Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1850-11-15
Old Parties-Present Conditions-Uniteo
States Senator, &c.

theirs were contending in arms with the government
of the mother country for certain measures growing
out of their desire for higher and more enlarged
freedom and independence than they had before
possessed as people. That measure had its day
and termination, and new measures involving the
same principles have been succeeding each other
from that time to the present Of necessity,
change of measures demands and creates "a new COM
bination of men and parties. One question will
range one class of minds on one side and another
class on the other side, and different question
will not, of course, take precisely the same linenor
strike the same people in precisely the sane light.
Thus, when Andrew Jackson vetoed the United
States Bank it created confusion of parties and
formation of parties. 1t was new question,
and who had before, earlier questions acted
in opposition each other, found themselves now,
from affinity of feeling, acting together, and vice
versa. We say, from the very nature of things
from the existence of law of progress which is for
ever moving humanity onward to a higher destiny,
these changes must occur Que tons must have
their BIRTH their rise, and decay to be superseded
by new ones, and men must and will change their
PositiohS W CoTTcSptHu With nS view liey take VI
the new questions which present themselves.
Keeping in view then, these facts, let us look at
the present state of the politics of the country and
see whether this is not time when new questions
are thrusting themselves upon our attention and
re-moulding parties in accordance with their own
nature Questions, not originating in fanaticism
and nursed and kept alive by demagogueism, but
arising from necessity in virtue of the progress of
the popular mind, and which can never be settled
until the principles of truth, justice and human
rights, are recognized.
represent daily history of the country is GER
tainly conclusive on the point. Are the old ques-
tons which originated the parties known whig
and democratic now occupying any share of the po-
pular attention? They are not; on the contrary
they have been settled, or absorbed in new ques-
tons which do claim and occupy the public mind.
Refer to the debates of the representatives of the
two parties In Congress; refer to the newspaper
discussions throughout the country refer to every
stump speech or barroom dissertation, for the past
two or three years, and you find the great leading
topic to be, the measures growing out of the attempt
to extend slavery. Can it be questioned then that
new measures arc before the public demanding its
attention? And it is equally clear that these new
measures producing the inevitable effect of re-
moulding parties The daily history of the coun.
try is equally conclusive on that point. Let us cite
few marked evidences.
! You find Daniel Webster Lewis Cass. Henry
Clay, D. S. Dickinson, harmonizing sympathisine
! and
and Martin Van Buren,, VIM. H. Seward, Thorn
as H. Benton, and others opposing each other
falling together and harmonizing the other side;
you find that at the south these old party distinc-
tons are cast wholly aside, and men chosen to
office the ground solely Of their devotion to sla-
very; youfnd great meeting called in New ori
City, and attended by men of both old political par
ties at which all the savemeasures of the last on
gress were endorsed, and you find the same men
going to the polls and voting indscriminately for
the men who would stand by those measures. You
find that in the stronghold of old democracy, Mich
igan men have gone to the polls regardless of old
distinctions and elected three friends of freedom
to Congress, deposition to Cass and his influence
You find in our own state, that these old bonds are
becoming weak and powerless. The liberal men
of all parties have united together, and in this and
the Congressional district north of us, have trium-
pied by overwhelming majorities. You find the
newspapers of both parties, from those at the seat
of government, to the remotest bounds of the Union
lauding the men who they formerly opposed; Cass
and Webster raised together to glory in one para
graph, and Seward and Benton together in another.
But perhaps, so far as individual events are concer
ned the most significant evidence of the point I'm.
der illustration is the exchange of congratulations
between the heads of the old parties in New York,
the occasion of the recent election in that CITY.
when the hosts of slavery, so signally triumphed
Three cheers were actually given by the wings as
sen;bied at their head quarters, for Old Tammany
and their old quarrels pronounced lost in the
high duty of standing by slavery. But we need no,
dwell this point, for the upheaving all over the
country, the dismemberment of old parties and the
formation of the fragments into new combinations
is abundantly apparent
All good democrats will recognize this law of pro-
gress, and will haste put themselves in their true
positions with reference to the new duties deman-
ded of them. These questions have just as
much democratic and anti democratic side to them
as any that havepreceded them, and they offer even
greater scope for the exercise of the democratic
impulses of the popular heart. They involve more
Immediately than any previous questions, the per-
petuty of the republic and the welfare of the race
and hence, than any previous, involve the true
principles of democracy.
The moral of all this then is, that all men who
believetha the principles of slavery should be con-
fined to its present limits, will look to the past
but the present for their rule of action; not buck
lie on their armor to combat dead questions, but to
meet the living ones; and above ALL not be decei-
we'd into the support of men from old preferences
and friendships, who are now at heart hostile to
their principles. Old preferences as well as old
prejudices should be laid aside, because the ground
on which they rested, has passed away. Do not
ask where man come from--ascertain only where
he is going, and if he be travelling your road give
him your hand as he viii give you his
In this Congressional district the peonle have pi-
ven unmistakeable evidence that they understand
the true position of things. They comprehend the
true prncplesof democracy and they rallied to sus
tain them regardless of the efforts through former