The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1860-02-22
Proof OF Dsmoeratic Hypocrisy.

HeEIOn, that the OemOcr6tlC party III Young
for Smith, of North Carolina, as Speaker
of the National House of Representatives,
supported a Know Nothing, and slave-eode
advocate, and thereby betrayed their nat
uralized constituency, of whom they profess
to be the peculiar friends and patrons, and
proved false to all their professions of fidelity
to popular sovereignty.
The Enquirer of this city upho5ds its party
and its Congressman (MR. NIBLAoK) in this
action. 1t acknowledges that the party did
so vote, and glories in the fact in the fol-
lowing language. Let German Democrats
mark it well, and then read the proof we
shall adduce:
"Mr. Smith never was Know Nothing.
He was simply an old line Wing, and there
are tens of thousands of that politics in the
Democratic party now, and more are coming
in every day. Consistent old line Wings
are excellent Abolition and Know Nothing
fighters. We endorse the action of the DEM
OcTatic members IN Voting for Smith, and hope
when they can't elect a man of their own
party, they will always be found hallooing
Smith,
in regard to this talk about Old Line Wings
acting with that party which slandered the
life out of Henry Clay, and used to brand
the Wing party as a band of aristocrats,
blue-lght federalists, and traitors. On this
subject, much may be said and written; and
if it could only be spoken with the elo-
quence of a Corwin, or penned with the
caustic bitterness of Prentice, would cause
the very stones of Clay's sepulchre to rise
and mutiny against these appeals to old
line Wings to uphold that party which
crushed their great leader.
But to our proof: We now copy letter
written by Hon. William s. Holman, of the
Fourth District in this State, to his organ,
the Lawrenceburgh Register, a Democratic
paper in good standing. Mr.. Holman lives
in district where there are a great many
Germans, to whom he is indebted for his
election. In this respect he is like Mr..
Niblack, but unlike our Congressman he
was not willing to sacrifice the feelings of
that portion of his constituency, to party
purposes.
Mr.. Holman was elected as an Anti-Le-
compton Democrat, and could not be in
duced or compelled to sacrifice his princi-
pies by voting for an enemy of popular
sovereignty and an advocate of slave code
for the territories. Now read this letter,
and say whether it does not prove that
which we have charged: (Thc italics are
not Ours.)-
WASHINGTON, Feb. s, 1860.
EDITOR OF THE REGIsTER-Dear Sir -
The State Sentinel of the lst inst, speaking
of the Hon. William N. H. Smith, of North
Carliana, who received the American and
most of the Democratic vote for Speaker
says: she is an old line Wing, opposed the
Know Nothings, and was elected over a
slave-code opposition candidate" This is
not correct. In 1857, Mr.. Smith was nom-
mated for Congress by the American OF
Know Nothing party of his District, against
the Democratic candidate, and was beaten
In 1859, Mr.. Smith was the nominee of the
Southern Opposition party, against the reg
uLGr Democratic nominee, and was elected
he and his opponent occupying the same
position with reference tc a slave-code.
Mr.. Smith was one of the troenty-thret
gentlemen composing the American on
Southern Opposition party of the House
Mr.. Gilmer, leading Know Nothing, wa.
their candidate for Speaker until the 9th
ult, when they held caucus and nomina.
ted Mr.. Smith, whose nomination was an.
nounced to the House by Mr.. Mallory, of the
Louisville, Kentucky, District, who said, or
last Monday, in his remarks to the House
that in choosing between the Democratic
and Republican parties, I" / shall proceed 81
l would in choosing between the typhu
feVer and small pox." Mr.. Smith, on thi.
nomination of course, received the united
vote of the Know Nothing party and ulti
mately a large number of the Democratic
members, actuated, have no doubt, by pa
triotic motives, voted for him; 1 declined t.
do so. No member could have been more
anxious than / was to see the House or
ganized, but the Democratic party wa
largely in the minority; the elements O
the Opposition had the control of the House
and ought to be held responsible for th'
delay. was not willing to abandon my
own party, and see our flag hauled down
and the Democracy marching under thu
colors of the South American organization
did not support Mr.. Smith, but contin
Hed to vote for the nominee of the Demo
cratic party, Mr.. Boeock. am certain tina
no Democrat will censure me for refusing
to abandon my own party principles, in al
act of such political significance as the cleo
ton of a Speaker of the House. did no
deem the Democratic party called upon tt
choose between the Americans and the Re
pubIicans, but, in my judgment we should
have preserved our own organization, a!
the party did in 1855, and triumphed or fel
together. While l do not censure gentle
men who differed with me as to our trut
policy, 1 am not willing that my friends
should be deceived as to the true position o
Mr.. Smith. After he was withdrawn, al
though he had received every Democratic
vote but three, but six of his party would
vote for Mr.. McClernand, of Illinois, whC
was brought forward by the Democrats, ant
Smith himself gave him but one vote, ant
then returned, with his friends, to Mr.. Gil