The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-12-18
From The Neic Orleans Bee.
Party Lines.

The most superficial observer must have re-
marked, that throughout the Southern States party
ines becoming fainter every day, and the
time does not seem far distant when they will be,
az least for season, entirely obliterated. There
s difficulty in tracing this political fusion 10 its
legitimate causes. lntrinsically, the divisions and
demarcations which some years ago utterly isolated
Whgs from Democrats, interpreting between them
insurmountable barriers Of constitutional doctrine
and construction, have gradually worn away, until
both parties almost occupy common platform. The
question of a National Bsnk-perhaps the most po-
Of all the Issues between the two parties-s
iessedy obsolete. Ithas ceased even TO be presented
in the customary batch Of resolutions which the
Democrats prepare Tor their nvowed political asscm-
blages The internal improvement question IL no
longer confined TO pafty-since in the West and in
many parts Of the North the people Of all shades
of political opinion maintain the right and duty Of
the General Government TO foster schemes Of man
iicst public utility. Neither is distribution Of the
proceeds of the public lands party is,ue, for IL
has been tactly abandoned. What then separates
Whig from Democrat? Little more than the tariff
question, which is every day losing lie prominence
and which, even when Georgia and one two other
States Of the South shall dcvclope fully their
manufacturing resources, will number lie partissns
among the rnost ardent and uncompromising Dem
Ocrats just a. IL now docs in Pennsylvania. Party
/ spirit, therefore, from inherent and inevitable
causes, is dying out in the South and except as a
contest between the possessOrs Of powers and the
| claimant Of power-bctwecn the - ins" and the
| "outs," IL can hardly be said 10 be based on well
defined permanent and leading issucs
II, however, the decay Of political antagonism
has been in some measure brought about by the
absence Of salient points Of difference between the
two parties, the process Of fusion has been vastly
accelerated by the recent growth Of an issue, far
! transccnding in importance and consequences all
mere struggles for place and prefcrment all con.
troverses touching the propriety and oTpcdicncy
Of any particular measure We refer Of course e
the question OF the Union. This great, over.
! shadowing question has absorbed all minor ones
/ aud sunk them into temporary oblivion. The
sVorfa WI and lgfufrrafff A., -
losing their meaning, and giving place % the
more significant designations Of " Uniouist" and
" DisuniJnist" Both Of these new parties derive
acccssiOns from the ranks Of those who formerly
fought under opposite political banners. In Gcor.
ga, in Louisiana. In Mississippi in Alabama this
~ pre- cmincntly the case. We have seen in the
fret named State. that In almost every county the
! Union ticket, ~ well ~ the DisuuiOn, com.
pOscd If an equal number Of Wings and Demo.
Gratis, 80 that whatever might have been the aspect
of the Convention with reference TO the action Of N,
State on the Compromise measures, that body wss
certain TO contain, politically, AZ many Democra ~.
as Whigs In Louisiana, the same tendency 10 IN,
| extinction Of party divisions exists. The grea
Union meeting was thronged with the sblcsi mcr
! of both parties Democrat presided over the as
scmbly, and the hottest Democrats In our city "a
, side by side with the most uncsmpromising WhiR
as vice presidents. In Missssippi, the Wing pa
pcrs opposed To dsunion. have formally reuOuncsC
politics and party, assumed titles indicative uf IN,
sentiments which animate them, ard will hcrcs ftc
do battle under tho the standard Of the Union GOn,
until its preservation aud perpe,uity arc secured
! beyond peradvcnture. In Alabama a siuila
feeling exists, though Ices actively manifested II
| consequence Of the absence Of excitement But ,
day or two ago Henry Clay ih3 ioundcr Of tn,
. Wing party, openly declared he would vote for
, Union Democrat fOr President in preference to
|, Free soil Whig; and VIC have no doubt that ever,
{ Whig in the south would prosdly and gladly imi
tate his example.
b These developments are too palpable 10 cscsp
opgersa'iCn' The time has arrived when .he Onl.
2 question in the South must be, care you Cor th
1 Union, as II -, NOS 20 lie who is not with u
. on this great issue ia against us, lie who wou
disturb The compromise, break up the adjustment
Z and set us all eflolt once more ON a dark am
stormy ses OF uncertainty and agitation. is n
friend TO the Union, let his lips protest wha,cve
they may. The northern AbOliuonist who rave
at the Fugitive Slsve Law and counsels its repes
d. Is as much Disunionist as the southern fansti
Q who waros furious at the abolition Of the slay