Squatter sovereign., 1856-04-01
From the New York Day Book.
WHAT THE OCCASION CALLS FOR.
A hint for the Cincinnati Convention.

the necessities Of the crisis-the yearn-
ings of the popular heart--the glowing
visions of the future-than will lie before
the Cincinnati Convention which is. TO az
semble in A pril. The field, in fact, Is un
occupied. The platform promulgated by a
remnant of odd-and-end politicians al
Philadelphia, touches no practical or vital
issue before the country. II is q mass or
verbiage, Of crudities, OF lnslpdities, oil
impalpabie generalities, in regard to ali
questions Of great and immediate concern
nnent. Every strong head and earnest
heari in the country will revolt at it. 1t
ignores all practical Interpretation of the
Kansas-Nebraslsa principle;-it ignores
every material guarantee for the South
it pretermi,s the assertion Of those great
national interests and necessities which
call, a: this very time for the stringent en-
forcement of the Monroe doctrine, in its
letter and spirit, upon the American Con-
tinent, aad which especially demand the
exclusion of British supremacy in the Gull
OF Mexico and in Central America. -
The late contest in Congress, and the
proceedings at Philadelphia, show that the
South is the only national stronghold-th
nationality exists in an available shape
only at the South-that, in tie main, the
North is nearly equally divided between
maudlin fanaticisrn on the one hand, and
reckless demagogues and double-dealing
rricksters on the other-and that nowhere
but in the South, can be found the com
pactness, the rational zeal and earnestness,
necessary to meet great emergencies, and
TO succeed in momentous elections.
Of course, there are many Individual
exceptions to this classification of Northern
politicians. We would not thus classify
Douglas, Dallas. Richardson, and other
eminent men of the North, who have re-
vealed a catholicity of principle and senti-
ment that entities them to a place on the
South side Of the political Mason and
Dixon's line, whatever their geographical
position may be. But, in the present ccm-
plexion of politics, it is impossible to look
anywhere but at the South for that ortho-
tioxy, consistency and solidty, essential as
the basis of a party, and indispensable TO
carry a great election.
The North is political chaos; the South
is the seat of political empire. Therefore,
if it be true to itself, no party. no conven-
ton, no candidate that ignores the South
or refuses to accord to it, fully and une-
quivocally, all 1t asks, as reasonable ulti-
matum of self-protection and selfpreserva-
tion, can expect to succeed. Nor should
1t be satisfied with flatulent professions,
unmeaning generalities, OF impractical al
stractions. The occasion calls for some-
thing speciic-something to the point.
The South wants more in platform than
tissue Of verbiage, conveying the small
lest modicum of sense of which English
is capable. 1t wants more than rivulet
OF water Cruel meandering through
meadow of boundless ambiguity. 1t has
too often, already, submitted to the warm
water and depicting treatment of political
quacks. It's health calls for more gene
rous diet than they have given, and spews
up the nauseous panaceas they would ad-
minister. 1t should demand from the
Cincinnati Convention, a platform ade
quate to its immediate wants and COM
mensurate with it's expanding future. If
such cannot be had, then better discard
platforms, go outside of conventions and
caucuses, and throw itself upon its rights,
and It's own strong arm, political and
physical--not the devices Of trading and
eauivoCating politicians-for their pro-
lection.
But more than all this, the successful
candidate for the next Presidency, must be
identified with great national programme
"a programme looking to external de-
velopment, not TO internal inflammation
and corrosion; a programme that throws
prophetic light far into the future, and
that ignores no part of the world geogra-
ply; programme framed to elevate, ex-
pand, and not contract the IDEAS. hopes and
aspirations OF the people. Already the
country has been-socially and politically
almost paralyzed by topical applications
and local stimulants. Our politics have
been of character to invert the healthy
action of the Government. Its action has
been mainly from without inwards-not
from within outwards A nation cannot
bear inactivity and self-analysis any more
than an individual. Decay and anarchy
will as surely follow in one case as disease
and insanity In the other. The national
welfare. therefore. demands that the ac-
tion Of our Government should be turned
IN a new direction. 1t must act outward
ly or 60 to- pieces. Better war, or the
dangers of war, than certain dissolution.
Better adventure into perilous seas than
ioe UPON TIC SSo. uS PoPoidi iiistiHttS
appreciate these truths, however they be
disregarded by pseudo-sta:esmen and d..
plomntists. /" Passion is destiny" said
the poet Bailey; and strong national
impulse is no less national destiny, and if
repressed. partially or wholly, must result
in national retrogression or decay.
In the United States, the national i'm
palse points clearly to change in our
foreign policy. 1t points clearly to a
change of standpoint from that of passive
observation and Indifference to one of
vigorous activity and influence in the af-
fairs Of nations. 1t suggests plainly the
wisdom Of substituting the objective for
the subjective policy in our Government.
1t yearns to make the world outsiders
the crowned heads and poientates of the
earth-feel our oouar onj acLoo,vlaa a.rS