New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-10-03
EUSION-OUR STATE.

The National Wing party, as il once existed and
struggled under the lead of Adams, Clay and
Webster, was destroyed by the successful attempt
of the ntiProgressiye majority in its last Nation
al Convention to place it, at least nOminaliy, on
Pro Slavery platform. Up to that time, 1t had
been tacity agreed that differences of opinion
respecting Slavery were to be allowed in its ranks
and J. Q. Adams aud Tom. Marshall, Giddings
and Wise, were at the same time Wing Members
of Congress- Subsequently, Wise bOlted in one
direction and GiddDes in another-the one leay-
ing us because we were too much and the other
because We were too little inclined to Abolition;
but they both took themselves of of their own
mOtiOn-we did not turn cut nor excOmmunicate
either OF them, aud should not have done so had
they been twice as ultra as they respectively
When, in 1S4l, few Southern Wing Senators
were bamboOzed by crafty antagonists into oppos-
ing the confirmation of Northern nominee be-
cause of his professions of Anti Slavery sentiment
land this nominee of all the world Edward
Everett MIR Clay breasted and rolled back the
tide of Pro-Slavery prescription, declaring that
rejection on such grounds would work the dissO-
luton not only Of the Wing party, but of the
Union. And when, in lSiS, a delegate ~ the
Whig National Convention at Philade pbia pro-
posed an Endorsement of the Wilmot PrOyiso, his
resolve was instantly and overwhelmingly laid on
the table, not as wrong intrinsically fora major
ity of the delegates were at least n0minay favor
able to that Proviso, but as utterly out of place
in Wing National Convention. A year or more
afterward, Messrs ToOmbs and Stephens OF
Georgia carried into Wing Congressional eau
Gus some sort of Pro Slavery Resolve, and were
voted down on it, as they doubtless expected TO
be; whereupOn they bOlted, not the caucus only
but the party, opposed the Wing candidate for
Speaker, and have ever since rowed in boat of
their own, as they had perfect right to do. They
knew that a Pro-Slavery or Anti-slayery test
mu.t divide and denationalize the Wing party, so
they proposed one as a means Of cutting them
selves loose fromit and setting sail-they asked
and knew not whittier.
In 1852, new Wing National Convention as
sembled-we trust the last. We had then for
tuitous Wing National Administration which had
already nearly ruined the Wing party by forcing
upon il novel and obnoxious test utterly alien
to all its common purposes and aspirations-the
test, namely, of acquieseenee in and support Of
the Compromise Measures Of 1850 respecting
Slavery, including the new Fugitive Slave Law.
The head of that Administration was candidate
before the Conventions his Secretary of State
was also q candidate. The two had majority of
the Delegates between them; but no majority
could be induced to concentrate oa either Of
them, since it was perfectly obvious to all not Ut
terly blinded by personal idolatry or sefinterest
that neither could be brought within sight OF an
election. In the state and position Of the party
then presented, there was not hope Of carrying
the election on any other than candidate entire
ly independent of the offce-h holders and the EX-
ecutive policy of the two years preceding And
now, by combination of the supporters of Fill
more and Webster, Pro-Slavery plank of the
Georgia pattern was mbedded in the revised
Wing platform. Many OF the friends of Gen.
Scott unwilling TO offend or estrange their South
ern friends, and absurdly supposing Gen. Scott
could carry anything, accepted, or rather, to
Use the phraseology of the day, 'acquiesced in"
this Interpolation, and thus secured Gen. Scotts
nomination-and defeat. For though our candi-
date jumped upon the Slavery platform with
an agility beiying his years the mass of the free
souled Wings would not follow; and the infusion
of fresh blood into the veins of our over.drugsei
,nd enfeebed party, which his nomination wa.
nationally expected to secure, was precluded BY
the Hunkerism Of the platform. That platform
concilated none-not even its concocters who |
went home to plot the defeat of the tickle.
placed thereon. Mr.. Webster went down
to his grave s1llsa ,nd implscable, rsfu,.