The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-02-03

We publish to-day the intrepid speech Of Mr.
RAsToUL. of Massachusetts, in defence of the
coalition in that State between the Democrat.
and Freesoil or Abolition party. Iii defence
In fact, Of the principle of coalition generally
: We insert IL rather for the purpose of exhibiting
to the South the politics of that State.
AZ for Mr.. RAKToUL's defence, it will not do
We admit that parties politically opposed as t.
federal politics. may combine as to State politics
Nay, we are glad to see it. We should regard
with pleasure the arrival of the day when the
politics of the several States shall be emanci.
psted from the shackles of national parties and
we should be happy to learn that the people of
any State considered her interest, honor, and
rights paramount to federal politics, or Presi-
dental or federal party success.
But that is not the case of the Massachusetts
coalition. In that State the Democratic party
had professed always higher degree Of regard
and respect for the rights of the States and Of
the South, than the Whigs-much higher than
the Abolitionists. Hence it is true, as Mr. RAN.
ToUL asserts, there had been coalition between
the Wings and Freesoilers Hence the Demo
Gratis had denounced that coalition. But an op.
portunity or a temptation occurs for the Demo
Gratis to do the same thing, and forthwith they
embrace it-not for State politics alone, OF
chiefly, but for federal. And accordingly the
result Of that coalition is, that Mr.. SUMNER, an
ultra Freesoiler is elected to the Ssnate, not Of
Massachusetts, but Of the United States--and
Mr. RAKToUL is elected, not to the legislature
of Massachusetts,, but to the House of Repre-.
sentatives of the United States. Now, Mr..
RAsrcuL and his party had previously. denounced
Messrs. SUMNER g. Co. as men whose doctrines
were more unconstitutional and destructive Of
the Union than those Of the Whigs,-and then
turn about and elect them to the Congress Of
the United States rather than Whigs,-elect
them to violate the Constitution, to assai the
rights and safety Of sister States Now, il is
true that Mr. RASrouL gives us an account of
the career of his Wing colleague, Mr.. DAVIS
from which it appears that he is an Abolitionist.
or was until very recently, although now hold
ing seat as Wing. We know, however, that
all the Wings of Massachusetts were not such
as Mr.. DAVIS, and the defence of Mr.. RANrouL
is only that he and his party have not done worse
than the Wings have done on this question. If
different coalition had been made, if the De-
mocrats, or that portion Of them which is faith.
full to the Constitution, had united with the por.
ton of the Wings equally, or the most nearly
so. an adequate defence might have been made;
for the defence would have been that the cause
of the Constitution was superior 10 that of any
party.
The truth is, however, that the events to
which Mr.. RASToUL refers in his speech, dem.
onstrate the actual dissolution of parties in Mas
safhusetts, whilst the attack and defence which
have been made in reference to the result, only
show with what pertinacity and infatuation men
cling to names and to forms when the substance
has depsrted.