The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-05-07
THE ONLY SOUTHERN PARTY,

'o>'' " o''''CSe'oh1 anu thNt 10 luC DciuOCIallC
party. Here and there, to he sure, one
may fiud small aggrcgations of individuals
hugging some old skeleton Of an issue, or
chcrishing some fimsy imposture but they
are without vitality, conference or power,
are limited to out of the way localities, and,
at the end of their existence, struggle for
nothing higher, than a seat i'll the LcgisIa-
ture, or the mayoralty of a village. They
never think Of attempting an Independent
part in politics, but arc satisfied with the
humble situation and scanty wages Of the
sccne-shifter. When they occasionally ap-
pear on the stage, it is in the rctinue of a
triumphant party, or to introduce some
moro respectable parsonage. If they but
lngcr moment, they arc sure to he driven
off with Kisses and exccrations.
For instance, Sam made magnificent
debut, aspired to tread the boards as a mon
arch, and played the hero with quite ms
much rant, and with rs comical gravity,
as Taylor, or an er pompous Llockhcad
But, for all that, it was a faiIure-a dead
failure. Sam was Kissed off the stage; and,
like a sensible fellow, he submits to his fate,
strips himself Of tinsel and feathers, runs
about in rags, and is scarce generally.
But, for all its poverty and imbccility, the
w-Nothing party is the only one in the
South that pretends to any sort of organi-
cation. The attempt to rally party in
this State, on the distribution issue, is
desperate experiment and will miscarry even
more shamefully than Sans famous ven
ture. The thing is n patent absurdity-an
obvious impossibility. a stool with a SIN
gle leg cannot stand; neither can party
with solitary principle. Party aspircs to
the administration Of government but ole
measure will not suffice for the administra-
ton of government. For that, a complete
and coherent system Of policy is necessary
"A system which embraces all relations
and every interest. There were other hands
III the "foul and unnatural" murder, but
Sans death was due, in great part, to one
ideaism and one-ideaism will kill the dis
trlbntion party. Even supposing distrbu-
ton to be approved by the people, it does
not follow that the people will put the party
in power which proposes distribution-and
nothing else. Concede all the Importance
which the opposition claim for their solitary
issue; yet there arc many other issues of at
least equal magnitude, before the country.
Shall all these be subordinated to that one
1t is preposterous; and the people will not
hear of it. One-idcaisn is an evidence of
insanity and instead Of entrusting his for
tunes to The wisdom of the distributionists,
sensible person will only pity tie over
throw Of their reason.
There is, and their can be, but one party
in the Southland that the Democratic
party. Now, what is the duty Of tile pa
triotic Wing or "American" under these
circumstances? Is it to stand aloof in sui
len exclusfon--interruptihg the unity of
Southern sentiment, and inpairing tile ef1i-
cheney of the Southern partya By this
course, what can he accomplish for tue
cause Which we all have at beartt Moth
ing; byt lie will do much to discredit and
elnbarrass, it. He will rob the Sopth of the
self-protecting power which it might COM
mand by the concentration Of all its forces.
lie will encourage the adversary with the
spectacle Of discord and jealousy in our
own bosom: ~
On the other hand ,the patriotic Wing or
"American" may accomplish everything, by
cooperating with the Democratic? party
For the safety of the South, it is only ncc-
essary that its people be animated by sim
gle will, and contemplate the same object.
And this result is to be attained BY no
painful and l,umiliating sacrifices. All
that is necessary is, that obsolete and insig-
.nificant issues besubosdinated and postpon-
ed to the supreme interests Of the South.
Individual and party disputes should be sus,
pended under the. shadow of common
Idsnger, to be resuped, if need be, under
happier auspices. So in ancient Athens,
where the feuds of faction ragged with the
greatest violence, all the differences of party
.wers closed Up to repel the foreign foo
Are we less capable of the highest efforts
of patriotisms lis not our necessity as
great Why then does any individual ID
the South sulk in his solitary tenta If the
patriotic Whig and "American" had any
ally in the North, he might urge some apol-
ogy tor refusingssto cooperate with tile
Democracy. But there is no Wing, no
"Americaa" Party in the North. Every.
where Black RepHblicapism is triumphant,
or IS resisted only blythe Democracy. To
strengthen tile soathern wing Of the Dem;
ocratio party, IS to reinforce our friends 10
the North; 70 secure unity here is,to guar.
antee ascaadancy there. -