The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-04-30
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY-TTs UNITY AND
PROSPECTS,

violent political COMMISSIONS, peculiar cir
cumstances in, extensive localities, or extra
ordinary emergencies in matters temporari-
ly affecting the interests of certain States or
sections, more Immediately and perhaps
more anxiously than usual, they have been
made to waver, and have been sometimes
seriously threatened with prostaton. if not
destruction. And as their principles are
strong or weak, they arc enabled to encoun-
ter opposition and adversely, with hopes of
success or defeat, just as the forest tree
withstands the storm, with limbs untopped
and body unslaken, if its roots arc deep
and its branches stout; or reels and rocks
beneath the teinpest's blast, from its top
most bough to its base, if it has shallow
hold upon the earth of which it is the off
spring. The Democratic party of this coun-
try has had its tests and trials rs well as
the old Wing party, and the ephemeral
factions that have hung upon skirts of both
before and after battle, in quest Of prizes
and spoils. There have been dark days in
the calendar of Democracy, but its pole
star, the Constitution, has never been hid
den from view by the clouds that have
lowered over our house and almost ut times
eclipscd the glories of tile past, the aspira-
tions of the present, and our hopes for the
future. Patriotism may be sacrificed to
sordId self:interest; expediency may pre-
dominate over principle; distrust and fear
may drive the Dugald Dalgettys of Democ-
racy into the ranks of an opposition impo-
sing in appearance, but it is impossible to
destroy the vitality of a party that is indis-
pensaLle to the existence of the government
which has grown will, its growth, and
strengthened with its strength, until, like
ivy-vine on an antique wall, it is so inter
twined that it cannot betorn away without
tearing the wall with it. The old Wing
party withstood storms and shocks with All
astonishing tenacity. But, like dilapidated
buildings or infirm old trees, it fell at last
from its own feeblencss, on a calm, still day,
when those who sat in its shadow were
wistfuly regarding it with reviving hopes
In the interval between '52 and SO, like
giant superanuated and worn out with wars
and wounds, what was left of Whiggery
fell solitarily, and SO softly as barely to
break the stiffness of that silent hour, which
succeeded the election of Pierce to the
Presidency. Since that day the Democrat
ic party has proved its patriotism, and the
power Of its principles, conclusively, to tens
Of thousands of those who were once its
most prejudced and apparently implacable
enemy.
Battling with abolitionism in the North
and Know Nothingism in the South, its
nationality, consistency anL unyarying ad.
herence to principle have been manifested
more clearly than perhaps ever before
And therefore those who have been educa
ted as opponents Of Democracy. whose ear.
y associations taught them to denouncc il
ms a political Pandoras box, have had AT
opportunity of witnessing its working un;
der circumstances calculated to test it,
And consequently our ranks have been re-
inforced with hosts Of our old enemies, who
have come to us, not as captives, but rs con
D. verts, whose prejudices have yielded to hon
est convictions of judgment. and who arr
nowhere they see they should ever have
been-standing by the Constitution, shoul
der to shoulder with the followers of th'
: true faith Of the Fathers of the Republic.
The Democratic party is distinguishes
5 for its unity, from, the simple fact, that i
: is based upon principles applicable alike t.
) one section of the Union and to every 9th
$ er, to New Hampshire and Texass to Ohi'
: and Alabama. TIE principles of the Whis
party were national enough, .if that -hat
: been all that was needed, to eternize It,
But they were radically wrong in policy, a
- they were also too strongly tending toEan
q tralization at the expense of State soyer
" eighty and in contradict on to the constsuc
e ton Of the government. The rights Of til
Il several States, as. distinct from the Fedora
Government were never safe in its keeping
~ while, with the Democratic party, the mos
d" prominent characteristic since its organiza
" stfon has been an infexible adherence to tn
I" rights Of the sovereign States. and alway
" with due regard for the prerogatives a
- signed to the General Government.
~ Late events have been such as to leave n
~ margin for evasion or eqaiyocation on th
>. :" part Of political parties in this country
-, Positive principles in all their native nakee
-. " ness, for good or for evil, have been brougl
~ ~ to bear directly upon the politics of tn
= = the country. Questions not susceptible
II debate, except upon the high ground ,
" constitut'onaIity, have almost exclusivel
=. engaged public attention. And it is to IL
" Democratic party that the nation has turne