The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-03-22
Wr9n ne " br-sI- %, sua Uuloal

Pr9n neF beg - 10. end Uaoal
The State convention, which met and rijoumed on
Wednesday last, was composed Of men who apprcoat9 "a the
int d aance of the c-easion that called them together
These men, the representative Of the demo ratio pe -
Of Penesylyap'a, e~smbed for the purpc,e of nomf
mating c~~1dtdstes End of defr'ag end reit srat'pg tho
well established principles of the democratic paa. y. 1sis
t-ust he's been faithfully PEI .osncl as the en'nently
moderate and nationsl r solutions E iopted by the con
vention abundantly prove.
The commit o 10 which ives mt estsd the duty Of
framing the resolutions for the consideration of the con
y~ention, concluded 70 ppss Gov. Packer by IA silence,
and, Notwithstanding the seiious injuties he had Inflicted
upon the democratic p@ y, 4, refrain from administering
that ehpstisement which his political sins 20 richly merit
Tbs mC leIation cad fogbearaace wrs not appreciated by
the icends Of his excsllency. Mover WIS a public man
so claelly treat d by his lnirers. They dragged him
urteelingly from the retirement which the moderation OF
the majority had prepared for bis reception, and assisted
that a verdict should be pesscd upon his misdeeds. 1ney
demanded that the light of day should be thrown upon
his career, forgetting that he could only pass without
e,nsure when he passed without observation and they
are responsible for the Erect, whitening, crushing, and
fully desc. "a rebuke which the assembled democracy OF
Per 1syivonia irHict u upon the governor, who, IA an
hour Of weak confidence, they elevat 1 10 the position Of
which he Is not worthy.
We never witnessed a more humi'iatiog sight than tho
introduction of the resolution endorsing Gov. Packers
STATE policy, and the confessions aud atasements that fol-
lowed. The gentleman who performed this duty showed
how much he loathed the tisk that circumstances had
forced upon him. He asked that the State polio OF the
governor might be endorsed as a matter OF political pru-
dence in the present threatening aspect Of affairs, but he
uttered not a word in defence of that f~olicy-he advanced
nothing in extenuation of the Objectionable appointments
or the odious acts of the executive, made and dene with
in the sphere of estate policy - he did not put the en-
dorsement on the ground Of merit he did not say that
Gov. Pecker had so bo,le himself in the administration
of the affairs OF State as 60 deserve the commentator Of
all honest citizens. No this he could not affirm with a
clear conscience but he placed the executive of the Com
monwealth in the huniliating position Of a mendicnt,
exposing the tattered rags Of his reputation, and crying
ont ssfnr ihe love of III n m n pcrnv pr
As IN g iditional iaducelnent to grant this appeal, tho
same gentleman disavowed, ''by authority, that tho
govei lor was aware Of the contents OF a cei.ain article
which appeared in hs ''0rgan' grossly abusive Of the
President, aud that he entirely disapploved of its tone.
1t " very common for criminals to appear repcntant when
sentence is about to be pronounced upon them. Comics
sions extoiscd n the extremity Of danger are the Off
spring of fear, end seldom of sincere condition. Why
did the governor est.bhsh his organ Way has he per
mittedit, not once, but often, not on this single occasion,
but repeatedly, to attack the President in the same often
siye menner Z And what will the public think of a gov
ernor who publicly r~epudiates the editor Of his ogpn to
gave himself ION reputation This Kind Of clf-abase-
ment is as contemplate as it is grovelling.
Our readers will bear witness that up to this moment
the Patriot and Union has treated Gov. Packer aud ell
his surroundings with the utmost leniency. We have
abstained from exposing his ~irtidelity With the hope that
he would retracc his steps. or do something to remove
the stencil OF Reorganization from his skirts. But his
offences against the patty whose welfare should have
been his only care have become so rank that forbeapnce
ceases to be a vir.ue. The convention has pronounced
him unworthy of the smallest mark of confidence, and
we would not perform our duty to the democratic party
il we abstaned any longer ~.om exposing lin as his Of
fences deserve.
The convention could not do other sisc thar It him
out. Such a load would sink any political org jyNtion.
Discipline must be preserved, or we forever perish. Gov
| ernor Packers offence to the democratic palty does not
consist in differing With the President upon the Kansas
| question. No doubt an effort viii be made to impress
this conviction upon the public mind, but no sophistry
or defamation can make 10 true. Thousands of demo-
Gratis who differed with the Prcslsant continued to act,
and are now in fuil fellowship, with the democratic party.
Had Governor Packers offence extended no further than
this, he never would have been thrown OVERLOOKED by tho
convention. But he arrayed himself against the demo
cratic oryan-oSon; he permitted John q. Knox, the at
torney general, to carry Reorganization into the Chester
and Delaware district, and wherever his influence extend
ed, without a word of disrpproval, thereby showing bis
completely in the Transaction. He denounced the sale of
the main line when a candidate, and when he became
governor lent his aid and assistance to the accomplish,
ment of the most gigantic scheme Of population and fraud
that was ever consummatcd in n free Commonwealth
we refer, of course, to the Sudbury and Elic swindlc.
He appointed to office n set of men who have used all
their power and influence to corrupt and disorganjse the
democratic party. He established an organ at the seat
of government ior the purpose of warning upon the ma
tional a 1miajstration, and at q time when the unfo n
nate schism In the party was nearly healed and he
turned out of Office one Of the most radical and substan-
tial democrats Va the State 1--WE speak. without bis knowl-
edge to make way for a foreigner of doubtful standing.
This is the kind of SIT, policy the convention wa asked
to endorse Is there ery wonder that the head offender
was publicly ~gibbeted in the face of this damning record
The democratic party would have been crushed under
such a load, and did well to cast it OF. Governor Pack
| er's friends may claim for him the crown of m~nrtyrdom,
but let us tell them that this is not the stuff that mar
tyrs are made of. II he was a wise man, a prudent man,
possessing genius, fertile in resources, strong in will and
honest in character, then it might do to talk about this
~illustrious martyr. You cannot hunt u great man down,
but it takes very little strength to push a tottering one
into the grave that he has dug for himself.