The Washington union., 1858-03-07

BUT TWO PARTIES POSSIBLE ON THE PARAMOUNT
QUESTION
There are and can be, on the present issue be-
fore the country, but two great parties in Union
the one national, the other sectional the one aim.
ing at political power by consolidating the interests
and harmonizng the sentiment Of sections the other
seeking power by organizing the stronger section
against the weaker, infaming their mutual preju
dices aud keeping the fires ofsecticnal strife forever
in blaze.
Formerly, parties were arrayed with reference To
economical measures Of policy; but that day has
passed away, and the slavery question like Aarons
rod. has swallowed up all others. SO long az this
remains the paramount issue in the politics of the
country, and SO long as the Union may survive such
an ISSUE parties in it aiming at the possession Of the
powers of the federal government can be but two in
number--a national one seeking to bind North and
South together the broad principles of mutual
good faith and good will, and sectional one seek
ing to organize the majority against the minority
section upon principles of hate and strife, and thus
seizing the government by force Of sectional pre-.
ponderance.
nority section, party aiming at the severance of
the Union and separation from the domneering ma.
jority section; nevertheless while the Union lasts
and while il continues to be desirable to hold pos
session of the powers Of the federal government
this party is obliged, for expedcncy sake, TO coop,
crate with the national party, in order TO swell its
numbers to the proportions of majority in the
Union.
/ That there can be but two parties on this question
is not only logically true but is historically true All
parties that have attempted to wear two faces
and tolerate two sets Of opinions this question,
have gone to pieces and been swallowed up by the
two predominant all-absorbipg powers. The old
whig party the American party all parties that have
attempted to occupy both sides of this question,
have shared this fate. 1t is impossible, that with
reference to the great sectional question para
mount in the country, there can be more than two
political parties in the Union organized for obtain
ing the control of the federal government
Whosoever, therefore, is not for the national do
mocracy in its present struggle for the preservation
of the Union upon the basis Of good faith and
| good will between sections, is against it, There
is no halfway house between the democracy
and its enemies. There but two sides to
the question which separates tho two political
organizations of the country sectional side and
the national side. II is in vain for malcontents who
stand aoof from the democracy, who assail its
urcs, denouncc its policy, and libel its leaders to
complain of being read OUT of the party conlmu
Mon by indignant party organs. The organs Of a
party can arrogate to themselves power to "bnd
and loose - and their bulls of communications would
effect nothing of their energy if they pro-
rnulgatcd. Membership aud dismembership in OUT,
political dspensation acts of the individual will
and choice of the noviate HIMSELF The secession is
his own individual act the heresy is his own in
dvidual sin. Apostacy is the act of the apos,
tate alone. For an apostate to acknowledge that
he has been 'read out" of political organization, is
simply to acknowledge that he is out by his own act
and choice.
| When there is but one paramount issue and but
two parties, the man who separates from one party
on that issue necessarily falls into the other The
drop of rain flows to one side the other Of tho
house, according it falls side OF other of
the comb of the roof Our American Unon--our
republican constitutionhas its Rubicon no less than
| Rome. On one side, the citizen is defender Of the
constitution and of the integrity of the republic
the other he is the assaiIant of both the agent of
sectional usurpation and the tool Of sectional ma
jority.
| V