The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-10-22
The Southern Whigs.

celved peace indispensable TO the permanence
of the Union. We had hoped they would be-
come acceptable to the people of the United
States without respect to party. We there
fore forbore to carry on any party controversies
until this question, paramount 10 all others,
should be adjusted We have cordially com
mended all who advocated those measures
But when, after the temporary adjustment
which these measures had effected, we found
the Wing Administration made responsible for
having ''set on foot movement for forming
State government in the Territory claimed by
Texas; when the defeat of the compromise
was styled "a dark day in the history of the
country and rendered" still more desperate
by the message of Mr. FILLMORE and the let
ter of Mr.. WEBSTER; when the Wing Admin
lstraton was distinctly charged with '.pro-
voking and exciting civil war;" which ''the
National Legislature" being ''luckily in ses-
sion," was engaged in averting; when it
was charged that the ''peril on the Rio
Grande--that fatal letter of Mr. WEBSTER
: that fatal message. of the President forced
the friends of the Administrations
tan though they were-to furnish votes
enough to carry Mr.. BoYDs amendmenf;''
we did conceive it our duty to protest against
a system of history which, in apportioning
the results of the late legislation. imposed
upon the Wings the odium of having pro-
NOTED the embarassments--repr them
as forced reluctantly to vote for measures
of compromise-and gave to the members
of the Democratic party the most prominent
position as peacemakers and patriots.
We noted a few days afterward that certain
Wings of the North were held up as nullfers,
tirebrands, and Abolitionists, whilst there was
no corresponding condemnation thrown upon
the Democrats. We next saw the Southern
Wings" denounced as under bonds to the
North, and unsound upon the interests of the
South 1t was said that wherever the South
ern Wings have succeeded in giving aid and
strength to Southern rights, they have been
: compelled our italics to vote with the bulk
8 of the Democratic party in order to do so y
The course of the Southern Wings was also al
legged to have been such that the Union s'bers
our Democratic friends to pause aad consider
Many OF the most prominent Wings of the
South have even opposed the resolutions
of Southern Legislatures declaring that the
Wilmot proviso ought 10 be resisted if it
should become law. 1t was said to have
been proved beyond question that some of the
| : Wing leaders of the South would have been
willing TO accept almost any terms rather
than break the party ties which bind them to
their Wing Abolition allies of the North" Ii
was charged that the adjustment which has
been effected has been infinitely better than
the terms they the Southern Whigs1 would
have been willing to take" The Democracy
Of the South was warned that "a disafected
| minority may throw the Southern States into
the hands of the Wings. Then it may be
that they who furnished to the Northern
Wings strength enough to repeal the 2lst
rule, may also furnish strength to repeal
or emasculate the Fugitive Slave bill"
With such accumulated imputations upon the
political integrity of the Wings, how was it
possible that we could, as an organ or advocate
of the Wing party, listen unmoved, or permit
without comment such perversion of history
to 60 to the world? We have heretofore re-
piled TO the first imputations. In regard to the
gratuitous insinuation against the Southern
| Wings" the answer 10 a single question will
constitute their entire exculpation. Have they
| given one vote upon the bills of adjustment
which the Union did not justify We will add
another: Are they not nop doing every thing
in their power to carry out and reconcile the
people of the South TO the Legislation of Con-
gress? To the latter question, the appreciation
Of the Union itself to the patriotic position of
! TooMBs, and we believe of STEPHENS. affords
reply. But our purpose in the recital of these
systematic reproaches was our own vindca-
ton, not reply.
In noticing this violation Of what we consid-
cred a truce upon the comparative merits of the
two great parties in the measures Of partial pa
ciicaton, we some days since referred to
the fact that the Union, in commenting upon
the Northern disturbances, had represented the
Wings as the most eminent agitators, without
imputing to the Democratic party what we
considered its just share Of responsibility. In
this cOnnexion We quoted from the Eeening Post.
TO show that Democratic organ, Of ability and
influence, denounces the compromise, and re-
commends that the agitation which has occa-
to the next Congress, and that the "repeal Of
the Fugitive Slave law" and the imposition Of
the Wilmot proviso upon the Territories Of
New Mexico and Utah. shall be introduced
and pressed upon the next Congress. We did
this 10 show that Northern agitation was of no
party For the purpose of showing how little
party ties were respected upon this subject. we
cited proof from the columns of the Post Of the
grossest personal disrespect with which the or.
gan of the Democratic party at Washington
was treated We observe, in the last Union.
that it passes by the proofs that Northern
excitement is confined TO no one party, and as
sails us for the epthets or imputations Of the
Erening Post. Against this we must protest.
SO far from endorsing the personalities Of the
Erening Post, or Of any other paper. we repro
bate and repudiate them. We insist that the
responsibility of the article quoted by MS shall
rest with those who published it. We have
,t,-h