The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-08-23
SENATOR BENJAMIN REPUDIATES KNOW
N0THINGISM AND wHIGERY

Senator BENJAMIN, of Louisiana, has ad-
dressed long and spirited letter to number
of old Wings, who called on him for his opin-
ions upon the subject of Know Nothingism.
He takes strong ground against the Order, and,
from his position, we doubt not that a large
section of the Wings of Louisiana sympathize
in his views. We therefore regard Know Moth
ingism in that State as already beaten; and
only look forward to the election to ratify the
foregone conclusion. We shall be glad to see
the Order defeated, and still we indulge the
hope that the gallant Hunt, who voted against
the Nebraska bill, may be reelected.
Know Nothingism has carried one Southern
State-or including Delaware, two. We see
little prospect of its carrying another. The
humbug has exploded. Maryland is the only
other State which the Order can possibly carry,
and, with the tide of misfortune pressing against
it, there is only possibility of success. The
Northern members of the Order should bear
these things in mind and, upon mature refec-
ton, they will abandon an enterprise which IS
now utterly hopeless. If they love Freedom
more than Slavery, they should at once join the
Republican ranks or if they are impressed
with the beauties of Slavery, and wear faces of
dough, let them 60 over to recruit the broken
ranks of the Pierce Democracy.
We have the same advice to give, and on the
same grounds, to the Northern Wings who are
so reluctant to abandon that defunct organiza-
ton Mr.. Benjamin declares the Wing party
dead. He abandons it, and proposes South
ern sectional party. He is, or was, one of the
most talented Wings in the Senate, and will
now lend all his influence, and all the weight
of his official position, to the formation of an
other party.
Senator Jones, of Tennessee, has declared
that there is no longer any difference between
Southern Wings and Democrats, and will with
draw his support from the defunct party.
Toombs and Stephens, of Georgia, have long
since ceased to call themselves Wings. Cling
man, of North Carolina, has done the same
thing, and is now in full fellowship with the
Pierce Democracy. All the remaining South
ern elements of Whigery that have not gone over
to the Democracy, or become extinct, have been
transferred to the Know Nothings; and that
body as we have shown above, is undergoing
rapid decomposition. In a word, old things
are done away, and all things are to become
new. There are but two bases of party in the
country, viz: Freedom and Slavery; and men
are rapidly falling into ranks under the banner
of one or the other, according to their natural
instincts.
The Republican party, although composed
chiefly of Northern men in its inception, is en-
inently national in its characteristics. 1t holds
Freedom to be national, and Slavery sectional,
and it means to make them so. 1t guarantees
the rights of the States and the rights of the
people. 1t proposes no interference with the
domestic institutions of any State but wherever
the Federal Government has exclusive juris-
diction, Freedom is to be the law. We pity
the Northern man who cannot stand on that
platform, and we deplore the infatuaton of the
Southern man who does not. G.