Kanawha Valley star. [volume] (Charleston, Va. [W. Va.]) 1856-1861, 1857-04-07
quarter Of a century, sand it has done
no good. Suppose, now, they try the
Christians creed of'Loye one anoth-
a, ,, .- 49, "a. ......i. g,FE r.af, ~. ~
. Ffom the Richmond Enquirer.
Party Positions.

NEXT, there has perhaps, been but one
period in the political history of. this
country, when there was q closer>ap-
'proxilmati6n to unanimity in relation
to. principles qfpolity, tIlaafs excm-
plified in the present position of par
ties, il tie siayelsaMipg States. With
the e&ceptiop/of the reelection Of
Mr.. Monrae in 1921, the people Of
the Sedth have never repaired to the
polls in more compact: column, or
cast their votes with less variant
voice, than they did for Buchanan
and breckenridge in November last
tits true, the opponents ofDemocracy
had their candidates in the field -
But the Gborti5e, effort to sustain
them. afforded. indubitable evidence
Of the advent OF another era Of almost
neutrality-suspicious. Of the prevail
ihg:poljcy of,the government. The
.same,old Democratic doctrines, which
in the avs Of Jefferson and Jackson
held out hope and promise to the peo-
pie, were embodied in.the Cincinnati
platform, ana impersonated in the
successful candidate for the Presilcn-
cy. The principles proclaimel BY
the opposition in the South, in the
la esc4uvGss, were .Roudcscrint novel
tiy81in the SCIENCE efpolitic5; alsl al,
together unlike t!,ose upqn which
they lave heretofore contested the
claims Of the nemecraev to the con
trM oithe councils IF the country
The proccPtsvl.ict Websterwas went
to teach, a. :; corrective for every i'll.
which Clay incal~- ,..Ied with I'LL the
warmth of His arlant nature, apgl
which Mr. Fil!R.d<G himself cspouscd
Int tnur short years ago, ~ siill{5f,t in
the LAT, election. is the voices oFthese
wl!o first preciaiinaith 5m. The con
trait va .sti'aH-2 AMI striking. aud,
witha!, AipgItarly SUGGESTIVE, More
than half / century, with all lis reYul-
sicns amI yicis. itu les, it changes in
men ana measures, ia ants and in
science, in society ard in government,
has passed away: and the Democrat
ic party still stands, looming up like
Il Ian Imarh, for the guidance of gov
.cruments, amid the wrecks around it.
Like the laws Of the spheres it has new
pr varied from it, ORIGINAL orbit
Every year adds to its influence, cv-
cry election increases IFS strength.
On the other hand, the old WING
party, it combatantin every CONTEST
until the last, has been undergoing
gradual decay. One BY one its prin-
cIpIeS have been exploded and its
dogmas disprovql, until even the
name, onec so~insisnifcant OF q pc
culiAr pehcv, is now equivocally as
sociated withthe lieresics Of a new
tangled faction. Wings and "Amcr-
icansf. arezso closcIy>aili9d that it is
dillicult to distiEguisIrthem And
both combined, or ana!Samatel as
they arc, serve only TO Illustrate in
their weakness, impotence of, error
and the triumph Of truth I The sim
pie fact, that the Democratic party
afhercs to its original principles, III
alfthcir premitive purity and powoE,
while its quondam opponent: the old
WiugYarty, has.a bandoned aImost'all
the ISSUES upon which it was based
and for which it has ever clamorouS-
ly. contendad. is conclusive proof Of
the imperishablcness ofthe. one\and
the decline and downfall Of the ctk-
en-. ...s ,-..
tits no rare, remark, in this Latitude
on the part Of. intelligent, discerning
and patriotic persons, who have been
in the habit Of cooperating. with the
Wing party, that the zotd issues are
extinct, that party lineslare obliterat-
Ell, and the only question before the
country is, slavery inthe. South and
III the territories oftthe Union. In
this acknowledgements there no ad-
mission Of the truth and triumph OF
Democratic principles. Is there no
acquiesceuce in the predominant pol
icy ofthe nation, no endorsement Of
what Is without regard to what 9ea85
It is true there were deserters from
the ranks OF Democracy tothe Know
Nothing Standard, and,iti is also true
that there abolitionists who haye.been
Of MS and with rs. But has the Dem
ocratie party North and South, East
or West! been merged in either =.
Have our.principles been impaired in
the least! Have Southern Democrats
affiliated with Southern Know Moth
ings! Have we adopted any of the
peculiar prejudices Of the disciples Of
SAM! Have we united or forces with
theirs in any contest. DOVE stand
upon the same platform and march
under the same banner! Have we
not adhered to our own principles
alone, through. sunshine and storm,
and achieved q decisive victory over
the combined forces of Know Moth
mgs and Whigss And are not the
Democracy of to-day as distinct from
all other parties, as they were fifty
years ago! Is it SO with the Wing
party! Do the Wings of to-day es-
~ r.