Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-04-21
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY-ITs UNITY AND ,
PROSPECTS.

Instance. are not unirrquent in the history of any
and every party when, by soms violent political con-
vu,ion, peculiar circumstances in extensive local..
!ies or extraordinary emergencies in matters tempo.
rary affecting the interests Of certain States or sec.
t!ons, more Immediately and perhaps more anxiously
hsn usual, they have been made TO waver, and have
been ome,imes seriously threatened with prosrslion
if not destruction And their principles strong
or weak, they are enabled to encounter opposition
aud adversely with hopes Of success defeat just
'he lorest tree whstands the stcrm,wh limbs unop.
pea and body unshaken, If its roots are deep
and lis branches stout; or reel, and rocks
sensath the tempest's blast, from it's top
most boayh 10 its bsse il it has a shallow hold
upon the esrth of which it is the offspring. The
Diuoc atlc party OF this country has lad its tests
ana Trials az we'll as the old Whig party, and the
ephemesal faction. that have hung upon the skirts Of
oo'h' petors and after battle, u quest Of prizes
ana epols There have been dark days iu the
Calendar OF Democracy but its pole.stsr, the
Constitution, has never been hidden from view
: by the clouds that have lowered DER our house
and almost at times ecpsed the glories of
the past tho aspirations OF tho present, and our
hopes for the future. Patriotism nay be .acriiced
to sordd selt INTEREST erPedienoy may predominate
over priuciple dstrus and fear may drive the Du.
gald Dalsettys Of Democracy Into the ranks Of an
opposition impo'ng 10 appearance, but it is impos
sbe to destroy the vitality Of party that i, indls.
pensab'e 10 the existence of the government which
has grown with II, growth and strengthened with il.
strength, until, like the ivyvins antique wall it
Il 40 n,srwined, that cannot be torn away with.
out tearing the wall will! it. The old Wing party
wlthstood storms and shocks, with an es.opi.Eing
tenacity. But, like diapidhei buildings or in6rm
old trees it fell @, last from its own seteness on
cain, still day whon thoe who Sc, In it, shadow were
wi'tialy regarding il with rsvvug hopes In the in.
tsrval between SO and IS, like 1ian; .uperanua
ted and worn cut with wars aud wounds, what was
lett os "hlgee!y e aoitnry, aud softly as bare.
y" oreak The stiiuess o. that silent hour, which
succeeded the election os Pierce to The Presidency
Since that day the Democratic party mas proved its
patriotism, and tho power Of it, principles, conclu
av-iy to tens of thousands Of those who wers once
its most prtjuiiced, and apparently impacable sns-
:.ies.
Battling with obo!ltion;.n il the North sud Know.
So:hlngsm in the South lis nationality. consistency
aud unvarying adherence to princip!s have been
unaffected more clearly ;han perhaps ever before
And therefore those who have been educated as op.
ponents OF Democracy, whose early associations
;augh: them 10 dsnounce i: as political Pauioras
box have had An opportunity of witnessing ito work.
ings undor circumstances calculated to trs, it. And
consequently our ranks hsve hesu reinforced with
hosts of urod ensnes, who have come to u.s. not as
capves, but as converts whose prejldces have yield
ed to Zones; convictions Off dshent,aud who now
4
by tho Constitution, shoulder to shoulder with the
followers Of The true faith oil tbs fathers Of the re-
public.
The Democratic party ia distinguished fc. its uni.
ty, from the smps fact, ths; /. ia based upon pruci.
pies applicable alike 10 one section OF the Union and
to every other, to New lampshire aud Texas, to
Ohio and te Aabanha. The principles Of the Whis
party were national enough, if that had been all that
was needed 10 e,ernz it.. Bat they we're radically
wrong in policy, as they also 100 strongly tend.
ing 70 Capitalization at the expense of State aover.
eighty and in contradiction TO tins obstruction of the
government The rights OF the s,ve.sl States, az
.'a-...-. '."'.. .ho !euvf. s..aeu, "eio never
safo in i;s keeping while, with 'hs Democratic
party, the most prominent, characteristic since Its
ysnisaon has been I'll inhs1iols adherence TO the
rights OF the sovereign Sia:es, and always with
due regard for the prerogatves assigned to the gene
raj government
Late events have been suca as 10 leave no msraIn
for evasion eQuivooation on the part of political
parties In this country. Positive principle in all
their native nskedoess, for good or for evil have
bsen brought to bear directly upon the politics of the
country. Questions not susceptible OF debate, ex.
oept upon the high grourd Of const!tutionaty have
almost exclusively engaged public attention. And
il is to the Democratic party that tho nation has
ed for a vndicaoa OF :he constitution and the pro-
lection Of the Union.
North and South. East and We.t, the warfare is
waged now, ever, upon the same platform and the
same principles on tho part Of the Democracy. Dou.
gas Of Illinois, Toucey Of Connecticut, Alexander of
New Jersey, aud ell that noble band Of Northern
National Democrats, have beep nnd still, fighting
under The same flag The: ar..s o7s, IViss and Hun.
ter OF Virginia, Cobb Of Georgia, Jones Of Tennss
see, Pckens Of South Carolina and their thousands
Of CO laborers aud contreres throughout the South.
Such party mus. always triumph as long as pa.
trio;i.m i. alive 10 tho hearts Of Americans, and
p~,zep!es rcsored TO 70. the adjustment Of dif
cul,ies and the dissipation OF dangers.
The South s OF course considered safe for Demo.
And in the North there ara most encouraging indica.
tions that our cause is Strengthening. In New Eng
land, in the Northwest, and indeed almost every.
where the people have spoken at the polls since
the election of Mr.. Buchanan, the Democratic party
has been shown TO be gaining ground
But lot US not relax efJrts or abste our SEAL az
long as there Is an abolition fanatic in Congress or
Block Republican party in the country.
THE AMERICAN FORM BOOK-TArE AND
SAsDs.-A Morris Richmond Publisher.
The frat volume of this work was pnb!ished many
year, ngo, and has long been fam!iisr TO the legal
profession aud the public generally. A year or more
since, edition was published under the edito.
rial supervision Of A. II. Sands, ESQ., of the Rich
nond bar and now We have another being the filth
edition OF the work, edited by the same gentleman.
The demand for the work, which Induced the pre-
cent ISSUE is the best evidence Of ia value, guide
to the Virginia conveyancer, and but for new fea
ture introduced into the edition, m ght dismiss 1t
with reference to former criticisms Of itd matter
and manner and with the statement, that all the
forms have been carefully revised and coni1rined 10
tho provisions OF The present statutes Of the State.
The second volume of this fifth edition, however,
1, entirely new matter, added since our former no.
tice, ard is evsa more valuable and Important than
the first. Hero will bs found, in the fret ono hun.
dred and seventy pages, thu s'a'uies ot the various
States and Territories n.f.2ng the acknowledgment
OF deeds and other writings, with the proper forms
- pl-dyr