The Washington union., 1858-02-18
FfOIn tff9 FINalcIpINh PeilIlss J
THE LINES OF DEMARCATION.

The disipme of party is essential to the healthy cx-
ccise of all its functions and to its very existence What
party is without discipline fixed principles has often
been demonstrated by antagonists who swcIled their
ranks with all the iss Of the day. until the oncts of the
faith obscurcd and lost among the hereses Of their
adoption and the heiesarchs who preached them The
democratic party has triumphed all its opponents by
holding fast to the cardinal principles of its iuith and by
carefully discang the creators OF schis whatever their
rank or position No in the democratic party
strong enough destroy the severity of its dogns 10
diminish the affection and devotion of its followers In
stead Of destroying the party they only dug their poiti
cal graves from which not their former opponents
able to lesurrect them Benton, Rives, Blair, Mar
tin Van Buren, and host Of minor examples we might
cite illustrate the invncbility OF the democratic party,
and the utter hopelessers OF the conrtoIs deserey
from its ranks.
Senator Douglas man, undoubtedly, of good deal OF
talent yet ovcrraed statesman and leader, is
the point of following the great men have named
to untimely place of rest. We had expected better
things OF him had cherished him Of the stand
ard bearers OF democratic principles and had hailed
him, not general ut least second or third
in command of the national forces But We hope
for him now, when lie leaves the party vital issue,
and Joins the black republicans In their sectional OrBaDi
tion against peace the country aud the perpctuity
Of the Union. There seceder from any faith
who did not give plausible for his detection
and Senator Douglas is not slow in propounding his
They however, oil borrowed from the black rcpubli
cacchsm and consequently directly ut issue with the
principles of the democratic party and the national adj
mnistntion of President Buchanan He has, thus far,
!
strong and stronger than his own by kepubli
cans during the last presidential He received
his enlightenment alter that canvass, during four
months residence ut the black republican headquarters
of his State where his special organ, the Chicago
Times insnuatcs, he calmly conceived the plan Of de-
stroying the democratic organization and building up
sectional northwestern party Of his own.
1t is for this that Senator Douglas is longer
in communion with the democratic senators in Congress-
that he has ceased to c present at their caucus and that
he recognised by his democratic colleagues,
The line OF demarcaon has at length been drawn; the
President, with his national democratic friends stands
side, and Senator Douglas, with the back-repub
lcans, the other We prefer that this should be So
rather than should continue TO be recognised DEM
ocrats whose necessarily tends to set the democ
racy by the cars, and who by domoralizng ranks
would prepare the way for black republican triumph in
1860.
AS to forming third independent party, we have
fear that Senator Douglas will be able to do any such
thing. There is for such party in our young
and vigorous country, and f there wcrc Mr. Douglas is
not the man To be its Representatives He is not made to
control enlist the conservative sentiment OF the
country. He builds his hopes on an ssuc which leads
him to the extreme faction. That issue will be OK
hauste, past and gone long before he will be able
taste of its fruits and he viii be fortunate il his own po
ltcal existence is prolonged beyond that period
Where are the statesmankc principles on which SEN
ator Douglas can inaugulutea third party Is II tho
principle of llbuscrism which he has openly espo,sed
that a third party can be organized Hus he new
financial scheme to propose which will prevent reyusons
and the suspensions OF banks Is he by profound study
and long experience better qualified tisn President Bu
chanan to guide our foreign policy. prosperity
and peace throughout the vast cxpinse ot conccr
acy Even Mormonsm will DC nn obsolete idea by the
time Senator Douglas will be rcny 10 display his budget
Of tangled ssteSnaship r the formation OF third
party based upon black icpubNns'n as the substance and
hllbusterism as It's cmtetshment.
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