Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-05-06


his whole course, then so generally offensive,
and went further-it endorsed fully his future
political course as Gogernor. OF this endorse
ment we have never seen retraction. after
Governor Reeder had been dismissed, solely
for peculation, or attempted peculation on
public lands, he made a savage speech against
the Administration. This the Union censured;
this was an offence not against the Democratic
party, or it might have gone unwhipped, but it
was against the Executive; and when this oe
ours, the Union goes off, of itself. But Gov.
Reeder had made at Easton his famous "bor-
der ruffian" speech, and it was after this that
the Union gave him the Executive endorse
ment.
These are damning facts.
Again: The Nebraska bill was brought for
ward-the Union approved 1.-THE amendment
repeating the Missouri Compromise was Of
ered-the Union furiously denounced it
Senators applied the lash to 1.-THE Union was
was in favor of 1.-THE Union made the bill
test of Democratic orthodoxy. The House
had to elect a printer-the Executive wanted
it for the Union. The balance of power was
held by the Van Buren, fee-soiler, selfstyled
Democrats. There was the printing fee-but
the Union could not get it, without the Free
soil vote. Their price was Executive indul-
gence" to throttle and strangle this very test
bill of the Union. Alasl The Union had
read the history of Esau, to initiate, but not to
profit by the example. 1t sold its birth-right
for mess of pottage-if that had been all, it
would not have mattered much-but-
on its treason--it sold the Democratic party,
and by Executive countenance led on these
Van Buren, cohorts against the Democratic
party.
Had the Union been faithful, and the Ex-
ecutive had kept these allies of the Executive
true to the bill, it would have passed without
difficulty, and without excitement whereas
the license to treason gave rise to a protracted
and rancorous contest almost without parallel.
Did not the Administration invite the Ostend
Conference, and then betray the parties they
had invited.
We will not even touch upon mooted points,
when, while many censured, some approved the
acts Of the Administration.
But we do assert and we appeal to the heart
and consciousness of all fair candid and hon
orable men to say if up to this period, Gen.
Pierce had not lost the confidence and support
of the Northern Democracy and the distrust
of the South, and to the teeming columns of
papers North and South we refer for evidence.
His desertion at the North was SO total and abb
sslute that he had nothing to lose or to pre-
serve-his only hope for consideration was
with the South by an unreserved planting Of
himself on the Constitution, and by the princi.
Piles Of the Democratic party,-and to this
conclusion he came, through the influence of
some wise and sagacious counselor-the result
was first his annual message, written with an
ability which would do any man credit. The
Sentinel gave to it cordial approval-the
next step was the Kansas message, of consul
mate ability, with truthful and luminous ex-
position of the true version of the Constitu-
ton, and brushing away by its force of reason
ing the webs of sophistry Of the Black Re
bublicans.
We have never stinted the need Of praise
due to these most admirable papers, and we
now say in the most explicit manner, take
away from General Pierce his inaugural his
last annual and his special message, and his
most ardent partizans could not scrape togeth-
er and patch up record which would bear a
single glance.
We challenge the Union and all of our Sian.
derers to make any record for General Pierce,
excluding these three papers-and to them we
assign as high praise as can any one.
Everybody knowsful well, that these last doc
uments have wrought all the favorable feelings
which exist toward Gen. Pierce We well know
il, because Senators gave that reason for voting
for the Union-that General Pierce's heart was
set upon it, and he claimed if there was any
merit in them, that the appreciation Of them
should be manifested by the election Of the
Union.
Senators most warmly in favor Of the Union,
openly in speech stated that the record Of the
Union had their condemnation, while they en-.
dorsed and and approved that Of the Sentinel
and held its editor in high personal esteem all
these focts are well known here.
Not only SO, but the President himself was
told by Senators, as we have good reason to be-
lieve, that the Union had waved to and fro as
if without a rudder, while the Sentinel held an
undertaking Democratic course, and that by
these papers the President had put himself
fair and square upon the Sentinel platform,
and while he remained there they might move
harmoniously together. And so we could and
probably would have done, if he had not ap.
peared as a candidate for denomination. But
for that, It was our purpose TO give him and
his administration a cordial support to the end
Of his term, without referring to the past. But
the experience we have had of his piotage rem.
dered his continuance at the helm of State
matter of dread, or rather that his nomination