Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1855-03-02
THE RICHMOND WHIG-NA TIONAL
AND LOCAL PARTIES.

w HIG-NA TlONAL
AND LOCAL PARTIES.
The Richmond Wing Of the 18th February
has long article from which we take the fol
lowing short paragraph:
" The Democratic Preeo eagerly inten
upon making it appear that the Know-nothing
North are Abolitionists. And suppose the,
succeed? What then? What has that to d(
with Know-nohings South, any more than the
Aboltionism of Northern Wings and Demo
Gratis has to do with Southern Wings and De
mocrats Suppose you demonstrate to every
mans satisfaction in the land that every Know
nothing north Of Mason and Dixon's line is
an unqualified Abolitionist - a downright
traitor. Would it result from such demon
stration that the Southern Knownothings are
also Abolitonists and traitors?"
This paragraph is suggestive. We would be
the last TO do injustice to any paper. We Ger.
tainly should never, under any circumstances
do injustice to the Richmond Whig. We re-
spect too highly the ability and the candor OF
its conductors, differing from them toto ca1o,
as We do, in politics.
The Richmond Whig, if our memory is not
al fault, has all along assumed that the Know.
nothing party is not an abolitionized party II
has land we think we are correct in stating i'll
contended that the know-nothings North, and
The know.nothings South-the National now.
nothing party If such a thing can be conceived)
IS right, and sound, and straight on the subject
OF slavery. And here We will say that the Rich
r,ond Wing has not formally proclaimed itself
!" know-nothing paper" Indeed, at one time
twas severe against the arrogance ofthe X now.
nothing party-it was severe against the Organ
here, in Washington, because disposition was
evinced by the know-nothing party and the
hnow-nothing organ to force outside WhiqS
into subservience to its mandates
Suddenly-in few short hours, it changed
its tune, and from an old fashioned outsid,
Wing organ and advocate, it became, rithoui
formal proclamation, Know-nothing advocate
IL was not our business to inquire into IN.
causes Of this change, nor did we venture /,
do so. But we had our thoughts and we ha,
our wonders.
Now, after taking a new tack; after defend
ing (if our memory does not fail usl the Ma
tonai knoW-nothing organization from III
charge Of being aboltionized, it comes out an
admitting aygueado, as the lawyers say, that tn
hnow.nothings of the \ orth are abolitionized,
asks:
Suppose you demonstrate to every man
satisfaction in the land that every Know
nothing north Of Mason and Dixons line is
unqualified Aboltionist-a downright traitor
Would it result from such demonstration tina
the southern knownothings are also Abol
tionists and traitors"
Again-says the Whig-" Suppose they (th
Aboltionized know-nothings Of the North
succeed? What then? What has that to
with the Know.nothings South, any more tina
the Abolitionism Of the Northern Wings an
Democrats has TO do with Southern Wings an
Democrats"
The answer to this question is very plair
We are surprised that il should have escape
the sagacity Of the Wing.
1t has just as much "to do wih the Kno,,
aothings South" as the Abolitionism of tn
Northern Wings, had to do with the South
ern Wings. The Richmond Wig, but few
short months ago como out nobly, manfully
and calamity, and QUIT THE NORTHERN
WINGS, BECAUSE THEY WERE ADO
LITIONIZED.
If the reason was good in that case, it j
good in this case. If il quit an old and al
open party with history and traditions, em
bellished with great names and signalized b
memorable triumphs-becdusc he NoTtte,7
ring afH ,cas oboiaionized, why should it nc
quit, for the same reason, a new, secret,
clandestine order, without history, withou
traditions, without great aro,ccd names2
But again. The Richmod Whig is an Of,
established paper. II is an able paper. II !
paper Of high authority in the good old Stat
Of Virginia. Ii has ever professed to be a ma
tional paper. When the Northern Wings be
came Observation-Disclosures they got to b
sectionalized and became Local, Northern
and an Abolition party, the Wing abandone
them. II literally "cursed and quit" them
Why, then, land BY parity OF reasoning
when the Northern Know-nothiugs becom
denationalized, sectionalzed, abolitionized
does il not quit them ?
No party that falls down TO the deQradin,
position Of a local party i worth a continental
dollar. And when Southern Wings, through
blind prejudice and traditional malice with
draw in such times as these-when peril
abound-their help from the only true and ma
tiouaI party--the DEMOCRACY-they woun
the Constitution and they cripple the rights Q
The States. We hope that the Richmond Win
will think Of these things.
APPOINTMENT ny THE PRESIDENT