The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-02-22

high degree, and restricted TO the exercise OF
wei defined powers, the prevalent mode OF
thinking al the South, seems to harmonic bes
win It's nature, and it may be owing to some such
cause as this that tho public Judgment has
more frequently intrusted it's management Il
them. 1t is possible, too, that the great nnuA
OF Foreigners into the Northern States, gnoran,
as they are utterly of the true theory of GU,
government and its complicated checks and
balances has been material element in modify.
tying the tone Of opinion and sentiment in the
North
Should the action Of the government in future
be directed by those who are subject to these in.
fluences, il remains to be seen whether it will
preserve its former character and usefulness
The agitation of the last two years having par
TALLY destroyed the old party organizations, and
having very nearly annihilated party anmosi-
ties, IN The present calm IN opportunity is afford
ed us for examining the principles of the gov
eminent, and estimating properly the effects OF
its past action. Should new parties arise or the
old ones be essentially modified, they ought to
be made to stand as much as possible upon
sound principles. What are likely to be tn, sue
cessfn movements Ola party character, it is not
easy to decide. We were all amused yesterday
with the attempts of the gentleman from Ma.
ryiand, MIR. McLANE,l in reply to the questions
OF the gentleman from South Carolina to ex-
PLAIN 10 what Democracy consisted. His detini-
ton was that Democrat was he who stood by
and honest y carried out the objects and deter.
limitations ct theparty organization. This defini.
ton he twice gave in reply to questions.
Mr.. McLAsE said this was not bis statement
and proposed to explain.
Mr.. CLINGMAH continued
| rpDreL that thu bunda Of fha c1oaE ,ra v,,o,,
ing too rapidly, to permit me to give the gem
tieman the floor. ! may be mistaken about the
precise terms he did use. The members of the
House generally are quite as likely to re-
collect what he did say, as he or l. He said
further in continuation, that Democrat in lS4S
was he that voted for Cass and Butler, and in
1874 for Polk and Dallas Amusing as was the
exhibition made by the gentleman on that occa-
sion, doubt whether any other member of the
House would not have found il as difficult to
define the distinctions between Wings and Dem
ocrats, as national parties, at this time. The
truth is, Mr.. Chairman, that the old issues.
which formerly divided these two parties, have
now disappeared, and for want of the old land.
marks, the lines OF division are scarcely percept-
ibe. (Mr MeLAsE said, that they still existed
in his opnon)
Then, sir, it is very extraordinary that the gen.
tleman on yesterday, was not able to point them
Out. Though cross examined by several men,
Oers, and worried Tor a quarter of m hour, he
was not able to lay hold of any one of these old
landmarks They must have been buried very
deeply under ground to escape detection by op-
tics keen az his. There can be doubt. Mr..
Chairman, that the Wing and Democratic par
ties, once essentially divided as to measures.
have now become mere factions. By factions,
! mean as contra-distingushed from parties to
designate bodies of men, not separated by we'll
defined principles, but only by political luminosity
or because struggling against each other for Office
Such associations, are usually the most mischevi.
Gus. Wanting the Observation-Disclosures and purity
which struggle for principle is apt to engender,
they soon become utterly selfish, and tend to po-
tical corruption. have no objection therefore
to see new party combinations formed, as the
government of the country is likely thereby, to
be IN better, rather than in worse position
Though did not cooperate in lhe late attempt
to form the so-called Union party, yet had nc
objection to the movement ! saw at once, that
party could not stand upon a single mere neg.
alive idea, and that before it could progress, il
would have to adopt positive principles to regu.
late its general action. If those principles, wher
promulgated, had, contrary to my articipations
pOllcN
better than the principles of the antagonist party
then should not have hestated to cooperate
with them. | say now, Mr.. Chairman, that il
the old republican party of the days of Jefferson
and Madison, that party which was broken to
pieces ia 1928, by reason of its having nomi-
nally five presidential candidates in the field
if that party could be called together, upon its
old principles, would rather march under its
flag, than that of any other likely to be found.
know thatits name has somei mes been brought
into dsrepue, because many protesting the
name, have in practice apostatized from its prin-
ciples, while others have incurred rdcule by
their misappication of those principles. True
religion has been brought into disrepute by the
hypocrisy Of its professors, and good coin is
sometimes discredited by counterteits
The principles of this old party, regardful OF
the rights OF the States, strictly defining the
powers Of the federal government, and limiting
as much AS possible the line. Of its action, are
those only on which our system can permanent
y stand. In the part Of the Union fro which
come, the great body Of men Of all classes, have
originally belonged to or professed the princi-
Piles of that party. Many even Of the old fed
eralists having seen the mischief of diff rent
line of policy would be ready to embrace its
principles. As for myself, sir, shall at all times
be ready to Sustain whatever measures sound
policy, and the permanent interests of the coun-
try shall In my judgment require, without regard
to the parties or individuals with whom | may
for tie time be placed. A public m IN here can
find no compensation for his surrender Of the
right of private jud ,ment, and independence OF
action on all practical issues Of moment H.
conclu-ion, have TO say that think the pre-
sent revenue system ought To be reviewed, and
modified in some respec,s The frauds in the
collection Of duties complained of should he
reinedied as far as practicable bu, those who
are making most c!ano are doing it with
aview Of ceiving the country, as to their real
objects, and fostiog on 1t tariff enormously
high. | am ready myself now to vote for a
specific duty on bar iron, for example, but will
not vote IN the gentleman from Ohio proposed
last session, to make it 800 per ton, or even to
increase it generally. Everybody knows that
the higher the rate of duty the greater the temp
tation 20 egade it by fraudulent devices. ii
there We're time, which there is not, at the pre-
sent session, should be willing to review the
whole system Some of the duties are too high
Others possibly ought TO be increased. The
mode of assessing many Of them OUGHT unuues