Washington sentinel., 1855-07-21
THE NATIONAL INTELLEGENCER ON
pIATEuRHIs.
A Word upon Platforms.


!. In Tuesdays htciHgtncr, we find the sub
joined leader on Platforms;
Word upon Platforms.
The reader Will not, we trust, be startled by an
apprehension tlat we are about 10 give a disser-
tation upon mechanics Ii is not of the plat
forms manufactured by carpenters out of boards
and scantling, that we would speak: but of those,
now days much more common, put together
with much more labor, il not mnch less useful
purposes, by politicians. There was time when
there were but two platforms, upon one or the
other Of which all the great statesmen and ora
tors stood to rally their respective parties. There
was the great Ihig Platform, made of materials
which have stood the storms and vicssitudes of
all political weather ior forty years, without
losing single plank or single nall by decay
or rust everything about il being as fresh and as
firm, and as likely to last when it was urigi-
nally erected. And there was the great Demo
cratic Platform, which has been annually under
going 80 many and important repairs, that,
like the old mans knife, scarcely fraction of
the original material is left. But the latter has
one advantage over its rival; at every repair an
opportunity was afforded of extending its area,
so that greater number Of people could stand
upon II, and swear fealty to the sovereignty of
our great country; and, as this popular homage
was essential TO the success of any platform, the
consequence was the temporary ascendancy Of
that which promised accommodation to the great
est number
Thus did the democratic Platform = by the
multiiarious qualities of its materials and its sus.
ceptlbillty OF extension to suit all comers, acquire
and for time retain its towering superiority But
the builders oft too secure in their own artistic
ingenuity soon become careless; the wear and tear
Of the fabric escaped their Office, until, unable
longer To support its own weight, it fell TO the
ground. It's scattered and heterogeneous mate
rails have since been worked into thousand new
and minor platforms, not one of which is able to
sustain even the proportonnte weight which il
bore before the dapidaton. And the great IPhig
Platform, standing, as It did from the beginning,
upon the solid basis of unalterable principles, is
once more becoming the rallying point-the safe
and sure refuge OF all who love law and order and
peace and prosperity more than the wild and reck-
less promptngs of licentious ayarice.
We think we can see in the present sectional
meetings and gatherings of cliques and clans, and
in the unaltered tone of the really conservative
press, strong indications that the great principles
which this journal has been lahoring for nearly
half century 10 inculcate and enforce, and
from which il has never for an instant turned
aside for any temporary advantages, are about
once more To assume their influence in the minds
Of our countrymen, and that we may yet live to
hail their prevalence in the councils of the Union
Verify, if the ''reader is not startled" at the
apprehension that our neighbor intended dsser-
tation upon mechanics, he could scarcely fail to
be astcunded al the marvellous assumption Of the
foregoing editorial Our experience, we acknow-
ledge, is very circumscribed, but we do not re-
member 10 have seen an article within the range
Of that experience, that has 50 ''siariicd' us
Indeed, we cannot readily assent TO the opinion
that il is the production Of either Of the venerable
conductors OF that distinguished journal There
is not only absence Of that care and exactness,
bat of the force and fairness which usually char
acterize the articles Of the IHieiEgencer. We
hope estray has leapt into our neighbor's sane
tum. Our contemporary docs not, as we can
gather, repudia;e platforms. By no means lie
would, however, prescribe lie character Of the
platform, and thus with happy blending OF
knowledge and experience, Of ''mecl.anics" and
the angry elements, he delivers himself after this
grandiloquent manner:
"There was the great Wing platform, made OF
materials which have stood the storms and vcissi-
tudes Of all political weather for forty years,
without losing single plank a single nail by
decay or rust, everything about il Icing as fresh
and az firm and as likely 10 last rs when il was
originally erected" What glowing picture
Of this colossal platform! Wonderful archi-
homage Of posteriiy shall he an enduring
monument 10 your mighty genius What,
not single plank decayed after forty years
exposure 10 storms and all the yicissitudcs Of all
political weather Kind but sluggish little worms
not 70 have made one little hole in one ''single
plank" Of this noble structure, Not a nail
either, gone by decay rust, but everything as
fresh and firm, and as likely to last, as when
il was originally erected What tcouid become
Of the insurance companies if all materials and
all work were like this; But was il quite mag
unanimous in our ncighbor to place in such humili-
ating contrast the old rotten hulk Of the Demo
cratic platform, which las been "Gnnuailg under
going such important repairs" as 10 be classically
likencd BY neghbor 10 the Gold man :
knilcy' We confess ourselves as rusty il our
classics a the old mans knife must have been,
and hence are humbled by the confession that We
never heard of him or his instrument until il was
50 aptly used 10 describe the Democratic platform.
We would fain treat the article Of the Inieai-
genoe only with the respectful ridicue we think
i 80 richly merits; but there arc subjects for
grave r0mmcni contained in il which we must
not waive
Here, then, We have the assertion, gravely
made by the httiiigeneer, in effect, first--that
the WING PLATFORM-and we here part
with the metaphor our contemporary 50 happily
employed-HAS REMAINED THE SANE
FOR FORTY YEARS, and still Is as likely 10
last as when il was firt conceived And, sec
ond, that the Democratic platform has under
gone 50 many mutations that there is now left
scarcely yostige Of its former solf!!i
Now we premise by inquiring ofthe Inteitgcncsr
when and where was there ever a Hlig Piai-
yoym1 We will take fifteen Of these marvel.
lously stormy "Joriy years" which the Wing
platform has gallanily withstood, and by the
aid of our ncghbor viii cndcavor 20 discover a
Wing platform. These Will suffice 70 Ike the
test. The materials Of political platform are
the prineipies Of the party parties establishing
IL. The practical erection Of political plat
form, is nothing more nor less than the cuuncia-
ton Of the principles Of the respective parties
r III 81