The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-07-13
MOVEMENTS AMONG SOUTHERN WINGS.


the free States.
MOVEMENTS AMONG SOUTHERN WINGS
A week or two since, the National Intctii-
gencer commenced the diff ,uls task Of re-uni-
ting the Wing Party; and, from time to time,
it publishes extracts from Southern correspond
ents and Southern papers, protesting undated
devotion to the great Party of which "Clay
and Webster were once the champions"
full of regrets for the dscords engcndered by
the Nebraska Bill and evincing disposition
to act once more with their brethren in the
North, in "the good old ways" when opposi-
ton to Executive Power was tho rallying cry.
"Respectable" as was the authority, which
undertook to pronounce sentence of death On
the glorious Wing Party, we were not prepsr-
cd, says the InteHigencer, to acquiesce in it.
"We had yet to learn that the Wing party
owed its origin to entire agreement of opinion
as to the question of the Limitation or expan-
sion of Slavery, or that its existence was to de-
pend on q perfect accord North and South, on
an isolated point. We had thought that there
were great principles of foreign and domestic
the champions, which the Wing party had as
serted and contended for and which had no
relation 10 the disturbing question of Slave
ry."
Whatever weight may have belonged to those
principles" in former times, mono attaches
to them now It would puzzle the InteLigencer
to point out single practical Question of for
eign or domestic policy on which the two old
Parties disagree, Or, if they really disagree, on
which their measures ere not substantially
alike.
Take the two Notwithstanding prece-
ding and present-and in what important re-
spect do they differ Mr.. Fillmore was eau
tious not to commit the Government to active
support of the cause of Republicanism in
Europe; Mr.. Pierce is no less cautious Mr.
Fillmore exhibited little craftsmanship in re-
gard to the affairs of Central America Mr..
Pierce has exhibited mono at all Mr.. Fillmore
secured the services of J. d. Andrews, to inves-
tigate and submit in systematic form the facts
concerning the Fishery and Reciprocity Qucs-
tons On our Northern border, but boggled
about Treaty; Mr.. Pierce, under heavy
pressure, with all the light furnished By his
predecessors, at last assented to Treaty, but
it is doubtful whether he will have the nerve
to push it through the Senate in the face Of
the unreasonable Southern opposition arrayed
against it. MIR. Fillmore did not signalize his
term by the inauguration of Railroad to the
Pacific; the same record will DO made of Mr.
Pierce. Nothing was done for River aud Har-
Dor improvements under Mr.. Fillmore; moth
ing viii be done under Mr.. Pierce. Mr.. Fill
moro sanctioned the policy of giving away
portions of the public domain to Railroad Cor
porations; Mr.. Pierce has done tho same.
Mr.. Fillmore recommended revision of the
Tariff, but his recommendation was not car
ried out; MIR. Pierce recommended o revision
and reduction, and his recommendation is not
carried out. While questions of foreign and
domestic policy, unconnected with Slavery,
have been practically managed by Mr.. Pierce as
they were by MIR. Fillmore, tho latter attached
as much Importance to the Slavery Question as
Mr.. Pierce does, and his policy was identical
in principle with that Of the latter MIR. Fill
moro devoted all his energies to the support of
Southern demands, just as Mr.. Pierce does.
Mr.. Fillmore did all he could to effect the
legislation Of 1850; Mr.. Pierce has done ali he
could to carry out, as no says the principle of
that legislation. Mr.. Fillmore sigualized him
self by extreme zeal for the enforcement Of the
Fugitive Slave Act, calling out the naval and
military power of the Government to enforce
il, saddling tho Treasury with extravagant
OUTLAWS required for It's execution, and attempt
ing to establish by judicial decision The law
of Constructive Treason, so as to hang those
who resisted; Mr.. Pierce has followed in his
footsteps only shrinking from the extrava-
cameo of " constructive treason One opened
the territories acquired from Mexico to Sla-
very, as tho other has opened to Slavery the
Territory acquired from France Finally, one
cherished designs upon Cuba, which the other
opchly avows.
All wo have to say, then, is, if tho two old
parties once differed, as tho Inteligencer rcp-
resents, the difference has long since disappear
cd, under the common pressure to which they
have both been subjected by the Slave Interest,
in the common vassalage in which it has held
both.
1t is great convenience to have two eyes,
two hands, end, to use homely figure, two
strings to one bow. For this reason, the Slave
Power regards with complacency the effort to
restore tho old National Wing Party.
But to the process by which this is to be
accomplished. First, the Wings of tho North
are to be assured that the repeal of the Mis-
souri, Compromise, although supported by every
Wing in the Senate, but Mr. Bell, who simply
opposed it because its tendency was to produce
a dangerous agitation of the Slavery question,
was in fact adverse to the views of Southern
Wings generally. Says the Inteuigencer-
"0ne Of the most sterling Wing papers of
Virginia, the Wiaeaester Republican, stated
emphatically, but a few days ago. that it had
greater reason to believe every day that on the
Nebraska question the National Intelligencer
reflected the genuine sentiment Of the WING
party of the South"
Tho few other Southern Wing papers that
opposed the Bill adopt similar policy, and
persist in the assertion that it was a measure
not called for by Southern Wings but really
to their wishes. They hope by this
course to dissrm the indignation of their
Northern friends, and keep open the way for
reunion.
Next we observe in Some of the Northern pa
rers letters from Missouri, announcing that
the Wings Of that State do not look with any