Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-09-08
From The .4nti-Slacery Standard.
The Free Sellers and the Democrats.

The Free Soil Party has arrived at one of
those critical periods Of political existence,
which are the climacterics of party. II re-
mains TO be seen whether il has strength of
constitution enough to pass through it with
unbroken stamina. Young parties like young
children have 10 encounter a certain routine
of MANTLE diseases, which are thought 10 be
beneficial TO those whose constitutions are
sufficiently robust to bear up under them, but
which are very apt to carry off the puny and
ill-conditioned. Thus the Anti Masonic Par
ty waxed in favor and stature for several
years, and promised TO grow up 10 a toward
ly youth but it was seized with the conta-
gious continent Democracy which soon car
ried II off, and it left not even a name behind.
The third Political Party, too, a ricketty and
scrofuious abortion from its birth, fell an ca
sy victim TO the Barnburning epidemic which
prevailed last year, grateful for being so ed
silly pot out of its pain, which had long made
its life a burden to it. And now the general
law OF political infancy comes to be applied
10 the Free Soil Party,-and its friends and
neighbors, 10 say nothing of its enemies, are
was,i1ng its sy mptoms anxiously to Judge
wh5stss the omnivorous Democracy will be
too much for it at this time, or whether it
will survive this tdrn and toddle about a lit
tie longer, until a more violent access devours
it up. For, unluckily, the diseases of politi-
cal, unlike those of individual, infancy do not
exempt the patient from a second attack.
The pro,racted existence of a Third Party
in this country is a moral and political i'm
possibility. A reasonable hope of political
success is the life-blood, the breath OF the
%nostriIs, of a political party. Deprived of
this, it can have but diseased and spasmod.
ic activity, not springing from an exuberance
of life, but from an occasional and temporary
excitement. The good impulse, TO which it
often yves its being, can only carry II
through its very earliest stage Of existence.
II grows weaker and weaker with the lapse
of time, and soon loses its motive power, if
not renewed by the magic Of success, or, at
least. of hope. In the end, a third party must
either dwindle away through the discourage
ment OF deseItion of its numbers, or gravilate
to one or the other of the great forces of the
political world. according TO their relative de-
grees OF attraction. TIE Free Soil Party is
at this moment trembling towards The Demo-
cratic point. In many respects their atTini-
Ties are identical, and could a union be effect
ed, the Coalition party would, unquestiona-
bly,, have the control OF the politics Of the
Northern States where il existed in good
faith. But there are disturbing influences
which are at work on both sides to pre-
ven, a cordial understanding-an entente cor
dial-between the treating powers. The mu-
lual fear Of being overreached in the bargain,
the hungering after the fesh-pots Of Office
which the Democratic Israel well remember
to have been enjoyed in the Egypt of a South
ern alliance, and the apprehensions of the
Free Sellers that the little they ask for will
be conjured away from them in the hugger-
mugger of political intrigue, must make the
union Of the parties difficult where it is in
supposition, and dubious where it has beer
imperlectly effected.
The misfortune Of The Free Soil Party is
that it has no ground to stInd upon. There
is no such thing as an inch Of Free Soil FROM
the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from the St
Lawrence TO whatever may be for the mo
ment the flying frontier Of the Model Repub,
lie. For even ii it were foundation enough
for a party to try and make the newly-stoler
territories merely the hunting grou nd and no
the immediate demense of Slavery, that foun'
dation has vanished from under them. Fol-
slaves are already in California, and more
doubtless on their way thilher. And even
supposing the possibility of the Wilmot pro,
viso passing both houses, and supposing fur,
Their the impossibility Of President Taylor's
sanctioning it, it would be but mere 6rutum
(uimen, of no effect as long as the labor Of
slaves was wanted there. There is not pow
er enough 10 the general government, even il
there were The wish, which there is not, tC
hinder the Shareholders from going whittier
they will and carrying their household god'
along with them. The proteslations of hos
ti!ity TO the extension of Slavery thrown gu
by the masses Of Northern Wings and Dem
ocTats, are mere sprats to catch gudgeons, al
hollow as their professions of belief that Sla
very cannot exist in the new territories. Tha
this rs the opinion Of the Free Soil Party
is shown by the fact Of its continued exist
ence. Did the Free Sellers actually beliey,
these assertions, they would have nothing Il
do but TO repent and return 10 the house o
their Wing and Democratic Fathers. " ha
would be the probability, then, Of any sucl