The Washington union., 1858-03-16
WASHINGTON CITY.
TUESDAY MORNING, MARCH 10. 1855.
TO THE PUBLIC.


paper the Of Ces,,elius Wendell appears its
publisher in the n.ace of Hon w. A. Harris. We
have no other change to announce. The Union will
exhibit all the energy and talent which have charac
terzed its columns heretofore, and which, we have
the best reasons for believing have met the cordial
approval of our political friends throughout Tire
country.
1t is our purpose, as as the necessary ar
rangsmens can be completed to reduce the price of
the DAILY Uaos, greatly enlarge the size of the
Weekly ISSUE and to addre SO the democracy of the
country with view of extending its circulation and
Increasing its usefulness great central newspaper
ut the federal capital is political necessity which it
shall be our aim to supply
RECusANT DEMOCRATS-A QUESTION OF DUTY
The Richmond Enquirer disapproves ofthe :" course
oil warfare we have pursued against those demo
Gratis who have dissented from the views of the ad
minstration in the present aspect of Kansas affairs
We regret to differ with the Enquirer on SO important
subject indeed on any subject and much more to
he under the necessity of expressing differences
We should not reply to its expostulations if it ld
not write in strain which imputes wrone-doa 10
us and innocence to those for WHOM /. pleads-a
strain doubly injurious 70 us, who have but per-
formed our duty towards guilty OF gross, gra-
tmtosis injustice and wrong to the democratic cause
The Enquirer thinks that in indulgng the language
of philippic against such men as Mr.. Douglas and
an using complimentary terms towards such others as
Mr. John Van Duren, we stutify ourselves. The
Enquirer is engaged in the task Of defending the
Lecompton constitution. and in also defending men
who denounce it from end of the land to other.
as fraud most atrocious, monstrous, and uDomina-
be We can hardly conceive of qualification
moro complete than this
The Enquirer ascribes to us the g utmost de-
gree of liberation and indulgence to blackrepub-
licansm itself" from the fact that VIC mention
ed the ate able and brilliant speech of Mr.. John
Van Buren,, at Tammany Hall, in terms of commen-
dauon, though Of qualified endorsement We had
hoped that the old hard and soft controversy had
been ended in the democratic party 1t is certain
that for four years and half the Enquirer, and those
Tor whom 1t speaks, have been most earnestly preach
ing 2 toleration and indulgence" for the politi
clans known as scfts or barnburners, in New York
of whom Mr. Van Buren, and Mr.. Dix were leaders
1t would be no exa9geration if we We're to say that
the Enquirer and those for whom speaks have been
the Gamaiiels at whose feet we have learned tolera
ton and indulgence for these men, Surely if such
sentiments the Enquirer has entertained could be
indulged towards Mr.. Van Buren, for series of
years before the last presidential campaign, the
active aud efficient services of that gentleman in
half the northern States, during that campaign, in
support Of the democratic candidates and in de-
fence Of the democratic PLATFORM ought to be esteem
ed q sufficient expiation to have consigned his by
cones to eternal oblivion At all events it does not
lie in the mouth of the Enquirer in view of it's past
policy Of liberation and Indulgence towards Mr. Van
Buren, and his friends, to denounce them as black
republicans, now that they are rallying actively
to the support of measure for which the Enquirer
itself processes and protests an ardent advocacy.
But suppose, for arguments sake, that Mr. Van
Buren, Mr.. Dix, and the New York Herald were in
fact black republicans of the deepest dye still it
would not lie in the mouth Of the Enquirer which
is defending men who, though conspicuous
democrats, are now even more conspcuously leading
the onslaught of the whole black-republican party
upon the Lecompton constitution to object to black
republican alliances. Unfortunate, indeed is such
an objection in tho mouth of apologist of these
men With the entire blackrepublican legion
yelping in their lead, scattering their speeches
and letters the North by the hundred thou
sand, and vouchng them as witnesses to the
infamous atrocity of the q Lecompton fraud !"
to the moral and political corruption of the dem
ocratic administration, and to the personal tur-
pitudc of great and good democratic President,
we should have thought that in common prudence,
the objection of black-republican contamination
would be the very last which apologist of these
men would blunder into. Surely, may adopt the
Enquirer's long proclaimed sentiments of toleraton
and indulgence towards Mr.. Van Buren, if the En-
quirer may defend men whom Messrs. Seward Gid
dings, and Fred. Douglass, extolling with un-
measured commendation
But enough of the Enquirer. A few words of the
recusant democrats who are lending all the powers
of their nellects and all the influence of their names
to the aid of the backrcpublcan assailans of the
Lecompton constitution, the democratic party, and
the democratic administration in the vital struggle
now pending.
1t cannot be denied that entire section of the
Union without distinction of party and the majority
of the democratic party at the North supporting
the pending measure before Congress for the prompt
admission Of Kansas into the Union. The entire
democratic delegation of the South in Congress-,