Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1852-05-15
Disuaion of the Whig Party.

Another event of great Importance has occurred
to mark the progress of this Union towards that
disastrous destiny to which it has been rapidly
tending for seventeen years The Whig party
has been dissolved by the slavery question. Ma
ny of the churches had divided heretofore, and
the Democratic party was divided in 1850 on this
question. But the Wing party was considered
one OF the strongest bonds of union-for it had
long been the most indulgent to Northern aggres-
sion. And at the present time it had a brilliant
military chieftan for a Presidential candidate
and fifty millions of money to disburse annually
in the case of success. 1t is obvious, therefore,
that division could not have occurred, until
cry efort to preserve unity had been made and
failed
| One of the most curious characteristics of the
event, is that it occurred point OF order. But
/ the greatest revolutions have begun in manner
equally trivial i'll appearance. The French Revo-
luton of 1947 begun by prohibiting big dinner
parties, and the actual conflict was commenced by
an accidental shot So on this occasion; the Com
promise, which it was fondly hoped would save
the Union, was itself lost on point of order
The death of Achilles by an arrow in the heel, or
that of Alexander the Great by an extra toddy,
was glorious compared to the ignominous stab in
ficted on the Compromise, with point of ORDER
by Senator Mangum, chairman of the caucus.
The Wing caucus met by adjournment night
before last at the capitol. The object of calling
it had been stated to be to fix the day and place
for the next Whg National Convention to meet.
Before proceeding, however, to that question, Mr..
Marshall, ofKentucky offered resolution in the
words of the one which had been adopted in a
partial caucus Of the Wing members at the be-
ginning of the session. The question of order
was raised, and it was gravely maintained that in
a Wing Congressional caucus, the Compromise
was out of order Well, this might have been
technically the case, but never heard before of
such stringent rules in body legally unrestricted
But it is very certain that if a requisite majority of
the body wanted to pronounce in favor of the Com
promise, the rules could have been suspended.
The Southern Wings wanted to know of the
Northern Wings, whether they would support the
Compromise ? This was reasonable thing for
one portion of party to ask of another. and eau
Gus proper occasion, it the preliminary to
a party contest--and the question had become in
fact rather urgent, after the very significant vote
on that subject subject in the House, the other
day, when many Northern Wings opposed
and so many indisposed The expediency of
an answer to this question became also the more
urgent from the obstinate silence of General Scott,
who was oft-times soemnly called to answer there
to, but came not and made default. 1t is true,
the General had published letter against publish
ing letters public questions by candidates, but
then he had magnanimously waived his consisten-
cy by responding to jolly Irish dinner party in a
letter recanting The Native American doctrines of
a former one. And some of the Southern Wings
thought they might well have letters, even if
they Natives, as their adopted brethren
1t is true that assurance were offered by several
gentlemen, that the General was sound on the
Compromise, but the Southern Wings were evi-
IDENTITY afraid the people would not believe it,
! So it was, the Compromise resolution was ruled
out of order, and some twelve to twenty Southern
Wings ruled themselves out of the Convention,
and seeded. There were, we understand but
ten Southern Wings, minority, left in the Con-
venton, and that ten from three only of the South
ern States Kentucky, North Carolina, and Ten
nessee.
Many of the Southern Wings did not attend at
all. There are forty -four in Congress- and there
were only about sixty -four Wings altogether in
the caucus. The secession, therefore, of the
Southern Wings would seem to be decisive, and
the Wing party, organized, is principally
and practically Northern sectional party. 1t has
lost whatever of balance or ballast or of equbri-
UNI, it has heretofore had from the South
This movement will produce total revolution
of parties The Democratic party contains with
in tselfthe causes of dissolution scarcely less pow
erful than those which have divided the Whigs.-
In fact, there is now scarcely measure or man
before the country on which any party can unite
i 1t is in vain, how ever for the Southern Wings
or Democrats to make platform of the Compro-
mise. There is but one plank of it left, the Fu-
gitive-slave law, and that is wind shaken and
worm eaten. 1t is the plank which the South is
: required to walk, preparatory to the final plunge
: We shall not walk it. We have no idea of rehn
gushing the fight on the main deck for our share
of the ship and cargo When ne are utterly over
come, and all further resistance is hopeless, We
: would be as willing to be thrown the side o
the ship at once, to be required to walk such {
plank Southern Press.