Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1856-08-08
A Patriotic whig--one OF many. J

The Boston Post publishes an eminent |
~ patriotic letter from Hon. VIM a. I
Croeker, Of Taunton, Massachusetts,. "a
gentleman. who has been, az he states,
all his lie, thorough and steadlast |
Wing and watn personal and political
friend the great statesman of Massa> |
ehpselts, Daniel Webster. After review
ing at length, the present political condi- |
sion ofthe country he proceeds ss follows:
Three, political parties present them
sslyesefor the support of the people: thet
american or know. nothing party. the re-
publican party and the democratic party.
The first of these, however, is so broken !
up and disorgsnized that.its success can.
not be considered mong the possible con
singeneies of the future. Bat were itI
otherwise. the principles which. it profess
es and the purposes which it has in view
are not such as commend themselves to
my judgmentor my conscience. With
the history ofour country open before me.
presenting on every page, prosperity and
happiness and growth in greatness such
GO che world has never before witnessed.
am unaale to discover any sufficient or
even plausible reason for abandoning
that line Of policy which has been pro-
duetive of results so suspicious, and of
ENGRAVING at this day another antagonis.
ito policy of war, as it seems to me, with
the theory of our government and the
fundamental principles of civil and religi-
Gus liberty: While. therefore, enters
tain no other than sentiments of respect
for the candidate presented by this party
for the presidency, who as the late chief
magistrate of this republic received my
cordial support in his administration from
its commencement to its close, cannot
reconcile 1t with my sense of duty to yield
him my support in his present position.
because by SO doing 1 should be giving
support to party whose principles and
purposes as already remarked, l do not
approve, and which representing but sin :
gle idea, could never successfully admins
lister the affairs of the nation.
The same general considerations which
operate to prevent me from yielding the
remotest support TO the American party,
also require me to withhold all support
from the republican party. This party is
new in name, but is old in tendencies aud.
designs. aud these have not improved by
age. Asthe abolition party, l opposed
It; as the liberty party and as the free
soil party; as the controlling element of
the abolition party Of this commonwealth,
Iopposed it. and Ioppose it now, because,
disguise its objects as it may, under spe-
cious pretexes and professed devotion to
freedom. it is still, as it always has been,
IN reality, at war with the constitution,
and hostile to the peace and happiness
and preservation Of the Uuion. It is and
must be SO from its nature and organiza-
ton. Its existence is defended upon a
single idea. and that idea implicable ag-
.gEessige hostility to the institutions of
portion of our common country. Sectional
in its nature it is no less sectional in its
organization. The convention which re-
Gently assembled in Philadelphia to put,
forth its nomination for the presidency
and vice presidency represented nominal
ly but fraction more than one half the
states in the confederacy, and W hen it is
considered that the delegates from Ken
lucky, Virginia, Delaware and Maryland,
did not represent those states or any con-
siderable number of their inhabitants, the
sectional character Of the movem ent
stands out SO clearly as to give Just cause
for the most serious apprehensions for the
consequences.
Whenever it shall come to pass that
one half the states of this Union shall
dominate and elect a president, and that
on grounds and issues directly opposed to
what the other half believe to be their
just constitutional right and privilege, the
days Of the republic are numbered, and
che knell of the Union tolled., The truth
Of this proposition is self evident, and it
10 from the point of the view presented
by It that the claims Of the republican
party to the confidence and support Of the
people are to be looked upon. have ne.
yer learned to calculate the value of the
Union. l have lived in the hope that
neither my children nor my children's
children would ever witness the condition
of things which should render such cal.
eulation necessary. will not undertake
20 calculate it now but invoke the
manufacturer, the merchant, the ship
owner, the mechanic-eVery man who
has the smallest stake in the prosperity,
the wealth. the happiness Of the country
TO consider how his interest and the we'll
fare of those with whom his interests are
bound up, would be affected by violent
disruption or even a peaceful dissolution of
the union Of these states. Il is common
TO hear the remark that the north can
take care Of herself Doubtless she can.
The enterprise of her people is boundless,
and their energy is indomitable. BUTT
GuSt be remembered that dissolution
Of the Union with the formation Of a nor
thern republic would cause new combina.
tons. Commerce is essential to national
worth. no less than national greatness.
The north is not an exporting region. and
from its climate, soil and productions.
cannot be so to any uniformly general
extent.