The true Democrat., 1856-09-02
A Patriotic Whig-One of Many.

He DostoH OSC puOilSneS an emlnently pa
 trotic letter from the Hon. Wm. A. Crocker oi
 Taunton, Massachusetts, gentleman who has
 been, as he states, all his life thorough and steadfast whig, and a warm personal and poli- tlcal friend of the great statesman of Massa- chusetts, Daniel Webster He is we'll known
 to the public ao an extensive manufacturer of locomotives After reviewing at some length
 the present political condition ofthe country he
 proceeds as follows:
 Three political parties present themselves fo,
 the support of the people: the American or
 Know Nothing party, the republican party, and
 the democratic party The first of these. how
 ever, is so broken up and disorsapized that its
 success cannot be considered among the possi-
 ble contingencies of the future But were it
 otherwise the principles which it professes and
 the purposes which 1t has in view, are not such as commend themselves to my judgment or my conscience With the history of the coun- try open before me, presenting on every page, prosperity and happiness and growth in great ness such as the world has never before wit messed, l am unable to discover any sufficient or even plausible reason for abandoning that
 
 suits so suspicious and of ingrafting at this day another and antagonistic policy at war, as it seems to me, with the theory of our govern ment and the fundamental principles of civil and religious liberty. While, therefore, I en- certain no other than sentiments of respect for the candidate presented by this party for the presidency, who as the late chief magistrate of the republic received my cordial support in his ,,t;o fro,>, close. l cannot reconcile it with my sense of duty to yield him my support in his present po- sitlon because by so doing should be giving support to party whose principles and purpo- ses, as already remarked, do not approve, and which representing but single idea, could ne- yer successfully administer the affairs of the nation.
 The same general considerations which ope- rate to prevent me from yielding the remotest support to the American party, also require me to withhold all support from the republican party. l hls party Is new in name, but is old Ill tendencies and designs, and these nave not improved by age. As the abolition party, op. posed ii; as the liberty party and as the free soil party; as the controlling element in the abolition party of this commonwealth, 1 op- posed It, and oppose it now, because, disguis- Ing It's objects as 1t may, under spacious pre- texts and prOteSSed devotion to freedom, it is still, as It always has been, in reality at wal with the constitution, and hostile to the peace and happiness and preservation of the Union. It Is and must be so from its nature and oroan- lZatlOn Its existence is defended upon a sin gle Idea, and that idea mplacable aggressive hostility to the institutions of a portion of our common country. Sectional in its nature. it Is no less sectional in its organization The con ventlon which recently assembled in Phiade- phla to put forth its nomination for the presi dency and vice presidency represented nom- naly but a fraction more than one half the States Tn the conIederacy, and when 1t Is con- sldered that the delegates in attendance from Kentucky, Virginia, Delaware, and Maryland. dld not represent those States or any conse- rabe number of their inhabitants. the sectional character ol the movement stands out 50 clear ly as to 9lve just cause for the most serious ap- prehen>ion for the consequences.
 Whenever 1t shall come to pass that one half the States composing this Union shall uomiuat4 and elect president, and that OH 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 number ed, and the knell of the Union tolled. The truth oi this proposition is self evident and it Is from the point of view presented by 1t that the claims ot the republicau party to the con hdence and support of the people are to be looked upon. l have never learned to cacu- late the value of the Union 1 have lived in the hope that neither my children nor my chil drena children would ever witness the coudi ton of things which should render such cal cnlauon necessary. 1 will not undertake to calculate itnow; but invoke the mannheim rer the merchant, the ship owner the mecha man who has the smallest stake in the prosperity, the wealth, the happiness of the country-to consider how his interest and the waIiare of those with whom his interests are bound up, would be affected by violent disruption or even a peaceable dissolution of the unlon Oi these States. It is common to hear the remark that the north can take care of herself. Doubtless she can The enterpri,eor her people Is boundlc>s, anI their energy iu domltable. But it must be remembered that d dissolution ot the Union with the formation of a northern republic would cause new combina tons. Commerce IS essential to national wealth, no less than national greatness The north Is not ap exporting region, and from its climate soil and productions cannot be 50 to any uni formerly general extent.
 It is mainly to the south and south west that We are indebted for the immense carryjng trade which employs our navigation. It is in the same States that our manufacturers find lorrr market for their goods and our importers no considerable proportion of their orders, Now suppose the Union dissolved, and the north- ern States forming one republic, and the south- ern and southwestern States forming another. " hat l;.: inevitably be the case, this southern republjc with little navigation of its own to foster and with no manufacturers to encourage. in reciuro- cal commercial Intercourse with all the manu- featuring countries of Europe op the basis of absolute and unqualified free trade; suppose what under the sentiments of animositv enaeu dered by the disruption would be no less like y 10 occur dlScrmlnaton against our ships ana goods ot the north, and where would be that prosperity which now gladdenS our manu- iactuilng towns and fills our seaports with life and activity? dissolution the Union would depreclate the Value of the property of New England nifty cents on the dollar The wheels ol our manufactures would be stopped, the implements of the mechanic would be put bv our ships decay at our decaying wharves. and the grass spring up in the streets of our towns anu CItlcS. l nose would be the material con- sequences. The moral consequences may be in single line. The destruction of the worlds last hope. To this end, in my view, Is the inevitable tendency of the repub- lcan movement. If its leaders be honest in their professions, such must be the result. for the practical application of tkeir princi ples would destroy the equality of States, condi- ton which is indispensable to the existence of the Union If they be dishonest, and their real object be only the attainment of political power for corrupt and selfish purposes the same result may nevertheless obtain, for they may find themselves without the ability to control the storm raised by their fanatcal ap- peals.
 In this condition of affairs, and amid the gloom which overshadowS the land, discover but one hope of safety. That hope is in the democratic party. Whatever differences may have hitherto separated this party and the par ty with which we have been accustomed to act, however heated the contests through which they have passed, one thing must be admitted, the democratic party has at all times and on all occasions been a national Dartv It was tho