The true Democrat., 1857-04-07
A Page of History.

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 A Page of History.
 We do not like to excite unpleasant memo. ries, even among our political opponents, but it would be wrong not to avail ourself of the use- full lesson which is to be drawn from the histo- ry of the opposition in the late Congress. This | opposition was composed in the beginning of two elements each of which started into life | With pretehsions of extreme purity and patri- otism, and loud promises of reform.
 The black-republican party originated, to considerable extent, with men who found neither of the old parties sufficiently just and pure to be worthy of their mpanionship- Some of them were not quite satisfied, even, with the constitution, and offered a higher law" of their own to the practical legislation of Congress. Their feet were on the earth, but their heads seemed very much in the clouds Clothed with a prodiglous quantity of self righteousness, and claiming to rise superior to all party considerations, they banded them selves together as the forlorn hope of virtue and Christianity in a degenerate age, and invi- | ted around their standard all those who thought | they had plenty of goodness and philanthropy to spare for the benefit of their neighbors and the world. As their followers gathered, 1t was curious to see, not only how abundant virtue was in quarters where its existence had never been suspected before, but how suddenly a great many people had changed all their ideas | with respect to parties and office. In this self denying and dsinterested band of reformers were found, mraculously brought together, de- cayed politicians of almost every grade and | order It was a perfect hospital of political in- vallds, and quite wonderful was it to observe | how many of these old and worn political hacks were then willing to pursue a new career of ser vice for no other motive on earth than the pub | lie good. Their object, in the beginning, was to control the local legislatures in the free States, and secure majority of representatives In the thirty fourth Congress- To this end they seized upon the Nebraska bill, and so in- famed the public mind that, in the heat of ex- cltement, they drew into their ranks many per sons who had usually been conservative, and who, by this time, begin to wonder themselves at their own haucnation. The democratic party, of course maintained its organization, and kept its flag flying.
 But the tide rolled on. and with the aid of the ' sec'et order" the republicans of the North elected almost all their congressional candidates Their success would have been far less general without this aid; for although in a large major lty of cases the know-nothings and republicans of New England were essentially the same this was not universally so at the North-and, be. sides, cret organization made black republi- canlsm more dangerous. In 1854 the know nothings and the black republicans looked kindly upon each other, both North and South
 This know-nothing party was another organi- zation made up of men who had an exuberant share of patriotism and virtue. Their love of Christianity was so great that they could not tolerate free religion. Their philanthropy was so exalted that they looked with fear upon the immigration to our shores of the poor and nee dy and oppressed abroad. They had so deep a respect for our republican institutions that they were jealous of any participation in their bles- sings of our naturalized citizens. And these Views they.held to be so excessively pure that they would not allow the sun to shine upon them. They@heId their conclaves, therefore, at night, and administered their oaths in dark ness; and laid upon their associates, moreover 1t Is to be feared, the lamcntable necessity un- der certain circumstances, of choosing between falSehood uttered openly and a violation of oatho which had been assumed in secret. This monstrous order-worthy only of the darkest perod of the wOrld-combned substantially with the black-republcan organization, in the retormatory movement which was to commence its career of usefulness with the Thirty. fourth Congress. The presidential campaign had not then been organized. But the combined oppo- sitlon succeeded Ill electing majority of the House, and controlling a few of the State legis- latures. The special promise of the know nothings was that the naturalization laws should be repealed or essentially changed. | The great boon which the black republicans were to secure to the people was the repeal of the Nebraska bill. To many persons this seemed work of difficulty, if nothing more; but Ill the view of these ardent retormers noth-
 ing WIS more easy. We well remember to have heard Senator Hale, of New Hampshire de- scribe the process by which it was to be accom- pshed. It was only to add the repeal as an amendment to the evil and diplomatic bill, and | send 1t to the Senate. If the Senate sent it | back, the House was to "stick" and by this | " sticking" process the Senate and the Presi- dent were to be forced into au approval of black republican legislation
 Such was the manifesto. We wish our read | CTS to remember, now, how very far short of it has come the performance The last House of Representatives began its career in d quarrel | about speaker, winch waStel many weeks of valuable time; did what it could to inhame the pnbhc mlnd on the slavery question; compelled | an extra session by its factous course on the | army bill and finally wound up in blaze of | glory by convlctlng three or four black re oubli- can members of downright corruption! No \ Nebraska ! Nothing done was promised But instead of it, we have had the painful spec tacie exhibited to the world of a committee of investigation in the House fastening corruption upon portion of its members
 What commentary Is this upon the exalted | professions of purity with which the opposition organized their congressional campaign. What an admoniton, also, does it furnish to all right minded men who were seduced, by such pro- fessions, into the opposition ranks 70 Liber- ty," said Madame Roland, "how many crimes are committed in thy name!" o Virtue, it may be added, how many of thy profe0sed votaries pay thee no other homage than that of hypoc- risy