The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-04-13

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based on certain great principles of policy, sin
eerely adopted and openly avowed, are, if not
Indispensable, at least highly salutary in check.
ing the excuses of each other by incessant
wachfulness and steady opposition. The PEG.
pie thus see and hear both sides of the question,
and can exercise their best judgment in deciding
between them But it is very different when,
with view to conciliate the popular feeling,
and thus attain the ascendency, both parties,
though still continuing in opposition to each
other, adopt that same course of policy and
enter into contest which shall carry it to the
greatest extremes. 1t then becomes a mere
struggle for the loaves and fishes, and not for
principles, and selfshness takes the place of
patriotism. The policy thus adopted by both
parties will be carried to extremes, because there
IS none to oppose it; and most especially be-
cause there will be contest which shall 20
beyord the other in appealing to the popular
feeling. This seems to be the present state of
parties in the United States. Heretofore the
Democrats constituted the great bulwark to the
lnroads of fanaticiam in all its varieties. They
| stood forward on their open and avowed polit
cal principles, aud on that ground alone appealed
to the people for support They scorned 10
avail themselves Of any of those fanaticaI excite.
ments, which the Wings, in the consciousness
of their weakness, sought TO turn TO their pur-
poses, and neither courted Anti Masonry, Anti
/ hnliI a..
have entered the lists with the Wings, at least
in the North, and the contest is now: which
shall carry of The largest portion of the disciples
OF the higher law and universal philanthropy.
Ia mere politics there is, il appears, so little
diversity Of opinion, that Mr. Cobb can pass for
Wing in Boston, Democrat at Tammany
Hall, little Of both in Georgia, and anything
elsewhere. There is, then, no longer any dis.
tnctive political principle to designate the two
parties; and for auglt see, Mr. Webster is as
good Democrat as the best of them-at least
when he gets South of Mason and Dixon's line.
The only issue now before the people is, it
seems, the finality of the Compromise
question that has not the slightest connection
with the old established doctrines of either party
In this state of things, the question naturally
arises "What are the two parties quarrelling
about" If they have become so identified in
principles and policy, that they can make no
other issue than the "fnality," what is the use
of all this hubbub about Presidential candidates,
and why is the country to be kept in state OF
agitation about nothing! If the two parties
cannot agree TO disagree on something more
tangible than the ghost of all abstraction, why
don't they tremendously meet in convention
and draw straws for a candidate
But the fact is this pretended approach 10 the
Wings to the Democratic standard, this fusion
of the old parties is sheer hypocriey. The
Wings of to day are as much Federalists as they
ever were, and are only withheld from an
avowal OF their old principles, by a recollection
of the lessons of the past Not single one of
them has changed his opinion of the constilu.
tonality Of n bank Of the United States, pro.
tective tariff, internal improvements by the gen.
eral government, or any other great point on
which the parties formerly differed and If to.
morrow they could do il with safety, they would
consummate all these measures. Knowing.
however, the serious consequences of making
an issue on these they have carried their policy
and principles in other directions. Bat they
are still substantially the same. II is the hair
of the same old dog colored to prevent detec
ton. The course pursued by the present Wing
administration is as much Federal as that OF
the elder Adatis, though it manifests itself in q
different form and in another direction. Neither
the elder or younger Adams would have ven.
tured spch prcclnmations as that against Texas
or that issued under the combined in1uence Of the
English and Spanish ministers by Mr. Fillmore
against his own countrymen. Nor will ven.
ture TO say, would either Of these gentlemen
have thought it expedient to carry the doctrin,
of passive obedience and non.resistance to III,
extent to which II has been pushed by the latter
day Wings
It is not the Fcderalists, but the Democrats
fear that have changed They have lost sigh
Of their principles in the fog Of fanaticism, an,
became the disciples Of William Lloyd CARR
son, Gerrit Smith, and Abby Folsom, instead O
Jefferson, Madison, and John Taylor They stant
ready TO sell State rights for United States lands
and exchange Democratic doctrines for Abo
lition dogmas. They are no longer disciples o
the Constitution. but the "highcr law" and ar
SO befudded with exciiements Of one kind o
other, that considerable portion Of them arr
ready to vote for man, not because he is honest
patriotic, and capable, but because is intemper
ate 10 his temperance, or is warmer friend 4
all the rest Of mankind than to his countrymen
In this state Of things parties are worse thar
useless, and every man who has no pretensiont
to the loaves and fishes, may as we'll toss up
copper fora candidate, or light asegar with hi
ballot