The Ohio star. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1830-1854, 1853-05-25
From the Clereiand DAILY Forest ca,
Is the vyhig Party Defunct.

l.
Is the Whig Party Defunct.
Some of our poiiiical brelhern may feel DE-
posed to except 10 the views offered in our las, is
sue. in regard 10 the whig party But we are
not alone in these opinionr Such Journals as /
ibe Albany Evening Journal. Boston Alias,
Providence Journal, and New York Tribune, |
hold the same opinions. And from fhe course |
pursued by the Washington Republic. Courier |
and Eponirer, and kindred prints, we infer |
that they believe The ss,ne. A large portion
ofthe Press are halting between two opinions,
and like Macawber, hoping that something may
turn ua,to relieve The party from its preseni
inextricable position, and certain dissolution.
Why do you call the Wing party desd when
il pol!ed 14,000 more votes a, the last Pfesden-
tal election, than on any former occasion?-
How can a party be dead which numbers l.
400. 900 voters? These questions embrace the
only iangible argument ofFe ed by those who
would cling 10 The skeleton of the party after
life has left it.
Brother whigs, we will tell you. The body
Of a dead man we CHS nearly as much as when
living. dead Tree is almost as large as when
growing. There is more hope OF an infant
than eonsump i've man. The one may be-
come giant. the other mus, soon die A sap
ling at the foot of the sturdy oak will be
great tree when the paren. struck by igktcing
will fall, and decay to the earth.
In this sense the whig party is defunc,.--
Ii yet Of giant proportions, bnt IT is sick unto
death. It's size is rather an incumbrance than
an advantages, The sui idal diet i, has swal-
lowed on the slavery question; has sown The
seeds of death inis vilals, and it is rapidly sink
ing, prey 10 pulmonary disease. The s;rug-
gle Of last fall, ruptured a blood vessel. Ii can
never recover. Good nursing, and holding up
false hopes to the pa'ieni, fonics, simulants and
quiet, may enable ii 10 prolong its exis,anee
few years. But no docioring or nursing can
rejuvenate or restore The yigor, i'll, or strength
OF rs palmy dnys.
e When party loses IFS reEovaiing energies.
its power Of growth, when its missionaries no
longer make converts from other political secis.
then lis meridian has thus been passed, and Us
sun must rapidly sink inin night.
indays gone by the whig party possessed the
power 10 grow. 10 make proselyies toa remark.
able degree. The Locofocos would industrl-
ous.y and seduousiy recruit their ranks from
hordes Of foreigners, until their nccesstons
were large enough 10 swallow up the small ma
.Joriy that was cast against them at the last
struggle. A few weeks befole The election, the
wings would wake up, make On estimate of how
many German and ltish The locofocos had nat.
uralized sinceihe last Governor's election, ap-
portion out the working wings of each county
and township, the number of converts they must
make 10 nensralize the foreigners in the enemy s
camp, and rarely was the draft dishonored-
By means OF conventions, discussions, ar GU
:Senls, documents, enthusiasm and song. Young
..sative born democrats and intelligent foreign
| ers enough f1oched 10 our standard to sweep The
fed on the day Of action. So long as The whlg
party kept clear of pro-slavery influences they
were uhit, and while unit, victorious when
ever they chose 10 exert their strength 10 secure
victory. But in an. evil hour, their idol Chief
wayered and fallered before the slave power
The tempter obtained a foothold, disaster follow
ed as darkness follows day. One false siep,
and it sank deeper and deeper into the pro.slu.
very mire unti! al last il swa.nped.
The true policy foI those who heretofore act
ed with the whig party. is 10 re organize. Let
them adoIt the living principles of the times,
cut loose from all alliance with slavery. stand
| by the declaration Of Independence. confine sla-
| very strictly within its present limits, and re-
solve that thus far it shall spread and no farther
Let this new organization become the advocate
of the benefcens reforms, socially, pecunlarily
and morally demanded by the times.
Among tbese might be enumerated the mar
fmony of capital and labor. to the end that he
| who earns the dollar shall possess it: the imme-
diate construction Of the great Pacific Railroad
making the heart of our continent The highway
of the world; the annexation of Canada, Ihe
Sandwich Islands, and Cuba. if free. Let il
project our free schools from ihs poisonous
touch of ignorance and bigo,ry, Let i. oppose
the insiduous humbug, free trade and direct ina.
otion, aud set its face ikea flint against the
Twin demons Of cur Republic. slavery and al
cohoi-the bondage Of the body and madness
! Of the mind.
A parry whose chief aim is to make the world
better, wiser ana happier. viii have claim on the
/ people for support, bnt a party whose principal
end is the possession and enjoyment of taxes
and place. lives for an unworthy object. and il
not emitted toihe peoples aid and confdence.
We have not sai6 what we have said lightly
They are serious convictions. We hold no en-
ml'y or pique towards thu luts whig party
Far otherwise we loved it. fought for u, ane
stood by it. boy and man for twenty years
We reiolced when its flag waved iniriumph ane
mourned when it tralled in defeat. Few mer
ever labared more zealousy or sincerely for {
cause than we have for whiggery. We msgni
he'd rs good deeds. anG npoogzed for its bae