Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1858-12-11
The Tyranny q Party.


saturday MORNING, ....-.....Dec'r II. 1853.
The Tyranny of Party.
Aueubsr Of tn Pssersbarg Convention, after
~ pouinas;on Of Mr.. Lstchsr hsd been msde,
~. and declared that be had ''conscieatiously
ou,o.pa ~ SELECTION Of Mr.. Letcher" a. the can
didsts-bat, inasmuch Is that gentleman had re-
1nivsl - achievement Of the Convention, he
woald not only support him, but there should be
no bsIAsr Lsteher man in the State than himself.
So. also, the Richmond Enquirer. after impeach-
ine the adelisy of Mr.. Le,cher to the interests OF
.lsverv-after making charges against him which
cou,a have been based upon nothing less than
douht Of his honor now faunts his name at the
he.a Of it, columns, and gravely announces thai
though II opposed the ''aspirant" 1t supports the
nominee"
well-this is FREQ country. and every man has
a right to do As he chooses. But 1t appears to us
10 be somewhat curious that any one should con
sesem.iossly'' oppose nomination and yet sup
port that nomination when made. How such .
thing can be done without violation OF ones con-
ecence we leave to better casuists than ourselves
to determine.
The reply will be made that every one who be-
comes member Of party Convention, is bound
by every obligation Of honor and good faith to
.unport its nominee We admit the sutf ,icncy
of this plea except under very peculiar and extra
ordinary circumstances But ifthere were can
didate before Convention, Of whom there was n
possibility of nomination, and we had "eonscien-
tious" objections to him, We would sooner with
draw from the Convention, and thus relieve our
selves Of all obligation to support him, than to re-
main in, when by so doing we pledge ourselves TO
the doing Of that to which we are conscientious
"" opposed At least, this is the view We take
of it. As we are not Democrats-never have been
and never intend to be-we perhaps are not ca
pable of making the proper distinctions in the
matter-but this seems to us TO be the suggestion
Of common sense.
five had no other objection to the Democratic
party in the world-if agreed with that party
in every article Of its political crecd-this alone
would repe US from oil association and sympathy.
The memorable rigor with which it brings all It's
subjects up to the support of a tlcket-no matter
how Questionable ban of exclusion, and even
of personal disgrace, which it puts upon every re-
cusant member-the intolerance of all freedom OF
thought and freedom Of action--ths, Of itself,
constitutes an objection to that party, stronger
even than all the combined hereses Of political
creed
Not % is it with Whigs--who, in their politics,
q in everything else. are distinguished by proud
spirit of personal independence. derived from their
Saxon ancestors, which forbds the idea OF any
party being the keeper Of their conscenccs They
will vote for the nominee Of their party, or not
just a. they choose-and no man dare question
their absolute right to do so, without complaint
A Wing isl Wing. individually, dis,netively.
exclusively, ION his own hook" A Demo
crat 10 never q Democrat on his own personal re-
sponsibility. lie merges his individuality into
the general mass Of the party and forthwith ceases
70 be free agent. lie lie moved about by the au-
tocratc will Of the party, just as the soldiers Of
platoon obey the order Of command of n superior
officer
In 1852 Mr.. Toombs, Mr.. Stephens, and other
Wing members Of Congress refused to vote tor
Gen. Scott for the Presidency-as they had Il per
feet right to do if they thought proper In 1856
Gov Smith, of this State, a lifelong Democrat.
and the leader Of the forlorn hope OF the Democ-
racy in l84O refused to vote for the Democratic
nominee for Governor, from personal reasons. For
this insubordnaton- as it was-Go,ernor
Smith has never been forgiven, and never will lie
to his dying day. So infexible and rigid is the
demand upon every member for his unconditional
obedience to the behests Of the party! So abso
lutte is the tyranny by which the party oxacts
DEGREES!