) of these issues and we undertake
to say that if such want Of wisdom is displayed,
our Democratic champions will have a hard
road to travel.
But We come now to the point the Enquirer
makes, which is SO decidedly cool that it pro.
voked our mirth. 1t charges substantially that
the friends OF Mr.. BUCHANAN have commenced
this made Of warfare, when it is fully demon.
strable that Mr.. Pierce himself inaugurated il
as far back as the OsteHd Conference Ever
since that time to the present, Franklin Pierce
has instigated and invented the most insdious
and dsreputable attacks upon Mr.. BUCHANAN.
not only through his own mouthpiece, but even
in bis own conversations. We make this charge:
that General Pierce has told delegates to the
National Convention, that If he did not get the
nomination himself, no northern man should
have it-clearly pointing to Mr.. BUcHASAS,
who, except Judge Douglas, is the only north.
ern man" spoken Of, and if report be true the
relations Of the latter are greatly changed TO-