Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1865-07-13

POLITICAL TUNIBLING.

Differences Of opinion exist, and ever will
exist, in every community. 1t is proverb,
that only wise men change thoir opinions,
and it is true that the right to change is as
sacred as the right to enjoy. 1t is the mark
of wisdom to abandon n set of principles
which in the court Of conscience has been
condemned; and it is no excuse for man to
entertain wrong ideas simply because they
have been taught him. But when VIC see n
would.be statesman veering his course and
trimming his sails so Us to catch every breeze,
we cannot but regard him as q time-scrving
domagogue, who, having made politics his
business, sets resolutcly to work to make it
pay.
A good sample of this class is found in the
versatile editor of the Chronicle. For con-
venicnce sake We will call him Mr.. FAwNING
In the campaign of '56 he was chief fugler
of n party which, under the cry of "BU-
cHANAN and free Kansas, put that weak
old functionary into the White House. The
old man had no more active supporter than
Mr.. FAwSISG. Both were, we presume, con-
scientious believers in the doctrine of State
rights. At any rate they were both energetic
advocates of tho rights of the South to carry
slaves into the Territories. But when Br-
CHASAS was called to put the ideas into
practical operation, the North found they
had been humbugSed by the clap-trap cry of
Democracy" from these men, and demanded
n different entertainment than the one they
had provided.
Mr. FAwNING watched the course of the
current, and soon found it oxpedient to
change his views and to desert BUCHANAN,
who was at least consistent. For the agility
FAwNINo thus displayed in rolling over he
was rewarded with cracker worth several
thousands per year, and still held himself in
readiness TO lie down, stand up, to leap pole,
or again roll over for any crumb that might
be offered. His readiness to support Mr..
LINCOLN was only equalled by the intensity
of his opposition to Mr. BUCHANAN, and the
natural operations of those ideas which he
himself once advocated. No matter what
Mr.. LINCOLN did or said, he was always sure
ofFAwSNG's s support. Why should he not de-
pend upon 1t while in power? The OK know
9th his owner and the ass his masters crib. "
But even the policy of Mr.. LIScoLX, how
evor honest, did not always promise success
When MCCLELLAN, tho hero of the gun
boat, was nominated at Chicago for the Pres
idency, a popular breeze was started in his
favor, especially after his letter of accept
ance, which swept through the land, and even
reached this city. Checks to the progress of
our arms, the unexpected tenacity of the
rebels, and tho already immense sacrifice of
life made even strong men doubt for mo-
ment and timid men to cry out for peace.
Then was the time if ever, for the friends of
the Administration to stand up like men, and
to show by action what they so loudly pro-
fsssed in words. To that end at that very
time, n frequent contributor to the Chronicle,
in the honesty of his heart, wrote an editorial
for its columns showing the incapacity of Nc
CLELLAN as military leader and the hypoc-
risy of the party that called him represent
atiye. Tho article was put into type, proved,
and corrected. Before the paper went to
press the article met FAwNING's eye, and he
refused II insertion, giving ag Il reason that
tie tids seemed setting J0r MCCLELLAN, aud
il he should be elected itS publication ~Omhd
hmrt hts (FAwSING's) prospects J0r tie mow
AdministyatiOm This man is a Republican
Secretary of the United States Senate, and
has not unfrequently shown his willingness
to take seat in the Cabinet
But bis rolling for the cracker was not yet
completed. Last winter FAwSISG was a