The true Democrat., 1856-03-04
Letter from Washington.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, IEn ehIllntoal n G Enh 2d 1SSR


 DEAR JoHNsoN:-The vote cast on yester- day for Gov. Aiken, of South Carolina, for speaker induced SIX of our friends this morning to vote for the plurality resolution, believing that Gov. Aiken could be elected under it. demonstrated with our friends, and told them not to take that step, believing that they were deceived as to the result that would be brought about under that resolution The resolution was adopted, and the deed has been done- Banks, of Massachusetts, has heen chosen under 1 it by a majority of three votes over Gov Aiken, who was a sound national democrat standing firmly upon the platform Of the democratic eau GUS, but who was not member of that caucus ! The vote stood thus: Banks, 1O3; Aiken, 100; giving Banks three majority. There were ae- ven votes of the 12th section Know Nothings, and one democrat, Barclay of Pa.,) and trai- tor in our camp, who refused to vote for Gov. Aiken. The Know Nothing5 who voted for Aiken on yesterday and who refused to vote for him to-day, are Broom of Pa, Valk Whitney and Bayard Clark of New York, which would | have elected the democratic candidate under the resolution had they have cast their votes | for him. II. Winter Davis, of Baltimore and Cullen of Delaware, both members of the Know Nothing party, refused to cast their votes also | for Gov. Aiken, both of those gentlemen repre- senting slave States, but must say, certainly not representing in this contest at least the seu- of l., 1f *, gentlemen, with the others I have named are responsible to the country for the organization of the House by the election of man to pre- side over the deliberations of that body, who stated that he was quietly waiting to see which of the two races, the black or the white, would eventually absorb the other hold that none of those gentlemen can protect themselves up- on the plea that they did not cast their votes for Banks. They stood by and suffered his cleo tion when they could have prevented such a calamity. The other votes, which had hereto fore been cast for Fuller, of Pa, voted as an alternative for Gov. Aiken. Thus you see and the country can see the indignity that has been offered to the south by placing man in the speakers chair whose hostility to our institn- tionS knows TO bounds. The black republican party in the north owe their strength in the present House of Representatives to Kno,o No. hingism, which has done nothng but serve to crush out our national men in the north. and to divide and distract a, the south, when now should be acting together harmonious ly. Can 1t be possible that this party can stand in the south under such circumstances. Those gentlemen who stood out from the balance of their party and refused to vote for our candidate hold their Amercanism as paramount to all other questions. The black republicans at the north will be emboldened by this resutto bring forward their candidate for the presidency, and if possible to so divide and distract us at the south, that the election of President will de- volve upon the House of Representatives. May God avert such calamity to the country. trust that the people of Arkansas will cease their hostility to the foreign born citizen and Catholic, and look more seriously to the preser- vation of the Union and with it our southern lhStltauohs. regard this as an important crisis through which we are now passing. This is the first time in the history of the government that man has been elevated to the office off speaker of the House of Representatives purely upon sectional grounds. No vote south of Mason and Dixon's line was cast for him When the committees are formed you will no doubt see that the political complexion of the committee upon the District of Columbia, will be such as to insure report recommending the abolition of slavery in the District. It is for tunate for the country that we have conser- vatlve Senate and President whose devotion to the Union cannot be doubted.
 Very respectfully,
 your obedient serv't,
 A. B. GREENWOOD.