The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-04-13
PRESS,
WASHINGTON CITY.
TUESDAY, APRIL l3, 1852.
One Idea.


the credit of consistency and Independence thus
far, for not falling into the Democratic party as
"aessian adjunct"-thinks there lisa fair and
dignified look about" our course, but classes US
with Birneysm, and declares that "One-ideaism
il in every form of manifestation a mischievOus
abstraction" And "an individual or party so
abstracted in the pursuit of one object, or the
propagation of one dogma, as to withdraw from
and neglect all other matters of general interest,
loses all legitimate influence for the advance
ment Of the very cause thus suffered to absorb
all thought and all energy No commisseration
is excited in honest minds for the fate OF the
Birneyite Abolitionists, who in this manner
were left to destroy themselves only good
they ever accomplished because their whole
energies were employed and expended in the
fanatical pursuit of unconstitutional objects
But the protection of paramount interests, like
those Of slavery in near half the States, guaran-
teed by the Constitution, is legitimate subject
OF political regard, and however well settled the
convictions of any portion of the people may
have become, that slavery ia a detriment, and
that its removal would be an advantage, no one
can object to any proper action or any consoli-
dalton OF influence to maintain it as the COnsti-
tuition left it. The one-idea fallacy, however,
will probably lead to as mischievous extremes
in this direction as the other, and we shall wit
ness the waste of much of the best talent and
capacity in the country, in the vain pursuit of
permanent controlling power for single inter
est and geographical section. Who cannot
see the vastly increased influence for every good
purpOse-for the object above all others, which
occupies all their anxietes- that the Southern
rights people might WELD, if they acted har-
tn
their general political afIinites 2"
The New York Times is new penny paper
which wages a vigorous competition with the
Herald, Tribune and Sun of that city. These
papers aim at large local daily circulation or
sale, and hence are adapted to the tastes, wants,
capacity and appettes of the masses of large
city. including the chambermaids hackmen,
carmen, and the oyster shops. Hence their
columns abound with excitement articles, on
all the occurring humbugs of the day, and with
all the accidents, fires murders, riots, robberes,
frauds, elopements, and Grim cons that such a
vast laboratory Of vice and crime affords. The
Times is probably as good specimen of the
taste and talent Of the New York penny press
as any of the papers of that class But it is
KossuTH and Semi-A bolitionist paper and is
deeply infected with number of the other shall
low isms of the day. Now, when such paper af-
fscts to lecture the Southern Rights party about
the narrow and abortive tendencies of one idea
ism. it is decidedly transcending its jurisdiction.
The Southern Press is directed to a different
class of readers-to the farmers, planters, mer.
chants, doctors and lawyers of many States. 1t
probably has more statesmen on its subscription
lists than any other paper in the Union But the
Times thinks the Press is devoted to one idea
the defence of slavery. We thought however,
that we discussed a considerable variety OF
topics. We thought the moral, social, domes.
tic political and philosophical questions co n
nected with the system of fifteen States and
some ten millions of Inhabitants, the most pros
porous and free of the civilized world, afforded
sufficient scope of thought and range of fact to
satisfy the most ambitious versatility of mind
But we don't want to repudiate one-ideaism.
We have classic regard for all the unities.
1t appears that whole race of people, the
offspring of Abraham, were consecrated to the
preservation of one great idea-the unity of
God. One idea presides over all the great epics
of Homer, Virgil, and Milton, and was yet not
exactly Incompatible with the greatest variety
of genius and knowledge. The Reformation
was founded on one idea, the liberty of private
judgment. The American revolution was the
result of one idea, the union of representation
and taxation.
is quite mistake to imagine that general
truth, and comprehensive knowledge and wis
dom are the offspring of large communities and
multiform interests. The reverse is true. The
world has received its great lessons in religion,
philosophy, and literature from the petty States
Plato and Aristotle were the citizens of little
republic, but Rave given those laws to the
human mind all over the world of a priori and
a po,teriori reasoning which we still obey.
History, eloquence, poetry and science have
all sprung chiefly from such communities as,
according to modern theory, could only be ex.
pected to yield the fewest number of ideas.
The editor Of the Times sneers at Abolition.
ism, or rather, more cunningly, at Birneysm,
which was Aboltionism separated from the two
national parties. The sneer comes with bad
grace from him. Abolition one. ideasm has
done wonders. It has acquired the control of
both parties at the North, and through them has
effected the degradation and spoliation of the
South; and it will probably elect Gen. SCOTT next
President. The Difference for it or affinity mani.
Tested by the editor of the Times when he was
assistant editor of the Courier and Enquirer
was 80 offensive as to cause his retirement from
that concern. Abolition one.ideaism was there.
fore the cause Of the Times, which now affects
to derde it's creator and is in fact still its crea
ture. Abolitionism-the one-idea of universal
emancipation, regardless of those moral qualf
cations which the Supreme Being has prescribed
for all the great trusts of life liberty, propertv