Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-02-02
A VIEW OF THE CASE

The Softs, alias the Van Buren, Buffalo
platform party, claimed to have voted for the
present Executive, and, in consideration, to be
the recipients of the highest honors-in prefer
ence to the Hards, alias unchanged Democ-
racy. The Softs did obtain the chief Offices I'M
der the Administration, while the Hards had
only the collector at New York. The Softs
complained that in the distribution of offices by
the collector, their body had not It's full share.
A peremptory requisition was made on him BY
the Secretary Of the Treasury, to recognise this
organized body Of Soits, and to give them a full
share OF Offices. To this the collector demur-
red, stating his convictions Of the insincerity of
the Softs that, instead of dissolving their or
ganization, they still kept up their separate or
ganization in the very midst Of the Democratic
party-that if they had truly returned 10 the
Democratic fold for the purpose of adhering TO
It's measures, this separate organization was
unnecessary, as it was suspicious and injurious.
The Executive, in good faith we believe. de.
slrlng TO cement aud to strengthen the Demo.
cratic party, was DESTROYS Of securing the adhe.
organized body Of Van Buren, men, and this
desire led him to accept as proof OF LOYALTY to
the Democratic party, evidences which to others
were far from being conclusiye-indeed. carry
ing, we thought, deception on their face. Thus
believing. the Executive dismissed, with every
mark Of Executive disgrace, the honorable in.
cumbent Of The Office of collector Of New York
We took strong ground against this action, as
unjust to that portion of the Democratic party
which had never faltered, and predicted that,
in the hour Of trial, the Van Buren, cohorts
would desert.
The day of trial came-a test which probed
to the quick was offered Impassioned ap.
peals TO the Administration were made to
avert the trial Of their fdelity-the organ
denounced it in good set phrase But the
test was being made by surgeons as skilful as
they were frn, and the Executive had to choose
between abandoning its avowed principles,
and Of declaring the Nebraska-K Kansas bill
no test. Its organ had made it most distinctly
party test When the election of printer to
the House came up-lo! the cloven foot from
beneath the Buffalo platform peeped forth.
The Executive was distinctly told that these
Buffalo platform men must not be held TO the
test-that they must retain their spells. and be
allowed TO vote against this BILL and vet re-
tain their position in the ranks Of the Demo.
cratic party. The Executive. who had en-
dorsed their orthodoxy, was thus placed in
painful position By the treachery of these men.
and must either acknowledge that he had been
deceived, and that the Hards were right, or find
some loophole Of escape. The fertile brain Of
this clovenfooted party found the remedy.
The Albany Atlas tells the tale Il was this !:
Declare officially that the Kansas Nebraska
act IS no test and that every member who
votes against it shall be deemed, by the AID.
mini5tration good Democrat as he who
votes for it, and We viii elect your Mr.. Nichol.
son printer to the House. How dear this gen.
tlenan must be to the Executive, all can Judge
by this fearful price paid for him. But the
Executive and the organ proved more faithful
to the decetful Softs than did they to the Ex.
ecutive. The organ did promulgate, officially,
the absoluton Of the Softs who should vote
against the bill. The Executive received The
price Of this absolution--,he election of Mr..
Nicholson as printer.
How dearly this bargain cost the Democratic
party, all can Judge by the remembrance OF the
fierce and prolonged struggle for victory which
the Democratic party had with the " absolved :
Van Buren, cohorts
Bot did the sacrifices Of feeling, Of dignity,
on the part Of the Executive to retain them in
Office and in the Democratic party, serve TO en-.
sure fidelity on the part Of the Van Buren,
cohorts? Did therecollection Of the leopard into
which the Democratic party was thrown, BY their
desertion, serve in any degree TO secure their fu
ture fdelty2
On the contrary, did not the Softs, in their
nomination for State officers, select, almost "a
man, parties who were proud Of their Buffalo
platform, and still claimed respect for it--sc
declared by John Var Buren, in his published
letter, and bis allegation remains uncontra
dicted by any Of them
But change came over the spirit Of the
dream. The convention at Cincinnati was 10
have representatives from fifteen Southern
States; then treason was snufied by the organ.
and John Van Buren, was tracked Nv sn;es
and informers to catch, at some obscure place,
an heretical sentiment and suddenly excop,.
municated, without the poor privilege of .
trial. The Albany dttas was savagely kicked
out Of the party. But the Soft party did not
repudiata n single one of the BufTalo IA.
form candidates they had selected as their
standard bearers The Sohs we're badly
beaten; they could get no spoils-wheu
presto, another change--they hre after the
spoils again, and get up another convention,
pass Barnumlke resolutions, send them to the
already deceived and betrayed Executive, and