The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1854-11-17
FRIDAY, NOv.17. 1854.

~ We but express the opinion of thou
sands Of good men, wings as well as demo-
Gratis, when we say it is to be regretted that
efforts are again being made by party presses
and party leaders to revive party feuds, party
prejudices, and party bitterness, and to bring
about the same state of things that prevail
ed when men who differed upon political
subjects could not meet without quarrelling
when neighbors would pass each other
without speaking because one happened to
be a wing and the other democrat--when
all social intercourse between families was
interrupted and broken up, and when they
would no more mingle together than if they
belonged to separate and distinct races, in
stead Of being members of the same commu-
nifty. Every right thinking man must have
rejoiced at the disappearance of the excite
ment and prejudice which produced such n
state of feeling, and every good citizen
would certainly deplore its recurrence. 1t
msy be the interest of designing party lead
ers and tom-thumb politicians, who have
learned nothing but party cant, party names,
and party designations, and who are wings or
democrats, as the case may be, without being
able to assign plausible why or wherefore
it may be the interest of such as these
TO keep up party prejudice and encourage
partisan animosities, because when the last
do not exist, and the public mind is in n
proper condition, your little political Samp.
and dwinde into very insignificant proper
tions. Pushing themselves into notice and
office, in times of turmoil and excitement
and having really no merit of their own,
unless they can succeed in keeping up party
bitterness they speedily fall back into that
obscurity from which they ought never to
have emerged. 1t is the interest, too, of par
ty presses to revive, and keep up if possible
this same fell spirit, embittering man against
man, and disturbing the social relations of
communities and northumberland to eff
feet any tangible good, but in n sheer spirit
of reckless selfshness. Party excitement
and prejudice is the food and aiment upon
which they exist, and having no positive
merit, in times Of quiet, when reason rules
and sober judgment prevails, they soon find
their level, and pretty low one at that. Such
presses and such men, by their attempts to
revive and perpetuate party prejudces and
all their attendant evils, mean no good to
their country, to society, or to anybody but
themselves; and when at a time like the pres
ont, when there is really nothing between
parties to become excited about, you see them
exerting all their energies to revive the old
feeling and keep up the old prejudices, you
may rest assured that self is at the bottom
Of the whole matter, and that they care not
how much society may suffer so that they
prosper.
While there will probably always be mea-
sures before the country about which men
will entertain different opinions, there are
certain great principles, laying at the founda-
ton of our government, and essential to its
existence, about which we can and all do
agree; and whenever these are menaced or
are in danger, the people take the alarm, and
party trammels fall asunder and are as feeble
to restrain as ropes Of sand. This is pre-
cisely the case at present-the people begin
to believe there is an influence at work in
the country which aims at the subversioh
and destruction Of some of our most cher.
ished rights and institutions, and that the time
to check and drive it out is at hand. Just at
the time when this spirit of patriotism is be-
ginning to manifest itself and is taking hold
of all American hearts, we find the party
leaders, and in some instances, the party
presses, arraying themselves against it, tax.
ing sides with the enemy, and straining eve.
ry point TO revive the prcjudces which for
nerly distracted the people, and thereby de-
feat tho work in hand. What manner of
men are they who thus act! We can never
all be wings, nor all be democrats; but we
can certainly all be Americans, and unite and
work together for interests equally dear to
all.