Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1858-03-05
THE ELEAENrs Of OFPosTrLoN 20 TnE PnEsENT

Washington letter, in another column of to-
DAYS paper. occurs rather an interesting para
graph, informing US that Mr.. George D. Prem
tice, of the Louisville Journal, is in Washing
ton, using his good offices to bring abouta union
between the South Americans and the regular
opposition, or Republicans against the Admin
istration in the matter of its Lecompton policy.
Mr.. Webster, we remember to have heard,
when left alone of all John Tyler's original
cabinet, Stood and looked about him, and sor-
rowfully and hesitatngly asked the question,
''Where shall goP" Like as did the ''God like
Daniel" So no doubt, many of the gentlemen
whom Mr.. Prentice is endeavoring to conciliate,
have been for some time considering as to
where they should go. A long while back,
they have been wandering-Mr. Prentice, HIM
self, included-like the 'Elost sheep of the house
of Israel" having no party scarcely in any
State that they could look to their distinctive
family fold. At chance times they have coales-
ced here and there with Jew and Gentle, in the
different States-pro re nata-but without any
other than sort of "forlorn hope to get at the
lesser of two evils.
But now. Mr.. Prentice and others of his par
ty, see that at least, an era, if not crisis, in
their party tactics has arrived He and others
have seen that the crumbling remainder Of the
party organization must go to the wall-be po-
litically wiped out-unless some new planks,
guys and stays are added To whom, then,
should they go? We opine that such men
Mr.. Prentice do not long hesitate. His eyes
and those of his brethren in arms, would ma
turally-instnctively and irresistibly turn back
to that Jerusalem, as it was while yet Israel
sD6 Ind In fha Ioyy If Fba;r
captivity, they remember the time when the
great masses who now make up the Re-
publican party of the North and the American
party of the South stood united by the princi-
pies of the great conservative Wing leaders,
Most of the great lights of these two parties
were once the disciples-some of them the COM
peers, of Clay and Webster; and if there was
any virtue in their by-gone professions, they
must now, in these evil times of discord, turn,
as did they who "sat and wept by Ba-
bells streams" to their once common altar
They must now feel that their dissensions have
resulted only and continually to the benefit of
their ancient foes; that both divisions should
Hgain-side and side, be keeping step, as of old,
only "to the music of the Union"
1t was slways the policy of the Wing party to
himself, in his opposition to the annexation of
Texas, fel! a victim on this very account. There
fore thersis scarcely member of the so called
American party who would not, in his private
opinion, fellowship Republican in this matter of
slavery extension. There is just about the same
difference between them that there is between
the two divisions of the Baptist Church, or the
Presbyterian and CongregationaliSt Churches,
or the High and Low divisions of the church
of England-or any other sect or party where
the division is more nominal than real.
When two branches ola once proud brother
hood are thus cognizant of the mutual feeling, it
would seem at the first glance an easy matter to
effect reinforcement; but it is not so easy as
at first apparent The constituency of men,
bers Of Congress, we mean those North, returning
Republican members and those South, returning
American members, have been rendered NOR
bidly sensitive to the least seeming of ''varia
bleness or shadow of turning" on the great
niger question, so greatly has the hue and
cry and stigma about doughfacery been over
done in both sections. 1t has become, as every
one does, or ought to know, about an impossi-
bility now to be anything more than provin-
cial Statesman, rejecting the ideas, interests
(appareno and Prejudices of a district or at most
State.
In such condition of feelings, it becomes
matter of some personal curiosity and of no
small parry interest, to see how far the two
branches of the once great Wing party will
again unite Such men Senators Crittenden,
Bell and Kennedy, We are sure are ready to meet
the men of the North upon any good, whole
some basis-a basis in which, while there can
be plank of anti-e1tension, there must be none
of that extreme timber which of late has been
inclined to read Senator Seward homily for
his conservative remarks delivered the other
day.
Once this LecOmptOn business has been set.
tied by, as we ardently hope it will be, the re-
lection of the Lecompton COnstitution-the two
divisions must unite as of old upon the national
theory of the equality of the States, or else
they must swing of again, the one to the Alb
ClitiOnists of the North, and the other, or South
American division, to their ancient enemies"
in the South.
..SD.s-