The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-03-08

Reunion or Coalition.
The coalition of ANTHONY, LEPDUs and AU-
GUsTUs CESAR, in the government OF Rome
was based on an agreement to sacrifice the heads
of their principal friends. In the previous hos
tilties that had occurred between them, the lead
ing friends of each had incurred the relentless
hatred of the rival asprants, and hence, in form
ing the Triumvirate, each of the three was will
ing to give up the heads of his friends for
those of his enemies. Such is, perhaps,
the natural consequence or the inevitable
tendency of coalitions. And we beg to CON-
mend this historical lesson to the attentive
consideration of those involved as parties and
victims in the negotiations now going on in both
parties for Presidential nominations.
In this republic we have not yet progressed
far enough.to authorize stipulatons between the
high contracting powers, for actual and literal
decapitation; but we have arrived already at the
stage Of ruthless prescription, and exclusion from
Office, and party denunciation and obloquy.-
There are, it is true, good many important Of
fees in the gift of federal power, and good
many fat jobs, but they few in comparison
with the number of asprants and applicants that
will be conglomerated by the combinations that
may be formed to secure Presidential nominal
ton and election. And the intestine feuds that
will result from disappointed rivalship, even in
case of an impartial distribution of the spoils
(Which is hardly to be expected) will render the
position of the successful candidate any thing
but bed of roses.
The sectional controversy divided the two
old parties each into three portions,-th North
ern Freesoilers, the Compromises, and the
Southern opponents of the Compromise. And
as the Presidential election approached it was
seen at once that the event would demand re-
union or coalition of some of these PORTIONS
But the difficulties of this Presidential adjust
ment appear to be qnite as great as those of the
sectional adjustment. And one great cause of
this difficulty is the attempt to initiate or repro
duce in the party adjustment the identical ele
ments of the sectional adjustment" In both
cases the South is required to surrender-to sur
render the things, and to secure nothing but a
few unmeaning or ambiguous words.
In the first place it must now be admitted
that whatever was meant or intended by the
Compromise bills, the practical effect has been
that the South has lost all. She scarcely pre-
tends now even to make an effort to recover a
fugitive slave,-she has lost California, and has
no hope of New Mexico. And now, what is pro-
posed to her in the Presidency? Why, of the
score of candidates designated for the nominal
ton, every one of them is Of the North except
two, General BUTLER and General HousToN-
And the latter is rather more Northern than
many of the Northern candidates, and the form.
er is on the boundary line.
Now, when we come to consider the elements
of the two parties respectively, We find them to
differ from those of the party that made the Com
promise. The Compromise party in Congress
was composed of Northern and Southern men
Wings and Democrats, in various proportions
on the different bills. The most important bill,
the admission of California, had but few South.
ern supporters, and they chiefly Wing. But the
Democratic party is composed chiefly of South
ern men.
Now, a reunion of the Democratic party is
proposed on the basis of the finality of the Com.
promise. This is to ask of the Southern por-
ton of the party surrender of their convictions
on the question to their Northern brethren, most
of whom voted for it; and this surrender is de-
manded at time when the practical operation
fthe Compromise has indicated every objec-
ton made against it by its Southern opponents
So on the other hand, the Wing party is chiefly
Northern, and hence a large portion Of it
opposed the Compromise as not exacting
enough in its terms for the North But
majority of the Wing party at the South
adopted the Compromise as fnality, and now
only asks that it shall be so recognized. And
this is refused by the Northern Wings SO that
both porties in the North conincide in the same
policy Of domineering and dictation towards
their Southern allies. This only confirms in
very striking manner, and rather sooner than we
expected, the truth of the lesson we have uni
formly taught, that there is no finality to the
policy of submission. One surrender only Gre
ates precedent for another, until the cup of de-
gradat'on is drained to its very dregs.
Now, 1t 30 happened that when the present
session ofCongress commenced, an opportunity
was at hand to test the sincerity of some of these
professions. 1t had so happened that the mass
of the Southern opponents of the Compromise
were .DemOcrnts-and their votes were i'm.
portant for the next Presidential election
There were cordial overtures for re. union made
and they were not very coldly repulsed But
there was the Census printing. 1t is job, or
work, which, according TO party ethics, and not
withstahding the liberal policy we proposed, is
considered a party perqusite. Neither Of the
parties, as yet organized or defined, was strong
enough to control it. But looking at the previ-
ous afhnities "a the basis of reunion, the Com
promise and Southern Democrats were the most
eligible allies as the claimants We therefore
naturally enough supposed that some day a