The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1858-04-30
RECONSTRUCTION OF PARTIES.

The indications are obvious (says Inc hleh-
mOud Whig) that there will be a radical re-
construction of political parties ere the COM
mencement of another Presidential contest
As we attempted to demonstrate on yester-
day, the Democratic party proper, which has
so long held its own as a solid, compact, Wig
orous organization, is destitute Of the ele-
ments of vitality, and is fast crumbling to
pieces. 1t is not in the nature o! things,
therefore, that the Democratic party should
have the slightest chance of electng its can
didates in the next election. Divided in the
South, and utterly without strength in the
North, it must necessarily go to the wall, and
fail in any effort it may make to reinstate IT.
self in the confidence of the country. AT the
last Presidential election, it came near being
overthrown, and undoubtedly would have
been, but for the candidacy o: Mr.. Fillmore,
and the accessions to it of old line Wings in
the Northern States whose electoral votes
Mr.. Buchanan obtained, in consequence
Since then, however, the Democratic party
has lost ground immeasurably in all the free
States, and particularly in those which Buch-
anan carried at the last election, and only
carried after the most tremendous exertions
ever put forth in any previous contest; and
after, too, most deliberate system of hypo-
cracy and fraud on the part of his friends and
supporters. In Pennsylvania, for example,
whose electoral vote determined the result in
favor of Mr.. Buchanan, the Democracy have
been divided into two distinct and bitterly
hostile factions by the Lecompton issue,
without any probability of their coalescing in
the support of common candidates. The same
state of things exists, also, in the States of
Indiana and Illinois, the only other free States
that voted for Buchanan, with the exception
of California. With the Democratic forces
in these several Northern States thus rent by
faction and split to pieces, what prospect is
there of the Democratic party being able to
carry either.one of them for its candidates in
1860! And, if unable TO carry these, which
stood firm even amid the storm that swept
over the North in 1856, what other resource
has it? 1t will not be pretended, we pre-
sumo, especially since the late elections at the
North, that either one of the States that vot-
ed for Fremont would be likely to vote for
the Democratic candidates in 1860. Where
then, we repeat the question, is the vote to
come from that is to enable the Democratic
party TO succeed in the next Presidential con-
tpst9 The unanimous vote of the Southern
States would be- as all are aware, incompe-
tent to the purpose, and that, at best, is all it
could rely upon. But even several of the
Southern States would be doubtful, and one
observation-disclosures certainly against it. 1t
is demonstrable, therefore, that the Demo-
cratic party has no chance of success in 1860.
If in the field at all, under its old flag, certain
defeat awaits it.
As to the Black Republican party, has it
lost strength since the last Presidential cleo
ton, or is it in even better condition to
succeed now than then? We think the latter
is the true state of the case 1t still holds its
| own at least in all the States that voted for
Fremont, and in many of those States it has
even acquired great additional strength. Add
to this, the further fact that Kansas, MINES
Ola and Oregon, all free States, will soon be
admitted into the Union, and will participate
in the election of 1860, and we see at once
the power and prospects of the Black Repub-
lican party for the next Presidential campaign,
As things now stand, therefore, the Black
Republican candidates will be almost sure to
triumph by an overwhelming vote. There is
only one way to prevent SO deplorable re-
suit, and that we proceed to point out.
We have already observed that there is a
manifest disposition on the part of the people
for total reconstruction of parties. Neither
the Democratic nor the Black Republican
party really commands the confidence or the
respect of the country. In many respects
both are sectional, selfish and spos seeking
and come not up to the actual wants and ne
cessites of the times, nor to the peoples idea
of what great political parties should be-
Both indeed have been tried and found want.
ing and yet, one or the other, unless the
people themselves interpose actively and en-
erge.ically, and give effect to their own wish
es and aspirations, must necessarily acquire
possession Of the Government in 1860; ant
as we have shown, the Black Republican par
ty must inevitably be the successful one
But, as we have stated, both of these parties
stand condemned by the people, even b!
thousands of those who act with one or III,
other, because there is yet no other thorough
ly organized party for them TO connect them
selves with. Thousands and tens of thou
sands of conservative, patriotic Democrats
and thousands and tens of thousands Of con
servative, patriotic Republicans would readil
cooperate IN the formation of n new party
discarding the errors, lolies, and vices of bot
the Others, and looking only to the perpetuo
ton of the Constitution and the Union, an
the best interests of the whole country. w
say, the people themselves, members OF a
other existing political organizations, are wi
I ling and anxious for the formation OF neN
} party, based on patriotism and principle an