Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-03-20
L,nr The Enallirf
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THE WHIG PARTY-[No. i.

THE WING PARTY-lho. ].
One of The most valuable lessons which his
tory has taught mankind, is that the eternal
principles Of morality apply to them socially as
well as ndlvidaally-to parties and TO nations,
as we'll as 10 individual persons The develop.
ment OF this principle in constant operation,
from age to age, has heen the theme oil some oil
the ablesi historical works Of modern times II
has been shown especially, with great clear
ness, that il was not the cause oil human liberty
for awhile espoused IN the first French Rcvo
luton, but the excessive vices oil that period, oil
that nation, and Of It's government, which bore
the fruit Of the blood Of 20 many desc atlns
vars, and finally the last apples OF water 90
md ST. Helena. II the permanent knowledge
If mankind has received any addition from the
blazing events OF that grand epic period and
their recorded history, it consists IN the great
prncpe so terribly worked out IN II, that a
habitual protracled departure from sound moral
principe, sows as It goes, the ineradicaoie
seeds Of its own destruction; !, faorcates ty
necessity based on the very constitution OF social
life, the petard by which it must eventually be
blown to atoms.
These thoughts seem naturally TO arise in
the mind, which calmly contemplates the pre-
sent aspect Of the Wing party in The United
States We might as we'll expect that The pll'
lars OF eternal justice should topple and fall,
a. either 10 hope or to fear that they can be u.
timately, or for any length OF time, potent
either for good or for evil The poltica
morals in the practice of which they go into
power, forbid the expectation as positively as
| thew declare the character of The party cohe
sion. Let no sound Republican heart BE- SO
weak as either 10 hope or TO fear from that eA-
pectation.
In the first place, we have the unexception-
able testimony of the Wing Convention, which
assembled at Philadelphia last June, TO the fact,
that Wing statesman. running with ayowcd
Whig principles, even had he been the Illus
trious, venerable and flour years ago. idolized
CLAY, could not have succeeded in the election
It does not very easily appear, then, how the
conclusion can possibly be evaded, that Whlg
principles have not been elected-as the
Wings at Philadelphia thought they could
not be-, and so did not try the experiment.
In fact they aro,ccd the principle OF availablii
". They wouli tar have preferred Clay as Pc
s,denL They preferred Taylor as The candidate
The last hour OF any people is on he stroke
which cannot see, in lis 1almer moments, tha
This is corrup, morality. But il has sown lis owr
hemlock-seed in the very act OF adopting thi:
principle OF availability. The battle OF Buens
Visa NAV have elected the President, bul ii can
moi Govern the coualry. To use Mr.. Clay's ia
nous figure against GeDl Jackson OF old, (whu
however. was TAR from being without the eIpe
riepce Of civian) "You might as we'll taxi
our venerable Chief Justice and the associate
justices. and send hem 70 command your ship
in The Mediterranean" nany o'her yocabulaI.
hui that al lS4s, INDEED, a nO-pa''y man and
JpH,p, and he he same man, would have sound
ed rather ehast'y, and made he Independent
thinkers of the party, al least l,ile suspicion
OF Inc moral code BY which hey were asslome
rated. But the time has 20. vet come Tor III
Union 10 see and scofr with iul ceaIness OF VI
sion and Of heart, that bald and saun! absu,diL,
There is indeed something OF Ibis halt ghasIl
and balfludcrous look, about several oil he chic
points OF political morals OF the incipient admir-
istralion.
lis angelic smile while il involves itself
the robes OF conscious virtue, connected with j
hablual abandonment, Of lis most hoased, voci
. Grated principles when occasion requires, seem
sometimes 10 make one almost doubt his own e,
istepce. or the existence OF history or memor
5 or truth or shame. When Geni. Jackson We
, accedine TO power, the Wing party made u
!, nation eroan with us jeremiads about The daI
shadow il saw over the fulnIe OF the Union, al
lis anger OF going The way Of al! other Repu
e lies. Il looks ALMOST like making farce To ad
f ,ha, the only two Presidents they have elecl'