Washington sentinel., 1856-04-10
THE WASHINGTON UNION AND ITS
EDITORIAL FROM THE PEN OF
THE "ADMIRABLE CRICHTON.'

UeHtrai ~ - uuc ~ tue esiiihato We P'aSS
upon our own sagacity for the detection OF
style to say, that we think we can discover
other fingers in the pie than his own.
The caption Of the article, occupying three
columns of the Washington Union, would
appal an ordinary reader, unaccustomed to
wade through the immensity Of philosophical
disquistions with which we are so often treated
by this solemn, sage, and selfsatisfed sheet.
"The power of great principle" PRO
digious) "The Past, the Present, and the
Future" Mercy on US, what theme! All
the way from the "good old days of Adam and
of Eve" down to the present evil days of Pierce
and ''Crichton," we might have STOOD but
the Future, too,-that future, that we learned
at Sunday-school, was reserved for God alone
to scan-is treated as lightly if the author
had divine inspiration. 1t is true that the
article j. so long, learned, and leadea, that we
had to encounter it pretty much after the
fashion of locomotive in snow-drif-back
down and take several. running starts, before
we could make the whole trip. But we got
through at last, though not in time for the
mail
But, TO be serious-for it is not right TO joke
with neighbor who never laughs-this article
is most extraordinary one; and we propose
to treat it, as close reperusal lat which, it is
true, we shuddered) has suggested. In com
menting upon a contemporarys production, it
will be admitted that We almost always repro
Il. IL n
instance we are unable to do so, for want Of
space for the present ponderous one Of our
neghbor of the Washington Union. We shall,
however, quote the particular passages upon
which we will comment, and that, too, with as
much fairness to the conterts as possible.
The first passage that arrests our attention
is the following:
The state OF general calmuess aud quiet
which characterized the public mind when
President Pierce entered upon his executive
duties was the result of the popular acques-
cence in the compromise measures to which
we have alluded. After expressing his unquali-
fed approval of those measures, and pledgin
himself to see them faithfully executed, Presi.
dent Pierce, in his inaugural address, feryently
hoped that the question was at rest, and that
no sectional or ambitious or fanatical excite
ment might again threaten the durability Of
our institutions, or obscure the light Of our
prosperity. This hope has been disappointed,
and it becomes a matter Of the first moment to
understand correctly the causes which have
again precipitated the country into its present
agitated condition"
In this there is nothing very important but
the admission that General Pierce found the
country, upon bis elevation to the Chief Magis-
tracy, in state Of general calmness and
quietude, and that the cause Of this was
general acquiescence in the Compromise
measures, Of which he expressed his unquali-
fed approval, and pledged himself to see them
faithfully executed. This is all we'll enough but
shows pretty clearly what General Pierces
course afterwards con6rmed-tbat he, at the
6rst introduction of the Nebraska Bill, ,cas
opposed 10 IL, aud it is worthy Of note just here
TO say that, after he did screw his courage up
to the sticking point in its favor be assigned
as reason for it that it was "bM for
freedom!", This is the great southern cham
pion which South Carolina pants to honor with
her suffrages again.
But says the TRion:
I" A little reflection will satisfy every mind
that there was no possibility Of giving terrific.
rial organization 10 Nebraska and Kansas with
out incurring the risk Of reviving the slavery
agitation. lfa bill had been presented contain
ing no reference to the subject Of slavery. the
southern people, and particularly those OF Mis-
souri aud Arkansas, would promptly and earn
estly have protested"
Very we'll, and we find no fault with the
reasoning, but what kindly care our paragon
Southern President must have had for Mis-.
souri, aud Arkansas when he admitted that
be favored the bill with kno,cledge, if not
for the reason, that it was "bH for freedom, ~
But here comes the most daring passage
that we have ever seen. Really, the Wash
ington Union must hope TO save itself by its
audacity.
/" 1t was not necessary to an honest opposi.
ton TO the Nebraska bill that there should be
sectional agitation. Perhaps it was too much
TO expect that those who had acquiesced in the
compromise Of 1850, merely because further
opposition was useless, would allow the Ne.
braska bill, which re-afirmed the great prin.
ciple Of ftbatcompromise, to pass without opposi.
ton"
This is a re-hash Of its celebrated ubsolution
article, wherein our neighbor anoiuted in ad.
vance, with holy oil, all the Democrats who
should not vote for the Nebraska. X ansas bill
Our readers will remember this, and the strin.
gent circumstances which prompted the ex.
ercise Of this general amnesty The Wash.
ington Union, at the very most critical period
of the pendency Of the Nebraska bin before
Congress, stood forth, and gave encouragement
to the Democratic enemies Of that bill, by
vouchsa6ng to them entire freedom from sin or
blame, on account Of their opposition to the
bill itselfl This, as we said, was in advance OF
It's passage. 1t was driven from this position
after its election as printer to the House, by
the President himself, as pe chance TO know
who seeing the stampede that it created