The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-02-04
Coalitions.

Coalitions.
In his recent speech in the House of Repre-
sentatives in defence Of the '' mastery combi-
nation" of the Abolitionists and Democrats in
Massachusetts, Mr.. RANToUL propounded a
query Of some significance in regard to coali-
tons. He wished to know if coalitions were
in themselves wrong; and seemed to argue
from that query that there could not be wrong
coalitions. We apprehend that it is in the
political as in the physical world. Without a
" coalition of squandered atoms" says cele-
brated English polemic, /" the chaos must
have reigned to all eternity" Without such
coalitions anarchy must reign in politics as in
nature. When bad men conspire, good men
must cooperate. How men can proceed
without any connexion at all )" said the great
philosophical statesman of England, ais TO
me utterly incomprehensible.
There is, however, time for all things.
Ii is not every conjuncture which calls with
equal force upon the activity of honest men;
but critical exigencies now and then arise;
and am mistaken if this be not one Of them.
tion; but they may see it when it is too late
They may embody when it will be ruinous
to themselves and of no advantage to the
country; when, for parf of such timely union
as may enable them TO oppose IN fapor Of The
h,cs ,cith the La,os on their side, they may, al
length, find themselves under the necessity o,
conspiring, instead Of consulting The law foI
which they stand, may become weapon in the
: hands Of its bitterest enemies and they will
be cast, at length, into that miserable alterna-
tive between slavery and civil confusion
which no good man can look upon without hor-
ror; an alternative in which it is impossible
he should take either part with conscience
perfectly at repose. To keep that situation
of guilt and remorse at the utmost distance is
therefore our first obligation. Early activity
may prevent late and fruitless violence A,
9 yet we work in the light. The scheme Of III,
eneHlie, Of public tranquility has disnranged
9 IL ha, not destroyed as"
We do not differ, therefore, from Mr.. RAN
roUL in his general view of the propHety anC
necessity Of combinations, though we diffe
very materially in the application of our doc
trine. A combination, for instance, Of grea
party with two hostile factions. bitterly hating
and denounclng each other, for the purpose o
overthrowing an Administration whose policy
on the most important and vital questions o
the day is adverse to that Of the factions an,
approved or acquiesced in by the party
is a dishonest and disgraceful coalition
1t is dishonest and disgraceful because it in
wolves the sacrifice of avowed principles
and the endorsement Of abhorred and mischiev
Gus dogmas. Still more dishonest and disgrace
full such coalition becomes, when the mastery
of the party is assumed by the factions, and tn,
lead and power are given TO men whose pac,
is more properly on penitential stools than off
cial seats.
To make our meaning more obvious, we will
illustrate it by special application. The masses
Of the people-the large majoriy-consti-
tuting the true DEMocRATic party, APP
prove, in our judgment, the policy Of thu
present Administration, first in regard to &C
| quescence In the measures Of Adjustment. anc
again in the matter Of Intervention in the affair
Of foreign States. These questions embrac,
the topics Of immediate discussion and mos
urgent interest. The same majority, in GU
Judgment, approve the moderate and nationa
views Of the Administration in reference to tn,
Tariff and Internal Improvements. To over
throw such an Administration we see an unior
of the selfstyled DEMOCRATIC party with tn,
! AbolItionists on one side, aud the Secessionist
I
on the other-two factions from which they pro
fess to stand in sentiment as far as are the pole
asunder. And this coalition is controlled by tn,
/ factions and receives the law from them. At tn,
/ first attempt at consultation, and after the "DE
/ MocRATs" had made proclamation far and Wild
OF their intention to pass Compromise rcsolu
/ tons in caucus, those resolutions were quieil,
! tabled on a speech and motion of PREsTor
4 KING, the special representative Of the Free
/ soil Presidential candidate at the last election
! Under this lead we saw Major Polk and Gen
eral BAYLY and Mr. GoRmAs gnominiousl,
driven out of the caucus, and the direction of lh
omnipotent Democracy" handed over to Mr.
CLEvELAND, Mr.. RANroUL, Mr.. MoLoHY, Mr.
CAMPBELL, and other out-and out Aboitionist
and Freesoiers. We saw the very men VIII
defeated General CAss by the nomination q