The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1856-05-16
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.

The Democratic papers and the Democratic
leaders claim that their party is the only one
that can save the Union, but as our cotempo.
rary Of the GAINESVILLE Chronicle very truth.
fully remarks, history does not sustain the
assumption
"The first trying crisis through which the
Union passed, was in 1920, under the admin
| istration of James Monroe, who has always
been claimed as q Democrat, and it is conce-
ded that the danger was averted by the tai
ents and influence Of Henry Clay, who WINS
always bitterly denounced as any thing but
Democrat. The next crisis, was under the
administration of Andrew jackson, the father
OF the Democratic party. Then. as before,
the great pacfcator, Henry Clay, came to
the rescue, and turned back the storm that
was about to burst upon the country. The
third trial of the strength Of the bonds of the
Union. was made under the administration Of
the Democratic James X. Polk, and Henry
Clay was again the ruling spirit that laid
down the terms of settlement, and attracted
to his side Webster, Foote and others, and
AGAIN the storm was nllayed. And now, the
fourth crisis is up u,, under the administra.
tion of the Democratic Pierce; but CLAW has
been gathered to his fathers, and heaven
knows what is to be the issue. Is this the
sort Of evidence relied upon to prove the pow.
er oil the Democratic party to save the Unioni
II SO, the sooner they are deprived Of that
power the better for the country.
Upon what conservative and national
principles does that party rely for the power
to save the Union, and upon which the party
stands unitedl Upon the slavery question,
the party is notoriously ectional and as much
divided upon every question Of general inter
est On two points, we believe, they are
unanimous. The one u.s. that the spols are to
be preferred before the Union; and the other
is, that the greater number of Catholics and
foreigners admitted to the polls, the greater
the strength of the party. The former OF
these propositions IS the one relied upon to
save the Union, and the motive which gives
it activity is to make its common treasury the
prey of their rapacity. This is the bond that
has ever held them together; and at the mp.
proach Of every presidential election, we find
the various factions brought nearer and near
err together, until perfect fusion is effected
The work is going forward now. The hot
spurs, OF the South, nre shaking hands with
the Richardson's of the North, and the north
ern friends Of the South, are fusing with the
rabid abolitionsts. What is this foll is it t.
save the Union-for love of the Union-de
votion to liberty, and truth, and justicel Il
it an impulse that springs from hearts pur,
and patriotic, and minds that appreciate tn,
blessings of free government Far from it
The union of these discordant factions is
union without principles, and looks only to
division of the spoils to be won by the plum
dering coalition. Any man, who will use hi
, own understanding, must see that no nationa
principles or patriotic impulses can bring to
gether the pro and anti.slavery parties, tn
foreigners and Catholics into one common
union. Their principles are different, thei
: sympathies and antipathies run in differen
: channels. and when they come together t,
save the union, it is to make it's treasury thei
D common prey.