The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-04-25

In respect to the broad ntsFests u the country at
large bis measures have looked TO the speedy epte-
ment of an agitation which shaking the Union 10
It's foundation unsetng business, parayzing estes-
prise decorating the feelings and alternating the afec
iions of sectons. disgusting them with each
other 10 the last point Of endurance, aggravating a
corrodihg and esasperating strife and filling the
whole country with the seeds of acrimony and ex.
plosion. sat5tz1ts sl,~t4,,sf,~t,,tt
In mere party point Of view his course has been
equally conservative considerate and judicious If
he had put his foot upon the Lecompton constitution
when it was first promulgated the democratic ma
tional organization would have been instantly shat
tered into atoms. The patriotic course he pursued
preserved chat organisation in vigor and vitality
winning true and valuable men who had never uni
ted with it before, to its support, and losing be-
yond the hope ofrecoyery only those npon whom to
rely in trying periods would have been to rely only
TO be betrayed up to this period ofthe session. that
organization in Congress has fallen somewhat short
Of majority in one branch Of that body, still it is
an organization, and cannot fail to grow up into an
efficient majority when tho popular disgust that is
felt in the country for the protracted Kansas agita-
ton shall have demonstrated itself to the minds of
members Even if this popular feeling should fail
to impress itself upon the present Congress- of which
there can be fear, yet the President has pursued
course that has preserved the democratic organi-
cation for effective action in the future. aais4la
1t is impossible to calculate the mischiefs that
would have resulted TO the Union from rupture and
dissolution Of the democratic party. The policy
which the President pursued being proper and
right in ITSELF could have been no other than he did
pursue. But, supposing that the option had been
open to him to choose between that policy and the
one which few northern democrats adopted
in which not q single southern democrat dared to
follow them, Ills plain that if he had taken their
course the democratic organization would have been
riyen in twain it il plain that that great organiza
| ton which has been preserved by the act of the
President for usefulness il, the future would have
been destroyed beyond redemption. 9et 1'f tti
Whatever may become Of this Kansas agitation in
Congress-, the administration has done its whole
duty has discharged its whole responsibility, and
viii receive from the democratic masses, the award
well done, good and faithful servants. iSR aotasa
! III ttHIsfi " --.-eree...-e-.--..- i1asi sgali
CONSISTENCY IN ERROR.--MEN AND PRINCIPLES
aItlas doubt struck the reader that about one
fourth of all the political and religious dalectics of
this country is devoted to the maintenance of ihd-
ydual consistency This is pretty strong proof that
there but few men who have the courage to con-
Tess their enlightenment, how they came to have
their eyes opened and their Judgments convinced of
the errors of their former opinions 1t requires in
deed by this showing, more moral courage to main
tain truth than to confess error for there is not
one man in ten wise enough to see long in advance
especially in reference to the operation Of political
measures--whch involve opinions as much as prn
ciples--and there is less proportion who do not
find it necessary to change their views concerning
all matters of detail in morals religion and govern
ment !, Even granting the possibility Of understand
ing thoroughly fundamental principles their applica-
ton in measures policy is, to great extent,
experimental; and this is a field upon which opin-
ions ongh. to undergo their proper modification.
But there is almost everywhere and nnder all cir
cumstances certain pride of the individual, which
must be maintained. as absolutely infallibe. This
is the tyrannical law of consistency which 10 based
upon the radical idea that there is nothing to be
learned in the future and nothing to be forgotten in
the past. + ..,ss,, FAM. ,.t.sa1
Politicians, and indeed all small men, seem to re-
gard change Of ideas upon any given subject as
presumptive proof Of weakness and vascillntion,
whereas in truth, il is evidence Of strength, cour
age, wisdom, and honesty. A man that has the in
trepidity to abandon error, thereby confessing
his fault is far safcr counsellor judge, minister OF
Legislator than he who stubbornly adheres to the
wrong, in order simply to maintain his consistency.
True consistency, however, does not indicate adhe
renee to precedent, but adherence to truth 1t is
not formula, but fact. No man is more ncon-
sistent than he who continues in the wrong when
fully conscious Of the error Of his ways for he then
does thing not because it is right but because he
acted in 2 like manner on q former occasion In
the first instance, he might have been honest; in
the last, better advised, he becomes dishonest
from no better motive than that Of sustaining an
error, because he himself helped to originate
it. We take it for granted, for instance, to bring
these observations to practical turn, that the
advocates Of tho Missouri Compromise and the
Wilmot Proviso have become thoroughly convinced
that those measures could effect practical end in
reference to the establishment or prohibition of
slavery in the public Territories That the compro-
mise men Of 1920. and The Disciples of the proviso
subsequently believed in the efficacy of the Missouri
act aud tho prohibitory clause Of Mr. Wilmot, we
do not doubt Subsequent events however, have