The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-05-05

Few Words In Season.
II ID often the fate Of men who, prompted b,
an overriding sense Of duty, strive to stem tb'
strong current Of partizan feeling, to meet witt
opposition and obloquy from those whom they
seek to serve. When the prophecies of Troy
poured forth her warning cry against the oif'
results that would follow the violation OF Piigh[
cd faith, che was rewarded by ridcule ana curses.
When. through the disregard Of those solemn
monitions. those consequences ensued, and over
whelmed her and her countrymen in common
ruin. tho same multitude visited as a crime on
her hsplsss head her fatal gift of prescience, as
though it had precipitated the catastrophe.
The course Of recent events has irresistibly
called TO mind the recollection Of this ancient
instance-but it is TO be hoped that in this case
the warning may not be so entirely disregarded,
and tardy recognition of the truth avert ap-
preaching evils, as imminent as those that men,
aced Troy of old. For long time, pending tho
passsge of the Compromise measures, and SUBJ
sequently to that period, no men were more
fercely or more bitterly reviled, nor more con-
spicuously held up to public odum, than those
"agitators" who dared prefer the maintenance of
principles and the rights of their section to the
preservation of party. No men have in turn
been more scurrilously assailed by the minions
of power, or the tools of faction, than those in
dependents of both the old parties who dared
secede from them, forswear their allegiance, and
refuse to return, until guarantees of honest in.
tentions and of better faith were given by those
who had SO repeatedly duped, deluded, and be.
trayed them.
And now, shameless partizans, impenitent for
the past, and flushed with the hope Of triumph
in the future, seek to put under the ban those
seceders whom they can neither bully nor be.
guile. And it is upon these outsiders" these
stubborn recusants-these sticklers for consist.
ency-that the walls of wrath are most profusey
poured by the anointed high priests of party
Happily, however, there are, even in this day,
some men who can continue to exist outside of
the pale Of party-who can sacrifice the hope of
preferment to principle, and-who would rather
occupy an independent position in separate
organization, than constitute the mere caudal
extremity of one of the "great parties" that
hopes to have the partitioning of the spoils,
should both those parties juggle or palter with
the safety and the rights of the South, either by
acts Of omission or commission. This class of
mon is by no means small nor 80 powerless
as plotting politicians, whose eyes and hearts are
in Washington, may suppose Accessions are
duly gained from the rank and file Of the old
parties at the South, who seek neither profit nor
preferment from the federal government, but de
are to see that government once more admin.
istered in purity, and the stipulations of the orr
ginal compact strictly compiled with. Such men
care little for mere party names-shadows with.
out substance-they ask for justice, security for
the future, if not indemnity for the past, and are
determined to hare it, even though it should be
necessary TO SILVER the old parties to pieces to
secure it. Though its pioneers, living and dead,
may have suffered, and some may yet be resting
under the ban of packed caucuses and coalitions,
the blood of the martyrs will be the seed of the
church. Men may perish, but principles are
eternal-they possess the attribute of perpetui
Bequxathed from bleeding sire to son,
Though bqfied of, euer ICON.
One, the mightiest of these martyrs, has al
ready gone to his rest, his dying hours embit-
tered by the thought of the coming conflict in
which he could not share. To him it was not
given even to lead his people in view of their
promised land of refuge. But to his prophetic
vision the veil that hides the future was partially
lifted. Already have many of his predictions
passed into history. Scarcely has his mortal
part mouldered away in the grave, and while
his memory is yet green, the truth of his warn
ings is proven beyond cavil or dispute, by the
events which have already and daily are trans.
plrlng. tie predicted that this difficulty between
the two sections was fundamental one, and
could not be healed by shallow compromises, or
shufiiing evasions, but only by awarding even
handed justice to each section by adherinp in
stnct faith to the compromises of the Constitu.
ton on the part of the aggressive North, by
asking nothing but was right, and submitting
10 nothing that WAS wrong on the part of the
assaulted South. He was ridiculed as vision.
airy, denounced az disunionist, and, like WASH
lsGToN, reviled as "a hoary- headed incendary,"
by vagabonds of almost unequaled mendacity
and insolence. And scarcely has his fervd
heart grown cold in the grave before his predic-
tions are verified almost to the letter--befors
confusion equal to chaos, a crash like that of
doom falls on the parties, and Pandoras box
of evils is opened on the country
The time has come when honest men of all
parties must ask themselves the question, and
be prepared TO decide upon it
aShaN zoe adhere to principles or TO party,'
It seems they are not to be allowed to enjoy
both--for the admission into the party ranks is
to be on the implied condition of aiding in its
triumph at any sacrifice of principle or feeling.
Cordial cooperation and support of the regular
nominee is all that 10 asked of Mr. RAnrouI,
Mr.. Cas- and Mr.. RHErr, by the one party: and
OF Mr.. SEWARD, Mr. MARsHALI and Mr. CLING.