The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-05-23
The Free Soil Party,

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1t is not in the origin of parties that we are to
look for their instincts and their tendencies Born
too often of individual passions, and deriving their
first nourshment from the cabals of cques, rather
than from the sympathies of the masses, they pur-
sue, in their earliest days, blind and irregular
course. But, after time, the party becomes or
ganiZed-the body assumes a spirit-and then the
true tendencies of the movement begin to develope
themselves. He, therefore, who would endeavor to
understand the course which new party is likely
to pursue, must forget if he can, the men to whom
the party owes its existence, and ferret out the in
stincts which move the masses to attach themselves
to the new organization.
In specializing, then, on the influences which the
Free Soil party of the North will probably exercise
American politics, it rather impedes than profits
our inquiries to remember that the party proba-
bly, owes its being to ex-President of the United
States. For we Immediately try to fasten his pres
ent to his passive puzzle our brains to discover
the conference between the opinions this statesman
processes to hold and the special policy the Free
Sellers advocate. Far more philosophical would
it be to'take up the Free Soil doctrines indepen-
dent of their origin-analyze them carefully, and
discover the true principles on which they rest,
and then, from their inherent and inevitable in
stincts, deduce the course which the party must
in the future pursue.
Every one must see that the Free Soil can never
be, in ITSELF one of the great parties of the Union.
Its base is too narrow for the support of large
number of adherents. For this party rests upon an
opinion-and single opinion, even if true and
reasonable, can never be gathering cry for large
masses of men. You must have faith, as we'll as
opinion, in order to build up an extensive party
and faith is a matter not so much of reason as of
sentiment. The Free Sellers, then, if they wish
to be powerful and effect their ends, must attach
themselves to of the two great parties which at
present divide, and which have for years divided
the American people.
The two opposing American parties, like all
those which have preceded them in history, and
all those which coexist with them in other countries,
are founded respectively on the principles of faith
and of fear. One looks forward, the other back
ward. One wishes to advance and 60 ahead the
other would 60 backward, if it could, but failing
in this, struggles hard stand still All their prin.
ciples and instincts may be summed up in the faith
which one has in the future, and in the fear which
possesses the other that, if change in the least
our social condition, it may be for the worse.
Hence, one party struggles to increase the indi-
vidual liberty of the citizen, while the other
wishes to increase the restraints which the Central
Government imposes on those under its control.
Now, it is clear that the Free Soil party must,
in its impulses, be more nearly allied to one of
these parties than to the other; and it is certain
that it will, in the end, attach itself to that party
with which it has the strongest sympathies. But
the Free Soil doctrines all spring from fear-they
are the consequence of indisposon to trust the
people of the Territories SO far as to allow them to
legslate for themselves on the question of slavery
The Free Sellers wish to strengthen the Federal
sGovernments to give it the power of legslating
on the subject of slavery in the Territories Hence,
by its instinct-which is fear-and by its principle
an increase in the powers of the General Gov
ernment-the Free Sellers will be powerfully drawn
towards one of the great parties which at present
divide the countrv