Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1852-03-01
For the Portage Sentinel.
Wing Fallacies Exposed.
MO -
1 ~. Sp

EpIToE OF THE SENTINEL I'm my ar.
tic'e. published in your last paper, expos-
ing Greelys Wig fallacies, spoke of his
efforts for the consolidation of power in The
Genernf Government. That tendency to
ceniraliza.ion, the consolidation Of all po.
liiical power in The great central govern
ment-in the hands Of a ssw-far from
the genial Influence OF the masses, the
right source Of power, Is Shat se have
most reason to fear, as most endaagering
the permanency Of our Republic. 1t il
what our fathers most feared, in the adop
ton of the Constitution, under which cur
Union has so fnur..saed, for more Than sx>
~ years. And, If there is faul, in tha,
instrument, i, is in placirg too much pow:
er in the general gevernmenI-taking 100
much from the States and the people,, to
build up great central power. All the
perils Of our Union, from internal causes,
have arisen from the exercise Of too great
powers, or Of doubtful powers, by the gen.
eral government, Ear from lhat genial in.
fiuence Of the masses Some Of our large
S,a,es. even, experience similar dticul.
ties, from the concentration Of too exten.
sive powers, over the varied and diverse in.
ierests, Of a numerous population, scatter
ed over extensive territories; powers that
might better be retained nearer the people,
and exercised in smaller localities, by DO.
dies more Immediately responsible 10 the
people.
1t is sha, prediction for great central
power-a strong government, far from the
controlling influence Of the people,-con.
trolie1 only by few interested politicians.
! which has ever been n prominent trai, OF
all uris,ocra,s, from Alexander Hamilton,
to Horace Greely, and whether bearing
The name OF I, d@raIisls, national republicans,
bank men, or wings; while democra,s are
disposed to keep those political powers prop.
erly distributed, from the President 10 the
Postmaster, from The Congress. TO the pri>
mary town meeting, and the family fire.
side; but most, nearest lhe 6resde-and
with that we'll illuminated.
That trait Of American Republicanism,
American Democracy, appears to have
been entirely overlooked, or disregarded,
by European Democrats so much OPP
plauded by Greedy; By which he, proba.
bly,, means only, French Republicans,
whose efforts fur reform, however honest.
ly intended. have always failed. If they
would succeed, they must i'nitu:e our de-
mocracy, by forming confederacy oi
their provinces, as our States.
The great Kossulh, appears to under.
stand these Democratic principles, and will,
il he nay ever have opportunity, use his
influence TO carry them out, by confede
racy oil the Hungarian states, or provinces
Little Switzerland too, is successful ex
ample OF Democracy though in the mids
Of despotic States, and a weak power
weak, and therefore obliged, at lines, te
succomb to more powerful, despotic neigh.
bors, to preserve peace and the integrity o
her own territory
Greely's undlguifed attempt, in the ar
tcle referred TO. TO s.igma,ize the Demo
cratic party as immoral, is not more sue
cessfui than his other charges. He ap
pears to have forgotten The Wing hard ci
der orgies, Of 1s40. The people of ths
country, can SEQ aud know, Of their neigh
bors, who are most moral. We know hi.
party writer's, have ever claimed sall the
religion and all the morality or much th.
largest share Of both; bu, it is not admitted
nor is ii fact, ss regards the country
Great cities, nre great moral ssres, at best
and his Five Points, may perhaps cast I
democratic vote, as he says. But wha
does ,hu, plovel Wall street, too, is Wbig
MS it is the seat of the hlillioDaires, tn,
rich, who are ever seeking governmental
aid, to heap higher their lofty piles D
wealth. And they get such uid, in SHAPE
of corporate powers, for banks or othe
purposes. And, there the capitalists op
press the laborers, as by existing laws the,
are almost everJ where, enabled 10 Go
Such population, is invariably Whig.
fine 'Flve Points, is democratic, lher'
are probably the mos, Of iaboring poo
men residing there; though residents o
Wall street may often VI 81! there. AM
the laboring poor, who ask no exclusive
privileges, and are averse 10 granting sucl
10 others, are, Of cocrse, democrats. Blu
the ''rogues and lberlines," the keepers o
gambling houses, crop shops, and daike
deus OF inlamy.;' OF which he speaks, u
inhabiting those districts that give demo
cratic maj ,ri,ies, "at nearly every elec
tion." are no doubt the fence men, wh'
so often change their votes, as the ac,iv'
leaders ot ole or the other party holds ou
inducements to change. IL is thus, by tn
frequent yascilla,ions of such fence men,
from one side to the other, thu, the city al
,cruately changes its majority, from demo
era. to whig, ard from whig to democfa
as it has so often done. Such change!ing
belong 20 no parry.
But, in one admission Of Greey, we vii
agree with him .Doubi!ess," as he says
"she great mass, Of Whatever party. sin
cereiy desire the public welfare; doubtless
rogues and liberines nre to be found in tn
ranks of each Of the grea, parties" All