New-York daily tribune., 1856-08-19

The Honorable Rufus Choate of Massachusetts,,
in recent letter to the straight" Wing Committee
Of Maine, avows bis intention to vote for Buchanan
as President, and advises the straight Wings of
Maine to do 20 likewise. The letter in which Mr.
Choste arrives at this lame and impotent conclu
sion, commences with high eulogy on the Wing
party as having done much for the country. As
the Wing party has but seldom been in power; as
the administrations of Harrison and Taylor were
unfortunately cut short by death before those patri
otic Presidents were able to mature the measures
they bad devised for the good of the country; and
az the administrations Of Tyler and Fillmore were
chiefly devoted to widening by the Annexation Of
Texas and the passage Of the Fugitive Slave law,
that breach between the North and the South
which Mr. Choate so much laments, even he,
we think must admit that the good done
by the Wing party mainly consisted in its act
ing as an opposition 10 the so-cslled Democratic
party and in modifying thereby to certain extent
the legislation and policy of the country. Such
being the case, it seems rather extraordinary
| that Mr.. ChOatc, if he be really such
an admirer of the past policy of the
Wings and 60 patrioticaly devoted to the
good of the country as he pretends to be- should
propose to the late Wings, and should himself lead
off movement by which not only the Wings are
to 60 over to the support Of, and to amalgam
themselyes with their ancient opponents but by
which what MIR. ChOate cOnfesses to be the only
effectusl opposition to the 30 called Democratic
party is to be driven from the field and the destinies
Of the DatiOn left to the unchecked control of
party, opposition to the principles and policy Of
which, and want of confidence in whose leaders,
were ever the leading ideas of the Wings.
To excuse this tremendous somerset, Mr.. ChOa.e
sets up that the Republican party is geographical
party, that geographical party is terrible thing
and that everything else is to be sacrificed to the
putting down d geographical parties Nov, ad-
mittDg all these assumed promises; admitting,
for the sake of the argument, that the Republican
party is geographical party, that a geographical
party is terrible thing, and that everything else
ought to be sacrificed to the putting down of geo.
graphical parties still we do not perceive how Mr..
Choate betters the case by voting for Buchanan or
can Justify himself in doing so.
1t would seem that Mr. Choate, amid his devotion
to the practice of rhetorical foursbes and the
study of legal techbicalities, had somewhat neg
ected that knowledge of history necessary, at least
If cotemporaDeous history, to a man who UNDER
takes to give political advice. If he knows any
thipg Of the origin and history Of the party to
which, out Of an alleged horror of geographical
parties, he has joined himself and which for the
same reason be calls upon others to Join, he must
know terftctly well that il has been the very geo.
graphical and sectional character gradually taken
on by this party and become at last complete,
which has produced, by an unavoidable reaction and
political necessity which all the studied pathetics
of all the sentimental orators in the world cannot
ccntrol that great and powerful Republican
party at which Mr. Choate processes such horror,
and which he undertakes to stigmstize as sectional
and geographical and without national sympathies.
Mr.. ChOate, if We suppose him to have given but
an ordinary degree of attention to the political
events which have transpired under his own eyes,
must be aware that, immediately after the election
of Gen. jackson, there were developed in the
party by which that election was brought about,
and which took to itself the name of the Demo-
cratic party, two sectiOns-a Northern section
headed by Van Buren, and q Southern section
headed by Calhoun. Mr.. Choate must also be
aware that the Calhoun section, disappointed
at not being able to mske tool of Gen.
jackson, and to have everything their own
way left the party and openly proclaimed the
doctrines Of notification and disunOn. He must
also be aware that at a subsequent period, when
Mr.. Van Buren, was nominated for the Presidency,
still further secession took place from the party
on the purely geographical grouDa that Mr. Van
| Buren, being Northern man, coud not be safely
] elevated t. the Presidency by Southern and slave
| bo'd,rg votes. Mr.. Choste must also be aware
that sft,r Mr. Van Bureu, in spite Of this second
r.ocrapbic., ession, had been elected President
Mr. Calhoun came back TO .se Democratic party
and that bis nuDifing and disubion friends and fol-
lowers throughout the Southern States gradually
inflated bis example.
Mr. Choate must also be aware that at a subse-
ouent period the Southern wing of the party, thus
| ,tnppthene6 and reinforced, accomplished the re-
| ,ection of Mr.. Van Burens denomination for the
Presidency, and the election of Mr. Polk to that
flee Oh the exclusively Southern and geographical
platform OF the annexation of Texas, and that for
the express and avowed purpose OF strengthening
the slavehodire section of the Union and giving it
peimsneut control Of the national Government
! He must sso be aware that, in pursuance Of the