The Placer herald., 1857-10-17
Joining New Parties.

Within the last two years great change
has come over the face of the political waters.
The death of the idolzed chieftans of the
old Wing party has left a fairer and freer
play to great principles, which are too often
subordinated before attachment to men and
expedients. This, added to the settlement
of certain exciting questions of a local or
pecuniary character, has served to clear away
the mists which have surrounded these pri-
mary duties incumbent upon all the citizens
of Constitutional Government. 1t has left
upon the arena of politics but one great party
Although we cannot sympathize with the re-
gret entertained by many at the progress of
these events, we fully share the qualification
which these citizens must have felt that the
door of this one great party stood wide open
for their admission, and that they are well
coined into its ranks and taken by the hand
with as much confidence as if they had grown
up in support of its peculiar principles
There have not been wanting many, however,
who have regarded this impressive exodus
into the Democratic party with feelings of
bitter indignation, and have indulged in cr-
limitations, which have doubtes served to
keep others from performing the act Of duty
which they will at last be glad to perform.
When an old-line whg ranges himself under
the Democratic flag he is often taunted with
having deserted" bis faith but, if we inquire
into the sincerity of this casuistry, we shall
be alike instructed and amused.
There are two opposition organizations in
this country Nowhere do we behold the
Henry Clay or Daniel Webster standards
flying; nowhere is the time-honored and
glorious name of Wing emblazoned upon
party creeds. These two antagonisms to the
constitutional party are that which calls itself
"American," and that which calls itself "Re-
publican;' the first conglomeratc com
pound which is constantly changing its form
and trankness compels us TO add, almost
constantly changing its name; the second an
aggregate of Abolition hatreds and fanat-
cisms. Is there anything in either of these
to command the respect or arouse the
enthusiasm of fn old-Iine Wing. If we
separate the elements of which each is com
posed and apply the test furnished in the
lifetime of Clay and Webster we should
find that the lustre whicl, the patriotic ser
vices Of these two men has shed around their
respective names flowed chiefly from their
high and courageous opposition to these very
elements. If, therefore, the old-ine Wig
becomes Republican,, or an American or
Democrat, his motives should not be cha-
lenged in either event for inconsistency or
insincerity; and least of all can the Wing
who has become an American, or Wing who
has become a Republican, upbrad him who
has become a Democrat. There has been
change in every instance, and we are quite
certain conversion in the latter Let us
be content with things as they stand. Unjust
and unscrupulous inquiry into motives only
produces bad blood. Thousands and tens of
thousands of men who have attached them
selves to the Democratic party can find their
warrant for such an act of patriotism in the
record OF their support of Clay and of Web
ster. These leaders were in their day and
time the very heroes in the struggle for the
Union, and let us not he ashamed to say it,
the stout pillars upon which, in great part,
the Constitution itself reposed. If they were
living now, they would be where the most Of
their followers are. They would | 9 against
prescription of the foreign-born Catholic
citizen. They would be against sectionalism
in every form. They would be against seces-
sion, the worst shape of disunion after Abo-
litionsm alone. They would be for allowing
the people of Kansas to vote upon their own
local institutions, and for asserting in distinct
and positive terms that the will of the ma
jority should control. They would be against
the invasion of Kansas by hordes from Mis-
souri, and Massachusetts. They would be
for this Admnstraton-for its calm, con-
servative and constitutional policy Looking
forward to the futura and hehOldjnv all GOOD
omens clustering around our example, they
would not hesitate to say, as they have not
hesitated to say before, that in order to secure
to that future and to their children and chill
dren's children, the blessings of free govern
ment to the remotest ages, they would re-
pudiate old party names, and remember only
their duties, first last, aud all the time, to
the Constitution and the Union.
Philadelphia Press.