Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1854-12-15
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Destruction of Old Party
Lines

Destruction of Old Party
Lines.
The Wing press generally in the Free
Slates--the Silver Gray press of New York,
Boston and few other places excepted
manifests proper consciousness Of the fact
that the old Wing party has passed off the
stage. II was Daniel Webster's dying pre-
diction, that the national WING party would
have no existence after the close of the then
pending canvass, and that prediction has be-
come fixed fact" True, il was he and
Fillmore and their particular friends that
killed 1t, but "what is past is past undoing,"
and so it we're useless to multiply words a
bout its fate. 1t is enough 10 know that
" il was and is not" Whatever was valua-
bic in It's principles is not dead, and will
never die. Aud the same may be said Of
the Democratic party. True principles sur
yve the wreck Of parties, and cooperate IN
SPENT An occasional breaking mp of old
parties and the substitution of new ones, is
not TO be regretted, we suspect; Tor political
parties, as they increase IN age, lose some
thing Of their pristine simplicity and integtl-
ty. They come to regard ttheir own exist
ence as indispensable 20 the existence OF the
state. and so they strive for success as an
end and not as a means to an end. Instead
of growing in wisdom with length OF years,
they grow in tyranny and corruption. Hence,
as general rule, their " last days are their
worst days"
On the demise of old parties, new com
blnltons are formed and that process Is
now going on. What is TO be the result, we
will not pretend to say We did suppose,
short time since, that the new parties would
divide on the Slavery qneston-one being
consistent Pro-Slavery party. But Know.
Nothinglsm comes IN TO disturb all iofncr
calculations. That ignores the Slavery cues
ton altogether, and boasts that its destiny is
to stay the agitation of that veXed subject.
II 1t seeks to do this by stopping Slavery ag-
gressiOns, and bv bringing boob tho govern
ment 10 its original intention, we WI 10
eatisfed hut we fear that when the question
of the annexation Of Cuba, st Domlgo and
the Sandwich Islands, or either OF them,
comes up, Know Nothlngism will not be
fund TO be the true panacea. We fear II
will be found that the slavery question can
not be ignored that 1t Is an element m our
politics that will not be silent at Their bid
ding--ihat Slavery being aggressive IN ITS
very nature. 1t must be acuvcor die low
ever, -Nnlhngisin docs exist, and will
exist for n time. and viii have an important
bearing upon the action ui IN, elements ~
the political cuclbe
Bat we sat down not to write an Article,
but simply tG Introduce the following cr-
tract from the BrdHcboro' EIeie:
The old Democratic purity that came
into power seemingly under the most latter
ing auspices only two Yeas since, IS DIS
numbered and scattered. lis fragments can
never again De ceinentcd. With iil the
power and patronage ui the administration
To back its pretensons, It has failed VI car
rying a single State. The tlumphan, mt-
iorItles that rolled i; ON irrcsisuoly into
power are dissip1lcd, and stI nn-e ;riuin-
plant maioriios have sealed IFS doom. It's
days are now numbered The handwriting
il plainly to br seen which ever way it may
turn No watchword can be found that ~lll
ever unite MS discovered plus.
The Wing party is, in orr estimation.
equally dcfunct Il has faithfully served
the people during its day and generation. ac-
cording to the best light 1t enjoyed. It's
conservative principles have done great good
and prevented greater evils. That these
same principles still live and continue To oX-
ercIse beneficial influence we fully believe.
But We are as firmly convinced that as an
organization. the Wing party ls among the
things that were. We expressed this SEMI
/ mcnt six months since, and we think that
subsequent Indications have demonstrated
! the correctness Of our convictions.
Nhle Democrats have everywhere met
with AN Unprecedented defeat, the Whnns,
on the strength OF their organization, hive
not carried one o. the dozen States where
elect ons have been held within the last three
months. That many more OF those whl
wee formerly Wings than Democrats have
been e.tcted, my b. ascrlbeJ TO the general
unpopularly Of the administration, TO a grow
80 'esPrci tor sOmo If the Conservative cle-
msuts Of Whigaary e-4 - tho Nrn'ups-
with wmcu parry shackes bound lae suca,s,
ful candidates"
Ion John NJ. Clayton in a speech recent
ly made NJ Delaware City. said:
In other states the divisions among The
Wings is such that it is quite mpossioleihal
another Wing National Convention can eyel
assemble, and If another Democratic Con
venllon should make that effort as 10 pf1bl
bly, viii, there can be no real, heartfelt con
cod in such body. A plrly strong enough
10 sustain the government IN the trials {,
which It will inevitably soon be subjected
ought 10 be desiGeronm with every highs
minded American statesman"