North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1851-09-06
CFrom the Bangor (Maine) Democrat August H. ]
federalism at War with the south.

1912, at which time the designs of that party dis
covered themselves at the Hartford Convention.
That this adherence of the institution of slavery,
ostentatiously displayed, was but pretext to
cover their treason towards the South and the
Union, and that the real ground of their hatred of
their fellow citizens the fact that those citizens
were democrats, and consequently differed from
them very widely in their ideas of government poll
cy, is plain the sun in the heavens.
1t should be borne in mind that it was but-half
a score of years prior to the Developments of fed
eralisn in the Hartford convention that the demo-
cracy had met them at the ballot-box, and COM
pletely demolished one of the most formidable
CARNATIONS that ever existed in this country q
The political battle of 1900 was fought and de-
cided purely upon principles long known and thor
oughly understood. The great leader of the victo-
rious party was by birth southernor, and by cir
to his standard, and enrolled themselves under his
banner, in the main from the same portion of
the country.
With the remembrance of that terrible defeat
fresh in their minds, and with a determination to
avenge the blow which had proved so fatal and
deadly together with ardent desire to reinstate
themselves again in power the scattered elements
Of that dlsbanded army were collected together for
the purpose of devising some scheme by which
their fallen fortunes might again be retrieved.
Never was party so completely demolished as
was the federal party in the campaign of 1900. 1t
was an overthrow which wrested from unwilling
hands sceptre which had been long welded for
personal and party aggrandizement at the expense
OF the public good And it was defeat the more
CALLING, because it gave the people, who were re-
garded as Plebeians, unworthy to be trusted with
political power, voice in the affairs of the nation
which entirely relieved them of all fears of CONSOLE
dated government, and impaired to them the glo-
nous hope that they to realize in their own
persons the legitimate fruits of their struggle for
independence.
The plan hit upon by the federalists was the
doctrine of sectionalism-a doctrine which Wash
ington foresaw might prevail in this country, and
against which he warned his countrymen in his
memorable Farewell Address. And this spirit of
sechonallsm, having for its basis pretended hos
tlity to slavery, has been nursed and kept alive
ever since. 1t has been their morning song and
their evening lullaby. The press, the medium
through which the sentiments of party are dis
seminated, has exhausted its wit, its learning and
its ingenuity in making wider the breach and set
Ting deeper the between the two localities
For the last twelve years in particular the tone of
the VIII press has been eminently warlike. No
taunts have been too provoking, no comparisons
too odlous, no epithets too harsh and no demeanor
too menacing for it to indulge in. And not con-
tent with quarreGng with their fellowcizens in the
South, every man at the North who would not
join with them in their denunciations was regard
ed as an enemy, and subjected to the same treat
ment. Amy democrat who took the liberty to de-
muir to their doctrines who dared to entertain
national heart, and cherish national spirit who
presumed to discharge his duty as citizen or rep
resentative of the republic; who embraced in his
creed and his prayers the prosperity of the country
the whole country; who regarded the North and
the South as but parts of the "stupendous whole :"
whose people were brethren of the same great ma
tiona family, and each and all entitled to the same
protection and friendly regard-that man was at
once set upon by the wing press, and yelped after
as hounds yelp after painting stag. He was stig
matized as traitor to the North" "a doughface,"
trucker to the South" DC. Who can ever for
get the abusive epithets heaped upon such men as
Levi Woodbury., Atherton and scores of others,
whose moderate counsels, enlarged views, and
patriotic efforts have In measure rolled back the
boiling flood of fanaticism and passion which threat
ened to submerge the ship of State in its seethng
pillows? The more prominent leaders of the de-
mocratic party during the last quarter of centu-
ry have all been targets for the hot shot of sec
tionalism.
The belligerent tone of the wing press, its threats
and bravado, its attempts to incte the North to
quarrel with their southern neighbors, would lead
one to suppose that were nation of bulldogs
whose business was to get the bone by fighting,
and to fight whether there was any bone or not
No one could fail to see that press thus prosti-
tuted to passion would produce the most pernicious
consequences; and consequences the most PERM
cions have actually followed. The bonds of the
Union have been weakened, religious contentious
have ensued, churches have been rent asunder, and
the people-many of them, at least-have come
to talk and feel that the two sections of the coun
try are mutual burden to each other and that
there can be real prosperity without dissolution
1t was the tone of the wing press that gave birth
to abolitionism, than which more direful calami-
ty visited this country. The abolition party
at the outset was composed altogether of come
cutters from the wings. But its direful influence
did not stop here. The tares which had been
sown were bound to vegetate and grow, whatever
became of the wheat. And hence we have wit |
messed within the last few years the most unac-
countable and inexplicable phenomenon ever beheld
in the political armament of this country. Wei
have seen men protesting to be democrats and
presses claiming to be democratic joining with the
wings in their wicked crusade, aiding and abetting
them in their unrighteous abuse Of our political |
brethren. Many of these new disciples have ex-
ceeded in virulence the spirit of their old masters
They have so far out-Heroded Herod that they have
to be acknowledged the chieftains of the que
rilla forces. Now, it may do for modern wings to |
initiate their sires, and to consummate system be-
gun nearly half century ago-they have some
thing to make by it; it is game with them that
pays but what advantage any democrat expects |
will be derived from it to the party-how it is to
help the cause of democracy-is past our compre-
hension. Surely it is one of the most lamentable |
circumstances that occurred, that democrats
should be so unwary as to be caught in federal
trap, purposely designed to them, But it |
is so, and and hundreds of them are fast in