The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1855-11-07

although the Democratic party, almost
as a unit, opposed the Kansas-N cbrasku
bill, yet from the fact that Mr.. Doug.
lass, as we believe, to aid him in his
Presidential aspirations, reported the
bill, and as the President, elected as the
Democratic candidate, lent his influence
in aid of its passage, il enabled the am
bilious and the INSCRIPTIONS of the old
defunct Wing party to form a sectional
party with the abolitiobis lists and with
other factions which hung on the out
skirts of the party, including in the lat
ter the disappointed Office seekers, and
this fusion party at the late election
carried Ohio.
The first great cause.-The great folly
which produced this state of things, was
the casting aside of first ratio men, aud
elcting third or fourth rate men to the
Presidency. Had Gen. Cass, MIR. Blu
chanan, or any of the other first class
minds of the nation, guided tho desti-
mics of the Republic since the fourth of
March 1853, these things would not
have been. Gen. Pierce, in our opinion
is a good man, and a patriot, but is not
the man to be President. Weak as he
is for the place, he was, however, emil
neutly qualified when compared with
Gen. Scott, whose ovcrweening vanity
cast his military glory into the shade
and made him simply ridiculous. To
make his Administration rebound to bis
glory-to make it famous in history, in
order that it might rank with those of
Jefferson and jackson, the President
was anxious to do something, and ill-ad-
vised by Mr.. Douglass, he did it With a
vengeance, and the result is before US.
In a mixed assembly, here the con-
y~ersat;on turned upon able and success
full generals, a Wing politician present,
roundly asserted that America now had
two generals who had done greater deeds
than any of the olden times. " Who
are they 2" was the anxious enquiry
The reply was, General Scott and Gen
eral Pierce, for the one destroyed the
Wing, and the other the Democratic
paity ?" Although not strictly true,
for the Democl acy cannot be destroyed
without an embodiment Of principle. yet
it was SO near true, as to make the joke
felt as if it were treading too nearly on
facts.
To the fact then, that the party stood
pledged to put down the agitation of
the slavery question, and thus to give
the country peace, and the reputation
of that pledge by the Administration at
Washington, in the passage of the Kan
sas-N cbraska bill, we trace the first
great cause which led to cur overthrow
in Ohio, KNOWN othingism sprung into
existence in the loosing of party bonds,
caused by the renewed agitation, aud
Know Nothingisln, from the principles
of injustice which it inculcates, must
ever be opposed to the Democratic par
ty. Although the very antipodes of
free soilism, it struck hands with that
and other factions, seeking first to over
throw the Democracy, that it might
ride rampant over the principles of toll
erance which governed the early faith
ers of the Republic, as well as the Con-
stitution lis If.
True it is, that the Democratic party
is the only one in the Republic that has
II national existence and withinthe next
year that fact will be made mabifest.-
Defeated in Ohio, it is still ~ofganized,
still ready for battle-still eager fpr the
fight. 1t was defeated for nc caEse Of
its own, but simply by the nf:sskken pol
icy of elexating small men to great pla-
ccs, a mistake that We trust -tkey will
not agaia commit. The fusion of dis
cordant materials, which now in union.
shout victory and burn bonfres, and fire
cannon, cannot last. Already they
show signs of division, which will in
crease untillike bubbles, blown by chill
dren, they dissolve aud vanish ike thin
ar.
We have spoken some truths in the
above that will prove unpalatable ones
to some Of our friends. We think the
time has now come when these truths
should be spoken. We know We speak
the sentiments of the Democratic press
of the State, with but a few exceptions,
in what we have said But be this as it
may, VIC would hold ourselves recreant
as the editor of a public paper, which,
while controlled by US can but be an in
dependent one, speaking the sentiments
of its editor, freely and fully, aud with
out fear, favor or affection.
Before another year passes away the
National Convention to nominate can
didates for the Presidency aud Vice
Presidency will again be in session..
Let them look well to the platform they
and secure candidates who will in
good faith adopt and carry them out
If they be men of enlarged minds, hon
est, CAPABLE aud faithful to the Consti-
we have no fear for the result.