The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1857-07-24
THE PHILOSOPHY OF pOIJTICs

He is no faithful pilot, (says the CoIumbu,
Enquirer) who dozes at the wheel until hi,
sumbers are broken by the jarring thunder
the lightnlng's fash and the fury of the hurri
cane. He is no true sentinel who fails to giys
the alarm untilthe enemy is within the wall,
Of the citadel. The events of the last two
months must force the conviction upon IN,
Democratic party Of the South, that it is pow
erless forgood-that lis vain boust of nation
atty has been swept away like the troubled
visions of the night before the early morning
Like discounted army with its wings Grip
Piled and its centre pierced, its confused masse.
are now slowly aud suIlenly retiring from tn.
field. The leaders may FOR a while lingel
around the deserted camp, and secure III
PossiSle) the money chest, but ms water uher
once spilled, can never be collected, so the
main body can never again be gathered to.
gether.
II must be admitted, that with no nobler
object than the spoils, and with principles
written on the sand TO be erased with each
recurring wave, that the cohesion of the De-
mocratic party has been most wonderful. Ma
soldiers were ever better disciplined or fought
so bravely in bad cause. Time and again its
ranks have been shattered, but like the Ameri
cans at Buena Vista, it would as often rally
and return to the charge. Like the French
troops as represented BY Napoleon, it has
never been so certain Of victory ms when its
columns are placed in confusion. II has now,
however, met its Waterloo. The sun of its
glory now looks down upon foughten field,
covered with broken arms, despoiled corpses
and tattered banners.
The Orentals say, ii is the last feather that
breaks the back Of the camel. The last Buch.
anan move on the political chess.b board, has
check-mated the Southern Democratic party.
II is now cOrnered, and compelled to run or
fight. The old Buck has been brought to
bay and turns his antlered head upon his
Southern friends. Shall Rome live, or Casar
perish !! that now, is the question, and it will
lie difficult to solve, as a reference to the Sc
ec,ions we have made from the opinions of
Democratic Conventions and presses, publish.
ed in another column, will testify.
The adamantines, the men who never fail
to sheeze when the President takes snuff, al.
ready say that the Walker-Kansas policy is
perfectly consistent with the Kansas-Nebras-
ka Act, and that the opposition by Fire eaters
is mere pretext TO prepare the people for
dissolution of the Union. They say that all
the appeals for "an undivided South" before
the course or policy of the President was
known on the Kansas question, was an at
tempt to array the South against the North
in sectional hostility? The leaders of the
other wing through their Conventions and
presses say, that the South has been BETRAYED
and wronged and the true principles of the
Kansas Nebraska Act, have been superseded
by the instructions of President, elected by
the South. We of the American party have
no doubt that all the difficulty has arisen from
the alien and sqnatter sovereignty clause,
which is part of the Kansas Act. That our
Southern Democratic friends placed the seal
of their own condemnation in that act when
il WINS passed and when Buchanan WINS elected
President, and that neither the President, nor
his Governor, could il they would, tear the
seal from The bond. The last pound of our
flesh and The last drop of our blood may be
exacted, still our only consolation will be
found in-thai is The law!
The question, the important question re-
cnrs. where will the Southern people mot the
poitlcians) 90, in this crisis of our affairs
Will they be satisfied to remain and net with
party, which has broken every promise and
violated every pledge, or will they join party
whose predictions thus far, have become his
tory. A party with the Constitution, the
Union and the teachers of n purer and an
earlier school for guide, with principles
hung on the "outward walls"-principles
which will stand the test Of truth, of fact and
of reason and IL proved false, would make
divinity fable, history lie and the love of
our native land, a deusion. This party like
hardy plant, with its roots deep hid in
American soil will continue to survive and
flourish long after the chilling winds by which
il has been assailed have fled affrighted from
the conflict. This party like good ship
manned by wise heads, pure hearts and strong
arms will weather the tempest. let the winds
blow from every quarter Of the compass. 1t
will be true TO itself, nnd>if so, it cannot be
false to God and the country.
The philosophy of politics teaches that
honesty at Inst is the only safe policy, and
that departure from an upright course by
party, as well as an individual, will! sooner or
later meet its merited punishment. We wish
no more truthful illustration Of this remark,
than the present condition, and future pros
poets Of the once powerful Democratic party.
ADVANCE IN LEATHER ARD HIDES We have
heretofore noticed an advance with q further
upward tendency on the price of leather and
hides in the Eastern markets. A letter from
a dealer in Boston, Of the 9th, to q house in
Louisville says:
Leather has gone up two cents per pound
since the 9TH inst Owing to the depression
in leather, many Of the manufacturers left off
making and the stock on hand of desirable
fall goods is rather small, and should there
be the usual demand for goods, there must be