The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-08-19
From the Richmond Eva lSouih, Jul 2t
PARTIES IN 1860. ~


At this particular juncture, the a.sw tapers
are publishing an infinite deal O., N psense
about the reorganization of parties.
We have had occasion heretofore 70 expose
the a5surdity of any attempt to iypr ise a
party which will command the co%id zee of
the country, and obtain control of ttN ,vern.
ment. 1t is an achievement quite lys d the
genius of the most consummate poliyci,
Political organizations are begot IN { cir.
cumstances. Parties are the spont> aet, de-
velopmentIo of an emergency, and tn IL { oden.
cies are determined by unforeseen std i, esist
IDLE influences. A crisis arises in { 4 D, itical
condition of the country. The intro luce IN of
some great measure of public pol 1y, the
sudden appearance of a difficulty j ar ,inis-
tration, or in the development Of fswi ga in
the popular mind-in these ana 9th IL cum
stances of moment, parties have Il sir igin.
Under our system of Government, pc, etual
cause of political division exists in 4 o. .oste
Interpretation of the constitutions co, pact
While the Union endures, there will oe State
Rights, Strict Construction party, a. 4 a party
which tortnres the Constitution for e q pport
of ambitious schemes of Federal sgr, idize
ment. This fundamental difsrenc m ct al.
ways exist under our system Of Go 'ern cent !;
and it will more or less determine ( ,e q ,srac-
ter Of opposing parties. But, arou. d + Q an
iagonistic ideas of the Federal md 9tate
Rights schools, other conflicting OF nios will
gather, and gradually crystalline il o d snct
and durable organizations.
After this manner, the Denocratii and ghig
parties we're developed into rival DO, ticaI DOW
ers- OF the former, State Rights and itrict
Construction are the fundamental rinci les ::
and its views of practical adfoinis ratio are
colored and controlled by thai orr ipal pias.
The latter espoused the Federal octri, of
constitutional prerogative, and, acco dinel b its
position in regard to measures of ephes, eral
policy was always adverse to any re. trctif.n on
the powers of the General Govern ent The
Democracy are obliged, by the law Il theif ex.
istence, to oppose Tariffs, Distribu ion, inter
nal Improvement, National Banks ans kin.
dred measures OF Federal sggrs ldizepen
by an equally irresistible impulse the Wing
party was driven to the support of vi the &C.
cessories of strong and extrsvags It Geyern.
ment.
On various occasions in the his ory o. the
Republic, the attempt has been MAJ to in pro.
wise party for particular emer ,eucy SO
originated the Anti.Mason organi alton So
Knew Nothingism was ushered into exist nee.
But, at best, these artificial produces of ,liti.
cal intrigue have attained only loca and
transient success. They inevitably ,erisi with
the folly or fanaticism by which the. are Iown
into being.
II is idle, then, to talk of ar arbit airy gan
izstion of parties for the next resid ntial
election. They will be determined n tbs r re.
lations and tendencies by the paramount ,olis-
ical exigencies of the day.. And, Just il pro-
portion as we can foresee the measures tn will
occupy the popular mind in 1865, m, We
foretell the consequent arrangement of D, ,ties
Nov, it is plain enough, in the absek . Of
any dominant and engrossing issue, thl the
Presidential election of 1860 will be a~uere
struggle between the ISs and the, Gurs. The
Democratic party will sustain the Admin stra-
ton in its wise and patriotic police, viii, . all
the elements Of opposition will coaissce !, &C.
comphsh Its expulsion from power. they
may not unite in single column they may
select different points of atfacs, anS sffe, pc
culiar views of policy, but their efforts = ! be
directed to one common objecs-the oves ,row
OF the Democratic party. "a