Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-04-04
For the Enquirer.
PARTIES AND PARTILANS.

Messrs Editors 1T seems almost u hopeless task
to expcnd breath or ink in al effort to cOnclliate po-
Cal aniin0sity in this country. There does seem to
be especially a deep-seated hatred of the Democratic
party III thUse-even the faircst-who have always
belonged to the opposition, that renders il impossi-
BILE To justify in their view any course OF that party,
though truth justice and proprety be plainly stamp
ed upon it that one would suppose that malice would
be silenccd for time. Daily do we hear the best
men sacrificing tIer claim to consistency and fairness
by the absurd, ridiculous attempt TO maintain the
ground OF censure against the Democratic party tor
their recent course in the election of Speaker OF the
House of Representatives cannot believe, nor can
any body believe, that there is single Que Of them,
who if his of justice could have fair play,
would not admit that the position is utterly untenabie,
and originates in the determination to bolster up par
ty at the hazard of truth itself. Nothing Is more
clearly demonstrated than these two propositions -
That, upon the showings of the know-Nothing par
~ itself, the Democrats would have degraded
themselves to have done otherwise than re-
fuse to rcc0gni<e the KnOwNOthings az
legitimate party al all, or 10 iHrHe their
ca. operation Us such and that the Southern
Know Nothings do degrade themselves by setting up
such claim. The Know Nothing organization orig.
mated upon the assumption that the Democratic purity
was dsorganizcd, zcd--dcad-and espe-
chilly bear i'll mindl that il was a6OlMioHi-ed! In
the papers upon the stump, III private conversation,
everywhere it was maintained, more clamurously
than boldly, that such was the inct, aud that the
american" party afforded the only hope OF AntiOR-
Liong to the party, but went with them, because he
was satisfied il the only conservative party to the
North" Another said he "dd not belong to the par
ty, but supported it, because he honestly believed
the foreigners furnished the most dangerous element
of the abolition party (.) and it was the only chance
to make ciectua resistance 10 the encroachnents OF
that party Every is familiar with the fact that
this was the ground taken throughout the whole
South and all their energies concentrated upon the
one single purpose, If pcradvcEture there should be
still little breath in Democracy, to burn, tralnple,
shout, shoot and lie that little bit out oft!
Presently comes the Virginia election and blows
the whele concern into atoms! Nothing left now but
the "tail" and that tail acknowledged to be Wilmot
Provso anti-tweh h.secion-rotten to the bone-|
Then, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and go on;
Democracy sweeping over the South like destroying
angel, leaving nothing OF this great Ancrlcan par
~, but here Catholic squad-there al anti-Catolic
here twelfth section head and there anti-,wefh
section tail. The Philadelphia Convention ends the
work. The Northern knUw-Nothins comes there to
hout AbOltonsn in the face of the South and black
guard her at n public dinner the Southern "Anerl-
can,' to tell his Northern friends, that his own State
(Virginia) has nothing but her pride" From that
moment the whole Northern section OF this "'Iy con,
servative" party is found marching under liis nag w
Black Repubicanisin. II soid pha'nnN u,ss Hplnin
in Congress with their Abolition candidate tor speak
er The rhnst Of this .dead Democratic party rises
NO TO oppose them in the shape ni 40 so'ihh naf"hal
men, backed by such Northern men IA DougHs'
Buchanan, Dickinson franklli n,har" "Vno nt
1vhat il the course Of the lnO longer 'conser- |
wat;ve uu!es. they have altered the meaning of the
word butt iSorM American party Numbering
Iitre more than half of the d.ad party, after having
Displayed their conservative principles by sub:eTi,
hind n resolution 10 '.PretermH the question OF the
nnw.r Of Congress over slavery in the terri,ories
the very point upon which now hangs the 'lo be or
not 70 be- Of this Union after having for two
months cast their votes for Fuller, who, but few
years since proclaimed himself "W!lmot provisoist
nm 10 the hnb " and now votes for Pennington, who
votes for Banks-thus Withholding the strength which
was needed to defeat the Abolition candidate, and
knowingly and reoklessly sacrificing what was belev-
ed TO be an object of vital Importance to the South
merely to play dog in the munger TO the Democrat
ic party" after twenty y-ins out of the thr;yve have
..cheeriuly" "a they declared "dons their duty by
abandoning their candidate aud voting for AIKEN anu
the citadel is betrayed by the remaining Fix o' ''''S