The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-04-06
FUSION PERIsHEs DEMOCRACY ENDUREs.

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FUSION PERISHES- DEMOCRACY ENDUREs
Fusion never prospers. Whenever it has been
tried in tho history Of our country il has signaly
failed. The cohesive power of the public pl,uder
which it covets may be greats but it cannot cement
fusion firmly enough together, to give it any endu
ring strength, stability and triumph in this country.
We saw demonstration Of this truth in the time
of General jackson. The old Hero was found too
honest and seif-wiled to be used for their selfish
purposes by many Of The politicians who had sup
ported him. There was formidable secession from
his party. Dsafected State-rights men Of the
South, led by Mr. Calhoun; bank democrats Of the
North, whose organ was Webb's New York En-
qnirer the Adams federalists Of one section, and
Clay federahss of the other-al united to put down
General Jackson and to destroy the democratic party
Every sort Of SANDER and detraction was hcaped
upon the old Hero and his friends lie was de-
nomced AZ dishonest, immoral ignorant, brutal
tyrannical. His party assaed as a band Of nm
scrupulous and depraved demagogucs, venal, cor
ruP, without intelligence refinement, without the
instincts Of gentlemen even tho common decen-
cies of fc Tho opposition arrogated to themselves
all the deccncy all the intelligence, all the hon
esty and patriotism of the land They owned
very large dsproportion Of the wealth Of the
country Their party was supreme IN every city
and town. They ruled all the banks, controlled
tho United States Bank, and held in their hands every
element of political control save an honest cause
and sound polaics. To be a democrat was not to be
respectable, TO be tabooed in geneel society De-
y 4. I. ..1a
mocracy was the Coventry fashionable life. Strong
BEFORE the large detection from the democratic party
made tho fusion formidable indeed Its leaders
were such men as Webster, Clay, Calhoun, Preston,
Wise. All the money power Of the country was
with them. Three -fourths Of the newspaper press
was in their service, by conviction or subsidy But
they were agreed on no fundamental principle II
was a fusion Of conflicting elements in order to put
down jackson, to destroy tho democratic party. We
all know the result The name Of Jackson is en-
shrined in tho affections Of the American people
The democratic party still survives, the support Of
the Union and bulwark of tho constitution.
& Since that day, with the exception Of single
presidential term the government has been conduct
ed under democratic auspices Harrison was elect
cd indeed, by this fusion; but the fusion dissolved
mnistration which followed, though conducted by
fusion and not by democratic men. was compelled to
conduct itself democratic principles in order to
secure the assistance of the democratic party.
Taylor elected on popular feeling of ia
tigue with politicians The politicians of his party
were for Clay; the people of Clay's party and Of
small portion of the other, for Taylor because
the politicians against him. The feeling which
brought Taylor in the same in this regard with
that which has since secured to Mr. Buchanan the
nomination at Cincinnati and his election to the
presidency Taylor, like Mr.. Buchanan, met in his
FIRST Congress nominal majority Of his own party
but they were politicians, and, therefore, many Of
them adversaries of his administration. Had he
lived to meet second Congress, and appealed to
the people against the politicians, he would have
found in all the men then elected Ms his political
friends, friends also Of his administration. But, at
his death his administration dcvolvcd upon mere
politician member Of the old fusion Fusion thence.
for ward, during The term stood its own legs
alone, and no longer popular basis. From that
hour there was vitality strength, or power in the
administration. It fickered on through the rest Of
it's term. At it's end the fusion attempted to splice
itself out for another term and Seward and Critten-
den, Bolts and Banks, found together again. as
they had often been found before fighting shoulder
to shoulder for Scott and fusion II Disgrace
ful breakdown. The people rebuked the unnatural
alliance. repudatcd tho bargain of factions with dis
dain es
But, like tho phoenix, the fusion from its
ruins more formidable Than Its effort is al
ways 70 detach sufficient fraction from the demos
It had detached them from Jackson by tho pow
erfu' agency Of the mammoth bank, which frightened
democratic merchants and subsidized democratic
newspapers into its support In 1910, it had de-
tached them from the support Of Van Bnrcn by
assailing his pure aud able administration with