Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-03-14
ICON NUNICtTpD.


who act,atcd by desire to do justice to one
whom he has wronged makes atonement
for an injury which he has inflicted, is called
a hero. This is ~ il should be. Liable 10
err a. all men are and as prone as frail hui
mainly is. TO persist in error and outrage, it
is proper that honor should crown the man
who ovcrcomeS the passions Of his nature
and sacrificing his pride or his interests
10 4 sense of Justice, confesses his fault, and
rs far As he is able. makes reparaton. But
alas. this virtue which occupies so high po-
sitiOn amongst characteristics which dlgnl-
fy and adorn. is from It's very excellence
more exposed to the danger Of being coun-
terleited.
Hence. no man is just to himself or Just
10 truth who does not carefully guard
against the possibility of encouraging the
deception. by permitting himself to be de-
ceyed Ii is peculiarly proper therefore. to
scrutnizr the exhibition of this admirable
trait when the circumstances of the case
show that it is not willingly. but reluctantly
exercised and that the act Of reparatiun was
made. when the refusal to do 80 would be OF
no advantage to him who makes II. And
besides, if ii is done with bad grace under
these circumstances. showing 4 disposition
rather to Justify himself than to do justice To
( anothcr-these are all suspicious indications
that the party is actuated by other than
proper considerations.
! We have no doubt but that the gentle
man whose speech was reported in Demo
/ cratic paper few evenings since, will be
- a. nj ha
/ duly grateful for the kindness Intended
( For ourselves we can only say, that if We
! have been instrumental in awakening the
/ journalist, to sense of justice, we shall
enjoy higher reward than his gratitude
can possibly afford i'll the consciousness
OF having done right in giving expires
sions to views. which we intended to be
applicable to all journals obnoxious To the
same criticism We do not intend, how
/ ever. that our criticism shall be merged in
the consideration of the political history Of
that all cngrosSing parsonage, our late repre-
sentative. Whether or not he was Know
| Nothing" or affiliated" with the Know
Nothings, or was frightened during the de-
/ livery of that speech by the approaching
procession of his Democratic friends; we all
dO know, that he was not AT the Democratic
meeting ut Lyccum Hall, where all good
Democrats were expected TO be. We know
that friend of GOV. Smith declared that
Gov. Smith was waiting ut the Marshall
! House to address the Know Nothings, that
the Know Nothng~ assembled at the Mar
shall House for the purpose of being ad-
I dressed by him: and that Gov. Smith did adj
dress them, with the full knowledge that it
was political assembly, uncompromisingly
opposed to the meeting that night held at
/ Lvceum Hall.
! We will not. even by inuendo, impcach
! the vcrarity of the narrator tor insinuate
that he is III the habit Of dreaming with his
! eyes open, when he states that Coy. Smith
had finished his speech before the meeting
at the Lyccum Hall adjourned. lie states
this Of his own knowledge, and therefore
we will not contradict it. But it is never
thcc~> true. that procession Of the democra-
cy. with transparencics and shoutings, turned
into King street il,t as the Governor conclu-
ird his speech. and it is further known that it
was at thar time supposed, by some, to be COM
posed Of those who had met at Lyceum Hall.
1t may be that it was only a portion of the
gathering there, who weary of the dull speech
rs of the occasion, and impatient for the
pomp and parade had determined 10 march
before the Chief Marshal gave the order.
In reference 20 the fact stated in the report
ed speech of Mr.. Massey. that Gov Smith
was on hi, way 10 the Hall for the purpose of
addressing the Know Nothing meeting, we
must he excused for refusing 10 dlsbelieve
this. merely because Gov. Smith never told
the editor that such was the case. There are
gentlemen in this city. who know that every
word of il is true. aS we are informed. But
We cannot devote any more of this article 10
/ Guy. Smith. The question which we desired
t. present to the public was. whether or not
( the editor VAS justified i'll his anmadyer-
>ion- upon the fact that an opposition can-
didate had been nominated with the design
of running him in between two democrats.
1t was objected that ~ the conclusions OF GER
! tain gentlemen. that this was right. were
criticised hy the editor, that he should have
reported all t.rat these gentlemen SAID IN TIN,
connection. 1t WAS contcnded that II was an
net of ,rii-,ln.cncc. Without admitting that
under anv circumstances il would be- wrong:
il was declared that the democratic party
whose history vas one of outrage, had no
cause t" complain.
Ii will be i'll vain 10 appea! 10 geography
to yindicat" thc Democratic Legislature. 1t
stands condemned. beyond the possibility
Of yindirarion. As it is probable that this
discussion will hc interesting only Ia the
pcopI" of this Congressional District. which
was before IT," change reasonably compact
and homogeneous. we will conine ourselves
t. its history Who does not know that a
member Of III" Legislature Va. a'harged
with having had an eye to his own adj
vanrcmcnt in the construction oi the Dis
trirt. II" was disappointed, ~ il WAS said.
by the unexpected appearance Of one, who
t" him. at that time was certainly, Snpe,fu-
ans William. II it affords any qualification,
we checriuly help to make il known, that for
years past the Wing and American party Of
Alexandria. have kept upa party organiza-
ton That this was not the case formerly, is
evident. from the fact that upon several occa-
sion~ the people of Alexandria elected Dem
urrats IA Office. II i, Il we'll known fact that
the di-cipin" of the Democratic party il rig
oruuSly severe. Every consideration for the
rirh;. and interests Of Others has been sacri-
feed to party aggrandih"m"nt and the party
lash has ever fallen with mcrrics, severity
upon the shoulders Of him who dared to re-
bel against til" party dcspotism. II We mis-
take not. our late Representative underwent
a considerable scourging at a Convention
held in Stanton. Thus organized, and sui
sidzng every thing TO party success, it has
l..r t,,tnI necessary i'm many casps Ia fol- |