Arkansas true Democrat., 1860-02-22
Letter from Washington.

angs. The southern opposition as a bod ; nave steadily refused to support any demo, crat Whose name has been offered. and at tempted to cast blame on the democrats, dor net voting for Giimer, under the as- sumption that by so doing he could be elected, insisting that he could get several northern votes outside of their organization The democrats have always contended that at no time, could they have elected Gilmer or any other southern oppositionist by voting for him i'll body, outside the democratic party, for any national conser- vative man to secure the defeat of the Hell perite candidate, was a delusion. In this they were correct, as the experiment has fully developed On yesterday the House P oceeded to ballot for speaker, when w. x. H. Smith of N C., southern opnosi- tionist, an old line whig, who never was a know nothing and repudiated their doc trines, was nominated by a southern oppo- sitIonlst. Before the ballot wassnnounce' , It was ascertained, that four northern men outside of the democratic party had voted Tor hIm. This being sufficient number with the body of the democratic vote, to secure hls election, the democratic members all voted for him, whereupon, the northern members, who had voted for Mir. Smith, to prevent an election changed their votes to other persons. This action shows they were lnSlncere, and acted under the impress slon that the democrats would not vote for Smith, and the plan was, to raise the hue and cry that by the democrats uniting with them, national man could have been elected and they refused to do so; but these northern men whose aid they relied upon to secure that object failod-failed the southern op- positionists when the issue was met. When the result of the ballot was announced it was found that Smith lacked three votes of an election, and the black republicans fear ing the result of another ballot, voted to adjourn to Monday, which motion was car rled. They will meet in caucus to-day when 1t IS understood Sherman will withdraw from the contest, and Corwin of Ohio, or Pennington of New Jersey will be nomi- mated. The belief has been very prevalent for some time past that the black republi cans could elect either of those gentlemen, but under the present aspect of affairs, there is considerable doubt whether such will be the case If Sherman is kept on the track there might be possibility of electing Smith, but as the black republ- cans have become scared, his name will be withdrawn and an anti-Helperite nominated If this be done, even should he be elected, 1t will be a great triumph to the South, as 1t will thus have forced the black republi
 cans to repudiate the doctrines of the Hell per book. 1t is however believed by many, that, the House is as far of from an organi
 zation as it ever was, as the proceedings of Monday will demonstrate. If Smith Is elected 1t will be within the next two ballots.
 The high state of feeling at the South is nothing more than the consequence of the preaching and teaching of northern fanati cism, which were fully developed in the Harpcr's Ferry affair, and the Brown sym pathy meetings held since, and unless the northern mind does not quite speedily re-
 sume q healthy conservative tone the Union will not, and should not, last much longer. There is now in fact no union in feeling between the two sections, and tine North by its persistent hostile course upon our rights only serves to widen the breach. The black republicans are vdry profuse in applying the term of disunionist to southern men, who insist on their rights under the consii
 tion, and who rather than suffer it's longer infringement are determined if they cannot get their rights within the Union, to get them without The commercial portion of the northern people have become alarmed at the determination as expressed at the South to submit no longer to northern in- terference an1 aggression, and have already held Union meetings to re assure the South, at which the blackest of black republicans attend, and participate. It is fact, that the same person who to-day may be the presiding officer of one of these so-called Union meetings, will perhaps on tomorrow be one of a committee to receive Seward, the great expoundor" of the " irrepressable doctrine.' To show the hollowncss of these northern Union meetings, the people who hold them send the Shermans, Bur lingames, Grows and host of others to Congress for the ayowcd object of making war upon the south and her institutions. These Union meetings amount to nothing, for if the majority Of tho northern people were this day known 10 be conservative, and did not sanction the course of their rep rcscntativcS in Congress, those representa- tives would soon change. These black re publicans know full well what the senti- mcnts of their people are, as they were elected upon anti-savery views, only ad- vo,ated for the purpose of riding into power, and from the same cause, if they believed their constituents maintained opposite views atthis time, their course would be changed. ltis well known their political opinions are entertained with special reference to agree with a majority of their constituents, and these Union meetings are to deceive the South, simply !" tub thrown to the whale. :" If the North wishes to re-assure the south that she has rcpented of her sin, she must give her something more tangible than these mild meetings. in short by her votes let her clear her skirts from abolltionism.
 There has been no great degree of presi- dent-making in Congress, owing to the non- organization of the House. In the Senate Douglas has made speech upon the sub feet of the invasion of States by citizens of other States, which is intended as bid for southern support at the Charleston conven- tion There Is Q general feeling among democrats that the South is entitled to the candidate, and the general disposition on the part of southern democrats is to insist on that programme. From all the indica- tions it is now evident, that Douglas will go into the convention with little or no southern support, his entire strength being from the North, and in the main from States that will in no event cast their electoral votes for a democratic candidate. The Pennsylvania state democratic convention :, have not yet held its session, but nearly all : the counties have held their primary meet ings appointing delegates to attend it, and Douglas has DO friends there. That con yention will instruct for Mr. Buchanan as a compliment, he not being in the field for the nomination, while they will support Breckinridge, whose prospects at this time
 are very decidedly improving. There is
 certainly no public man in the present state
 of affairs, upon whom the national men of
 the nation would rally in as great numbers,
 and it is generally believed that he would
 receive a larcrer nopular vote at the Nortb