Washington sentinel., 1856-05-29

perfect soundness of the northern Democrac
on the questions at issue in the coming con
test-acknowledges that it is incumbent on tn
South to yield the nomination to northern
candidate presented by the North.
1t would appear to us to follow as a .fortiori
that when this sound Democracy Of the Nortl
(vouched for by Mr.. Seddon) presented a can
didate bearing in his hands an assurance o
victory, that the only course open to the Soutl
would be to "unite cordially from the first il
bestowing the candidacy of the party on one
THAT one) "of the able leaders proposed from
the North" who comes with the Offering of as
sured victory.
We might stop here and proceed no further
with our remarks, as every one knows there j.
candidate presented by the North holding
victory in his hands, and everybody knows who
that candidate is.
Mr.. Seddon's " gratitude" is of partial ant
peculiar character. He states the services o.
General Pierce, and claims for them in pay
ment the nomination for the .pext Presidency
but he entirely overlooks the fact that he had
already been paid in full to do these services
In his eagerness to pay General Pierce twice
over for services rendered, he entirely over.
looks the longer and greater services of other.
who have not been paid even after service
rendered.
The Democracy at the North know full well
to whom they owe their late disastrous routes
and to whom to look to rally them to certain
victory.
Mr.. Seddon predicates his preference for
General Pierce upon his connexion with the
Kansas Nebraska bill. What is the history Of
that bill and of General Pierce's connexion
with it which renders one Presidential term so
insufficient reward, that all others claims
must be set aside to give him prepayment and
sub.payment?
The bill was originally introduced by Judge
Douglas Several Senators-Messrs. Toombs,
Dixon, and others, conceiving the opportunity
good one to complete and carry out the Com
promise measures of 1850, prepared clause
repeating the Missouri Compromise. 1t was
offered in open Senate as an amendment by
Mr.. Dixon. General Pierces organ, on the
next day, opened its batteries of denunciation
against this very amendment, upon which, as
a hobby, General Pierce is to ride again into
Office. The unanimity among Democratic Sen
ators compelled partial retraction. AS the
fight waxed warmer, those Freesoil Democrats
to whom the Union had, in the name Of Gen.
eral Pierce, promised that, sin the bestowal
Of Federal patronage and in the selection Of
agents to administer the Government" de-
manded official authority to coalesce with Abo
tionists to defeat this BILL and yet to be retained
in the Democratic party, er equo, with the bes,
Democrats.
That official authority was formally given in
the Union, and the test withdrawn to license
this intended, this pre-avowed treason.
So far, the action of General Pierce, however
good may have been his intentions, would hardly
entitle him SO exclusively to the whole credit
of the Kansas-Nebraska bill, as to require q
second Presidential term to repay the debt Of
gratitude due to him for his services in the pas
sage of the bill.
The denunciations by the Union Of the amend
ment repeating the Missouri Compromise, and
the prompt and full liberty given to Democrats
to join the Abolitionists in defeating it, opened
chink wide enough to let the Abolitionists
and Freesoilers see the weak point of the Ad
ministration. 1t showed whose counses were
in the ascendant. To sustain these counsel.
lors, whose advice against this bill had done Sc
much, the Abolitionists and Freesoilers, by con
cert, set up one of those loud, prolonged, hide
Gus, reverberating yells which only fanatics can
utter. The sound and fury which they got up
frightened many Of the supporters of the bill
and instigated to the most desperate means the
opposition to this bill. The Union was between
two fres-the South unsparingly applying the
lash, the North assailing, with hideous and dis
cordant yells, and threats Of vengeance. Strange
to say, both parties succeeded. With the hand
the Executive approval was affixed to the bill
while the averted face told the yelling demons
Of the North that it was intended for their spe.
cial beneft-to get free States.
So far, General Pierce does not yet show any
such overriding and exclusive claim to the
merits of the Kansas Nebraska bill.
We next find in the progress of this matter
the appointment Of Reeder, governor to this
Kansas Territory, an appointment however,
honestly intended, was widely disapproved Of
at the time. The political career Of Reeder,
while Governor of Kansas is familiar to all.
The organ of General Pierce endorsed. after
his border-ruffian speech, the entire political
course of Governor Reeder, past, present, and
future. So far as our knowledge extends, this
sweeping approval has never been retracted.
Thus in the origin, amendment passage Of
the bill, and the organization Of the Territory.
we find no traces of those extraordinary ser.
vices for which our gratitude can offer nothing
less than foo Presidential terms, one before
and the other after the act