The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-05-18
OUR PARTY DIVISIONS.


s OUR PARTY DIVISIONS
There are two leading principles Of political con
duct one or the other of which characterizes the
policy of every government, and distinguishes the
complexion of every political party. They are as
old - civilization itself; they have come down to
us from tho earliest ages of political philosophy The
one policy 10 that which Aristotle taught to Alex
ander--the utiis; which consults only what is adj
vantageous; which deals in expedents and 'speci-
6cs; which regards the end and disregards the
means; which 10 the principle on which not
only Alexander conducted his grand conquests, but
on vhiah Ill monarchiss proceed and must Of neces-
sity proceed
The other principle is the divine which Plato
taughtin his Republic honestun- just; which
seeks only right ends only by right means; which
scrupulously observes the law of right and the law
az it IL written which, in our country, makes the
Constitution the supreme and memorable rule Of
conduct This il the vital principle of all republican
policy, upon which republics, to succeed and to be
perpetual, muat Of rscessity be conducted.
These two principles mark the distinction between
our own government and that of Great Britain.
England boasts constitution; but that constitution
il unwittsn snd is but aggregation Of principles
established by custom and by experience. Its rules
are mot rules prescribed before the fact but adopted
in every case after the experiment Of many facts
Tho laile, the advantageous, has been the guiding
principle Of British policy from the beginning is
stiIl tho principle which decides every action of
govazamsrt and officials, from the highest function
ay Of Tic Crown to the lowest subaltern of the navy
roaming in the distant seas The British constitu-
ton grows by acoretion, and expands to admit new
articles - new sources Of advantage open up to the
Empire in the progress Of events and in the out
spread Of civilization. 1t IL not law unto the gov
ernment, limiting, restraining vetoing but chart
with large blank margins inviting new inscriptions
Our own constitution is law prescribed and fore
ordained. II limits, it Restraints it vetoes, with alb
solute, memorable sternness. 1t will admit no plea
Of advantage pretext of necessity of righteous
ness, Of philanthropy in justification Of the break
ing Of the law or the disregard, reputation or vi
olation Of it's provisions. Aa er seripa est such is
the written contract between the Satesis it's stern
reply to all innovation and no material advantage
Of the moment, no philanthropy of intent or sane
tity Of object excuse violation of tho supreme
law or any reputation of the solemn compact be-
tween States. a8
Its Of the very genius of our constitution to ex-
act scrupuous respect for the law as it is written
Thatinomsystem, is the embodiment of the honesum
the distinctive feature of our American govern
ments that they are founded upon written constitu-
tons to which they owe obedience absolute as
that which the people to tho laws of the statute
book. It's vital to the permanency and integrity
of the Union that the written constitution the ex-
press compact of the States with each other should
beupheld az moro sacred than any unconstitutional
ends whatever, however righteous or meritorious in
themselves that every scheme OF national local adj
vantage, glory or ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, foreign to the
scope Of the constitution should be held worthless
and worse than worthless in comparison with the
integrity and inviolability Of that instrument
Coming to the political parties which have divided
the people of country from the first rise of party
divisions in the confederacy down to the present mo-
ment, the mere mention of these party divisions in
connection with the paragraphs we have presented,
win have suggested to the intelligent reader, one of
these parties having adhered to constitutional ends
and means, the other as having had no thought
but Of expedients in their whole history This
division Of parties is in fact the only one which
can ever occur in the politics of our country
No one conversant with our history can fail to
recognise the democratic party the ono which
stands upon the constitution as the fortress Of
its power which adheres to the constitution as the
book of its faith. The various parties which at va
rious times have risen up under various names TO
oppose it upon various pleas and pretcxts, have all
concured and harmonized in the fact of seeking to
accomplish objects, schemes and expedients Of tenn
porsry advantage outside Of the constittion in vio
lation or disregard Of its provisions.
We need not go over the history Of these various
organizations or of the obsolete measures and pro
jects which they have severally and successively
advocated. There some shallow and silly people
who fancy that the democratic party is in state of
decay and demise, that its last breath is nearly
spent, and its decrepd frame ready to topple into
the grave Need we remind these men that that
party stands still upon the constitution, where Il
stood in the days of Jefferson where he planted H.
and that until that be destroyed the democracy can
not fall Need We remind them of the fate that has
overaken ~ other parties Of the republic that have
risen up upon expedients and projects, which, in
stead Of upholding have invariably overthrow them
and become a. obsolete as the parties themse,v..
have become dead and defunctf And is it probable
or possible that after witnessing the destructon 81
40 ynanv honorabls IN mistaken n.~+; a..