Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1856-04-22
The Presidential Canvas, in virginia.


We referred, in article Of yesterday, TO the spi
rited attacks and pungent animadversions OF the
.Seatinei on President Pierce There is much signf
cancy in all this. To the unintiatcd however, i,
does little strange-wth such manifestations
Of disquetude in the Democratic ranks-to read in
the daily articles of neghbor, the Enquirer the
assurances that the great national Democratic par
ty" unit.
To the mind of plain man. unused to the ''ready
shifts of the trained politician the assurances Of the
Inquirer would seem conclusive proofs of Holy
Writ" that the ''unterrifed Democracy" were united
one man on principles and prepared, as with one
will stand by the Union, The Constitution, and the
rights of the States. And yet, one of the leading
Democratic papers of the country assas, in the bit,
terest terms the head of the Democratic party, who
is claiming reelection to the Presidency not that ne
for office, o. but merely from the dsinterested
passion which has characterized his public actS
Of sercing his country
We are daily told by our neighbor that the Amer
lean party is distracted divided dsco-dant and that
the Wing party is dissolved In addition all this
told that it is the duty OF the old line Wings
to fall into the loving embraces of this united patr
odc, national States Rights Democracy. Has it
ever occurred to these of the "oldline Wings
who now stand, where they have stood, on prn-
ciple that Wigs they are, and of necessity
be, opposed to executive ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS to
official corruption-opposed to the man power
opposed to the ultra-sectional acknowledgement
to party local. State sectional fanatcsm-opposed
to every species of individual party tyranny-op-
posed to that class of measures which have 30 long
characterized the party action of the Democratic
party
We sometimes feel disposed to rccur to the past
history of the old Wing party, and to borrow from
the eloquent endorsements of its principles by our
present Governor, when he full of zeal in its
service. We may one of these days, indulge the
disposition and furnish readers with few live
ly sketches of the past, enivened by the spirited
speeches and pquant letters of Henry \. Wise
when he uttered, er cathedral that noble sentiment
"the UNION OF THE WINGS FOR THE SAKE
OF TIE UNION
In the meantime, we must ask those noble patriot
Wings, who are now, AS ever heretofore, de
voted to the best interests OF the country rhy Is IL
that this particular time they are thus wooed 10y
"their ancient foes" What have they done to rem
der it at all probable that they are prepared to fall
into the embraces of Southern Democracy
Is the country more in danger now than it was in
ls3334, when the Wing party arrayed itself against
AL ..-,-r-.:~~- e.! .L- C-l.-ai Ev.~"t;u"y l. tho
Union more bitterly assailed than it in 1886
40 III, IS, when the Democratic party at each sue
ceSsive period, assailcd the leaders and the frank
and file" of the Wing party, Abolitionsts. Fede-
ralists, Consolidatonists? Are the principles
the views the feeings-the patriotic impulses of
the old line Wings at this time what they have er
been! Why, them are they thus wooed by the De-
mocratc press and that model of political consisten
cy, the iaimifdbie Hurry Of Aeeomacl
If they should go to the Democracy who are they
to support; General Pierce? The Sentinel warns
them against him. Shall they follow tho star of our
sage Governor, who so long Whig-who said
of the Democratic President POLK that he was
'the petty tool OF petty tyrant'-and yet held Of
flee under him. Who said, if his favorite pointer
were to lap the blood of Democrat he would shoot
herr Or shall they follow the fortunes Of Mr. Blu
chanan, who said if lac had drop of Democratic
blood in him, he would open his veins and let it out?
or shall they follow the distribution Jr the anti-dis-
tribution wing Of the Democracy? The Hunter
Land Bill or the anti-Hunter Land Bill wing of this
great national Democracy VIII our neighbor liz
form usY We desire to know
We desire in this connection, TO address one word
OF counsel to the glorious ''old line Wings" who are
men OF stern principle inexble integrity and well at
tested patriotism We desire to say to them that the
Consttnon Of their country needs their services; the
integrity of the Union needs their support; the hopes
OF posterity, in great measure rest on their exer
lions at the present crisis We desire to say to them
that Willard Fillmore is now what he was when they
formerly supported him, but that the necessities for
h""roices dref'r more needed nop than then.
These are times in which it behooves the conser.
'atiye men of the country, and particularly the
old line Wings to look to the great and permanent
interests Of the country and shape their course
as in no way to increase the difficulties Of the future
or enhance the dangers Of the present