The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-08-26
WASHINGTON DC.
THURSDAY, AUGUST q, 1855


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PARTIES AND pARrzsl sc.
We have recently, on several scs asions, made
it point to draw attention to Hpt.ies as they
existed, and tie change Of pripcl ses that they
have exhibited. In the vigor sfd freshness Of
youth, they have often been w Assome but,
With scarcely an exception, their .,csdence has
sseen vicious, and totally inconsis with their
promising commencement Tss i perhaps
unavoidable, and, if such be the ACT it is we'll
hat the successive wave of Ssents sweeps
away the organisations, when 4heir mission
has been accomplished. Old pat<ies, and espe-
:ially old successful parties, ine.sab.y become
old abuses and Of this none art nots sensible
han the earnest and unsel6sh -pic 5eers who
instituted the movements that. le&.to them.
With few exceptions, the bold ara -r,;solate re-
ormers who resist the errors and'o les of those
n power are crowded aside by "a calculating
md intriguing, who at a later IA connect
themselves with the reformatory on pization.
The first are men of principle &c st are the
levotees Of party. Of course, trges !, % excep.
ions, but the distinction 10 none thu less cor
.ect. The two are often broughSfos period
INTO united and harmonious acr on. the first
from honest conviction as to the th- II wrong
IF measures, the latter from stud, d a ! careful
elaboration of what will best SUBJ re their own
purpose.
: We see it sometimes stated thf ia ,ged in
dividual has, for half a century osr,o ], stead
ily voted the ticket of this or ths, V y, Is if
here had been any one phase of -at, I, during
chat period. To say nothing OF tie lifferent
parties that have existed 10 ever i Q, With.
out reference to national politics, 30 ave gov
,rned and controlled the election I, 4 .,e have
s,een, in national politics, the Rsat ban and
Federal parties, which had their ae sheE era
Of good feeling, when there were p arty dis
.inctions save those that we're puss: ocsl and
personal; and the Democratic ant va ia, which
some time since really terminated. No man,
therefore, has voted any one ps5t icket for
the period mentioned. AZ q gesey rule, it
will be found that the close adj MAJ to and
stickler for party is Indifferent o epd unre-
liable for principles. He-has NJ Unions of
his own that he dares maintain, tatIilows i'm.
plicitly the dictates of others. TIE .isht or the
wrong of question never inAuentas his action !;
he obeys the party orders, regardless Is conse
quences to himself or his country It's is the
thorough party man-one who
"Narrows his mind,
And gives up to party what WIS meant n, aknd"
These mere trained psrkisans ~ o. t to, be
confounded with the honest, firm, and nndevi
ating supporters of great and fam mental
principles. These last cannot fail to G mma and
the respect of all, even of those e .. differ
with them. Such men are not to / > di. jiplined
and controlled by organization itk t aban-
donment of their own honest cont eli, .. One
who through long life has stead , Is ,intain.
I'd the doctrine of State Rights AID resisted
Federal aggression, or his oppos 4 ; no has
supported Centrslism and the COZ Z i, .sion of
power in the Federal Governme, b !, found
himself differing not unfrequently - party
to which he has been allied, al I e. apeled
perhaps to change in measure .pi ~ asso-
Citations. This requires fofiitude nd .iscision,
each as many do not possess an Il ,ee who
have the will and energy to act p de- ndently
are subjected to serious and often. aitt eannoy.
ance; for parties are unforgivinl il .olerant,
and prosecuting, especially as the: ad~ance in
sge and abuse.
In exposing and opposing the g eor and OBJ.
Equities of parties, it is from no llu, ~ idea
that they are to be dispensed with N ar poll
ics, or that they are without the { IS. So
:ong as error and abuse EXISTS, q: An and
government are falible, so Tong 81 Ill have
parties. Aggression begets rest tar !, and,
while power combines numbers to op, ,ss, the
oppressed will organize to assert he, rights
Parties based on opposing psincip 80 ,ersede
factions and personal cortentio 8, id are
therefore preferable, but the yer ,hinery
which they create is demoralizi ID mis-
chievous. Old parties, from rigi { ,ipline,
become despotic. Whatever may be ,eir er-
rors, they tolerate no opposition t. th D; and
to acknowledge merit in the mes ar or the
men of the opposing party, is view I'd th sus-
picion. Fidelity to principles ofe d ounced
as treason to party; and the indel IN, at exer
else of the right of private opinio stigma
tized as apostacy-not apostacy o inciple
and truth, but to an irresponsible In vicious
organization.
The present Administration pal y, .ogates
to itself the name, and it has to re extent
the machinery, of what was in itsd " :, Dem
ocratic party, yet it is notofiously fa vless to
the principles which gave vitality I'D rength
to that party in the period of it, IA illness.
By deception, by false professions, y q cunning
the name of q by-gone dynasty, v h ! prosti.
tuition of the immense power and + str. ,age of
the Federal Government, il hiss oni wed to
keep banded together mass Of b, er eneous
elements; yet he is blind to passinl es ITS whe
is not aware that there is neith It ,h, nor
sincerity, nor yet principles; in th' r assures
and policy. When, twelve years a &c, he act
establishing the Independent II ,a was
adopted, which virtually disposed 50, inan.
cial issues that had divided part a. ow few
Democrats were there, who wou We be-
lieved, had it been then told Il !, that
they would be trained into deuii e The es-
sential principles which they hads " advo.
Gated, or the application OF those In ples to
new and rising questions in our p Il, tina.
they would an)ure the principles e ASKING.
ton ana Jeherson-that they wouk sc Ain the
Federal Government in an sstem t,S impose
upon the people of State q tos tuition
which the people of that State hal tei .ted by
ten thousand majority-that they 90 justify
the Federal Government in scht ne bride
the people to accept the Constif t:ie which
they had rejected at the ballot box an, impose