The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-04-15
THE NEW coAIrr1oN--cAN 1T SUCCEED

cd the African slave trade--for gain. o,ga
THE NEW COAITTTON---CAN 1T SUCCEEDl VA
Formidable as it may appear, we do not fear the
success Of the new coalition. The democratic par
tythe party against which it will have to contend
will conquer it as it has conquered every other par
ty or combination Of parties that has attempted
to break down it's organization and with ii the only
national safeguard Of the constitution and the Union
Possessed ofenergos that seem to increase in pro-
portion to the greatness Of the work which has to
accomplish, the democratic party has proven itself
equal to every crisis through which the country has
been and has only failed ofsuccess where
success was comparatively of small importance. 1t
always appears to the greatest advantage when it
has the most vigorous opposition, and it is only
when its defeat would be the death of some great
principle Of vital importance to the interests Of the
country, or would jeopardize the constitution and
endanger the safety Of the Unon that it's powers of
recuperation are fully developed, and its whole
strength called into active requiston. We have
this illustrated more than occasion in its
history, but never forcibIy Than in the great
and exciting contest Of 1856 which resulted in the
triumphant election of Mr.. Buchanan to the
presidency, and the deliverance of the country
from the very Jaws of ruin and destruction. The
democratic party never before commenced a canvass
under more apparent unfavorablc circumstances, or
with greater probability of defeat The repeal of
the Missouri Compromise, and the opening up Of
the Territories to Immigration from the Soutl--a
measure altogether inst and proper-had aroused
IL. r. a. ~ a.
pitch of excitement, and was seized upon by the
bold, bad men who headed the blackrcpublican Or
ganizaton to call into the aid of &her cause the worst
and most dangerous elements Of passion and fanati
csm At the same time, the conservative portion
Of the opposition, which, as between backrepubli-
canism and democracy, would have acted with the
latter, arrayed against the democracy under the
lead of Mr.. Fillmore. The issue supposed to be in
yolved was the most momentous that had ever enter
ed into any political contest since the foundation of the
government It was not whether bank or sub-treas
ry, high tariff or free trade, should be established
but the question whether the people of the slave
holding were TO be allowed equal privileges in the
Union with the people of the nonslaveholding
States Ia question Of the highest and gravest i'm
simple, naked, practical Issue of union or disunion
We by no means wish to be understood asserting
that the latter result would necessarily have followed
the election of Mr.. Fremont to the presidency but
nothing is certain than that the successful in
auguration of the doctrines upon which he went be-
fore the country would have sooner or later ended in
a complete ACKNOWLEDGMENT of the Union And il
was because this fact known and felt--because
they and understood the importance of the prn-
ciple involved, and believed that the dangers which
would result from its defeat could only be averted
by the election Of Mr. Buchanan to the presidency
that the democracy of the country put forth their
whole strength, and were enabled to secure an or
ganizatiun and to act with unity and harmony of
purpose that drew to their standard the entire con
sentative element Of the country, and in the end
gave them the most important victory that ever
crowned the efforts of any political party
The same condition Of things will exist in 1860,
should the coalition now in process Of formation be
successful in efecting organization; and if our
idea Of the platform upon which it will stand and of
the doctrines which it will advocate before the coun-
try, be correct the Union will be in even more immi-
nent peril than it was in 1856. But the democracy
viii meet the issue and win the battle That many
who fought with us in the last win fight against us
N the coming contest ia certainly true; but for
very deserter we shall gain friend and for every
traitor we shall win patriot Thousands who |
ought under the banner of Mr.. Fillmore two years
.go will fight under the democratic standard two
years hence The good men of the country every |
patriotic spirits Of all parties and Of all
sections come to the rescue of the democracy
md enable them TO crush ont coalition formed by
designing demagogues, and based upon doctrines so
ata to the constitution and the Union, as those
which undcrlic the organization. II cannot
stand the test Of discussion, and command
Inc confidence aud respect Of the american people.
There have been occasions when they were willing |
2 trust another than the democratic party with the