Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1854-06-30
A Phenomenon Explained.

n FnenOmenon Explained
The delusion of this country by which the Demo
cratic party so called has held almost uniformly sway
for the last fifty years as great as that of the fol-
lowers of the Yelled Prophet of Khorassen It is a
spectacle at once astounding and curious as TO have
led many generous mind to despair of the possibil-
ity of governing a people by honorable means
"Humbug" said man who acquired wealth by that
means, is an article regularly in demand I make
&C use of it accordingly, and my skill is in not giving
&c peope more than they ask for.' The principle of
humbug has been as largely used by the so called
Democratic party of this country ever it was by
priest, king mountebank and the belief that the
people are incapable of seeing beyond it, caused one
of the best of men and purest of repubcans-Judge
Story-to despair of liberal institutions before he
died melancholy sight, that of great and good
man who, as a writer on law, had no superior in
America, nor, English critics magnanimously &C
knowledge, among his contemporaries in England, to
despair of the continued freedom of country for
which Warren died and Washington triumphed The
only mpediment to purity in government according
10 General Jackson, the bank of the United
States. A letter written by him not long before he
died so pronounced it, We need not point to the un-
exampled depravity exhibited in Washington this
season to prove that the United States Bank had no
sensible influence in increasing diminishing cor
ruptOn and that the spectacle of Democratic ma.
jority voting to consgn Territory twice as large as
the original thirteen States to the grasp of Slavery,
ecpses all puny evils Of constructive or implied dis
! Q
tcular members OF Congress.
The recent defeats of the Democratic party are not
evidences that the receptions of that party are great
err than before that it is worse than it has been
but simply that its hypOcrcy is rendered more evil
dent to ordinary minds The act of destroying a
National Bank and then filing up the gap with eight
hundred State Banks the insanity of breaking. down
protective tariff, thus aiding England at our own
expense, while the institutions of that country are
the standing mark for the shafts of the party the
mass nj Gle taNU IN fbo Tnio
these all involve a certain amount of argument and
detail in their solution, and they were accordingly
safely carried out by the southern ogarchs and their
servlIe northern adherents But the transparency of
the deception which would make Democratic test
to consist in line Of territorial policy, rejected as
barbarous by Nicholas in his newly acquired con-
quests at last to have enlightened portion of
the Democratic party ami led TO as remark
able as unexpected On this head prominent Dem
ocratic Journal the Evening Post, declares that THE
{" Democratic party has lost it's moral strength in the
free States it is stripped of the respect of the peo-
" pie by the misconduct of those who claim to be it's
" leaders and whatever boasts we may make of our
< excellent maxims of legislation and policy in re-
gard to other questions, the Nebraska bill puts US
&C in minority for years to come"
The detection which has taken place in the ranks
of the sham Democracy has resulted in the formation
of the association or party distinguished Know
Nothings. The phenomenon of this body is such as
to require little examination What is the cause of
| InlS organization the tyranny OF party IN
the Democratic ranks. The avedrving orders of
the leaders may be ikened to the operations of the
| British Government or the Holy Alliance, which re-
suited in secret organizations. The first crude and
sad sign of protest against tyranny is organ
izations. 1t in the Colonies-it was so in 'S9
in France-it was so in l82O'25, and it is so now in
this country. Men long shackled in the bonds of
sham Democracy a first step have resolved
themselves into secret association. That the pre-
sent faith of this party is antlrish do not
der for the majority of the Irish in this country have
always been on the side of American Slavery and
| British industrial and commercial monopoly. In a
revolt against the corruption of the Democratic par
ty the rebels would not be likely to overlook the base
uses to which the Irish, compact body, have
ever allowed themselves to be put by the demagogue
who manage the party. AS for the Germans, it does
not appear that the movement is directed specially
against them. Still this class of adopted citi-
zens, though opposed to Slavery, in great mea-
sure for an exclusive national organization of their
own-as though the German element were some
thing superior to that of New gland: this is evil
denced in political and social organizations which
would make the delyerance Of Germany the first OBJ
ject of this country, and the second the destruction
of whatever customs and sanctions the Germans may
not happen to like But this is rather collateral
than an essential consideration in regard to the
| ton of the party whose appearance has been
attended by such varied phenomena. The main fact
! is the desposm of the sham Democracy and strong
desire in very many minds TO overthrow it. Wheth-
er they have taken the best to that end, is
inquiry on which we do not now attempt TO enter.
N. Y Tribune,