The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-07-11

Corwln. Tins gentleman is the author OF the fine
sentiment that the American army in Mexico de-
served to be welcomed with .bleody hands aud hos
pitable graves" and may be reasonably presumed
to be au fat all matters of reception and hospi-
talihes Mr.. Crittendcn's reply very properly for
bears all alluson to these pleasant antecedents His
heart beats for the race and his eye turns forward
to the goal He informs us that, after some five OF
six terms Of service had passed. and he had become
gray-haired, new vision or duty had dawned ON
his soul. He bad resolved to pursue different
courseto be less of party man-to serve his coun-
try better than he had done in the past He deter
mined to be less of the partisan and more of the
patriot"
This is good news. Mr.. Crittenden has been
through life bitter partisan by his confession.
His youth, his earliest and best energies, the
tured faculties of middle life much indeed of his old
age, has been devoted to party. But two or three
brief years Of public service yet remain to him, and
it is gratifying to have his that in these,
party shall give place to the obligations of patriot
ism The repentance comes, indeed, somewhat late;
but let us hope it will bear fruit and be at least
adnonihon to those who shall come after.
But softly We cannot forget that we have heard
this story before, and from the same lips. Like
the celebrated Mr. Ephraim Jenkinson's little piece
of learning with which he edited strangers and took
in the unsuspectng Vicar. the noparty suatagem Of
Mr. Crittenden has been played before with
cess which it will never receive at the second, and
ought never to have obtained at the first trial. 1t is
trick worn out and exposed but it is rehearsed by
our veteran actor with confidence which utterly
ignores the past.
The circumstances Of General Taylor's nomination
are fresh in the memory of all. lie was put for
ward as a noparty candidate. The of good feel
ing was to be restored. His administration was not
to be democratic one, nor was it to be whig. 1t
was to be an administration of the people. Pro-
scnption was itself to be prescribed" No demo-
crat was to be removed for his politics. To accom-
plish this result, Henry Clay, the man whose genius
had built up the wing party was rudely thrust aside.
He forsooth partisan and we were to have
Peoples President. Prominent in the wire-working
by which this wretched intrigue carried on, and
the man Of straw substituted for the of genius,
was the hand of John j. Crittenden. He was its
master spirit, and by his adroit management ma
jority even of the Kentucky delegates to the whig
convention were induced to throw their votes against
Mr. Clay. The nomination of Gen. Taylor being thus
compassed the present veteran actor led off in the
canvass At the City Hall Of Washington he stood
forth the interpreter and prophet Of the Taylor
dynasty. No spirit of party, he promised, should
control it. No democrat should be prescribed Both
democrats and wings had stood by General Taylor
at Monterey equally barring their bosoms to the foe
and they should stand equal footing 80 far as
office was concerned. Both should participate alike
in the honors and emoluments of the government
Time passed on. General Taylor was elected.
How were these promises redeemed2 History re-
cords that the administration devoted its whole en-
ergies to the work of prescription. Every demo-
crat was beheaded. Mr.. Crittenden was as promi-
nent at tho feast of the vuures ho had previously
been at the love-feast at the City Hail. No rebuko
came from his lips for the bitter partisanship, the
foul betrayal of pledges, the wholesale dismissal of
honest public servants. and the yet moro criminal
attempt to justify the work by wanton defama-
ton of character On the contrary, he stuck closely
to the administration which did all these things and
was, we presume, leading adviser of the policy of
General Taylor, which drove our country to the
very verge of disunion and civil war.
Z
With every disposition to be charitable, we must
Judge Mr.. Crttenden by his acts and not by his pro
fessions. We recall bis connexion with the cabinet
Of General Harrison, an administration which rode
into power partly on the charge Of prescription
against its antagonists. and ask if from one with
such antecedents anything like liberaty is to be ex
pected. His repentance, we fear, is but repetition
Of the old story Of the wolf who pretended that he
had got tired of eating mutton, and intended for the
future to restrict himself closely to vegetable Diet
Mr.. Crittendens partisanshp is too deeply rooted to
be discarded and is role of iberay and comprehen-
sive craftsmanship beyond his present powers Of
mind. The preudices of lifetime are in his way
We may regard them with forbearance and with
pity, but cannot expect them to BIO laid aside.
The construction of the act of Congress of May
49, 1874 and the action of the Land Department un-
dar n having attracted pubic atfanf;on