Kanawha Valley star. [volume] (Charleston, Va. [W. Va.]) 1856-1861, 1857-05-05

1.-THE Dugald Dalgettys of Democracy
into the ranks of an opposition i'm
posing in appearance, bat it is im~
possible to destroy the vitality Of q
lparty that is Indispensable TO the exis-
ltence Of the the government which
has grown with its growth, and
strengthened with its stength, until,
like the ivy vine on an antique wall,
It'll 30 intertwined, that it caBnot be
torn away without tearing the wall
whit. Tho old Wing party with
stood the storms and shocks, with
an astonishing tenacity. But like
ldilapidated buildings or infirm old
trees, it fell at last from its own fee
1bleness, on q calm still day when those
who sat in its shadow were wistfully
regarding it with rowling hopes. In
1.-The interval between '52 and SO, like
]at giant superanuated and worn out
with wars and wounds, whafwas left
of Whiggery fell; solidarity, and %
softly as barely to break the3stillness
4 ofthat silent hour which succeeded the
election Of Pierce to the Presidency.
Since that day the Democratic party
has proved its patriotism, land the
i power of its principles, conclusive.
lily, totens Of thousands of those who
were once its most prejndiced, and
apparently implacable enemies.
II Battling with Abolitionism in the
i North, and Know Nothingism in the
4 South, its nationality, consistency
andIunvarying adherence to principle
i have been manifested more clearly
/ than perhaps ever before. And there.
fore those who have been educated
as opponents of Democracy, whose
early associations taught them to de
. nounce lit as q political Pandora's
box, have had an opportunity Of wit
Messing its workings under circum.
stances calculated to test it. L And
consequently our ranks have been re.
inforced with hosts of our old enemy
les who lave come to us, not as cap.
J tives, but as converts, whose preiu
dices have yielded to honest convic
! tons of Judgment, and who are now
= where they should have been stand
ing by the Constitutions shoulder tt
shoulder with the followers Of The
true faith OF the fathers of >the repnb
lie.
The democratic party is distin
!. guished for its unity, from thesimpls
fact, that it is based upon principle:
! applicable alike to one section ofsthe
Union and to every other, TO New
J Hampshire and Texas, to Ohio ane
to Alabama. The principles of Thu
! Wing party were national enough, j
that had been all that was needed, tt
!. eternalizeit. But they were radical
lily wrong in policy, as they were also
too strongly tending to Capitalization
! at the expense Of State sovereignty
and ii contradiction to the construc
: Etion ofthe government. The right
! ofthe several States, as distinct from
the federal government, were neyei
safe ii its keeping; while with tn,
3 Democratic party, the most promfn
ent characteristic since its organiza
! ton, has been an infexibie adherence,
to the rights sovereign Statesanc
/ always with a due regard for the pre-
!, negatives assigned to the general GOV
s Fernment, II
81 Late events have been such as t,
!. leave no margin for evasion or equiv
T ocation on the part of political par
!, ties inthis country. Positive pri'a
! ciplesIin all their native nakedness
for good or forevil, have been brough
ftoNbear directly upon the politics 9
! 1.-THE country. Questions not suscep
{ tible Of debate, except upon the higl
ground fconstitutiona1ity, have al
/ most exclusively engaged public at
tention. Audit is to the Democrat
! Epartg that the nation has turned 70
I a vindication 'of the constitution ant
] the protection ofthe Union.
d North and South, Eastand West
!, the warfare is waged now, as ever, up
} Lon the same platform and same prin
ciples, ION the part Of the Democracy
J Douglas ofIllinois, Toucey of Connec
ticut, Alexander Of New Jersey, am
all that noble band Of Northern Nat
|, ional Democrats, have been, and ar,
still, fighting under the same flag tina
!. floats over Wise and Hunter Of Vir
Eginia, Cobb of Georgia, Jones of Ten
nessee. Pickens ofSouth Carolina, and
their thousands o-laborers and con
freres throughout the South. =
4 Such q party must always triumph
i as long as patriotism Is alive in tht
4 hearts Of Americans, and pr5neipl,
are resorted to ferthe adjustment b
4 difficulties and the dissipationof dan
/ gers.
II TheSonth ia OF course considered saft
] for Democratic principles since tht
vote ofNoYember last, And in ths
il North there are most encouraging ia
ldications that onr cause is strengthen
ling. In7New Englnnd, in the North
], west, and indeed almost everywhere
! where the people have spoken at Ii,
II ~ ~ A - - -