The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-08-01
THE INTE1IIGENcER ON PARTY Fidelity.


THE, INTEIIIGENCER ON PARTY Fidelity
Our exceedingly circumspect neighbors Of the Ia
islgeneer evidently despairing of any possible sue
cess with their past political associates, reads its
patrons pointed lesson on the injustice of party
fidelity and the necessity of representative independ
enoe--of his constituency. What our contemporary
says looks very well paper; and if we consider
the past msfortunes which have attended the efforts
of the Inegencer in the way of political associations
its views should be considered quite natural and SEN
sible Adhering to party which just now proposes
to wholly disregard principles, and to open cam
yass for the presidency on the exclusive faith of
few doubtful politicians, nothing could be more APP
proprate than disavowal Of the obligations which
the representative assumes when he undertakes to
discharge political trust imposed upon him by his
constituents. If the democratic party should ever
fall from their high estates, and assume tho chaac
ter of political ugitivesh they should after long
experience, find their principles impossible of en-
forcement in the government destructive in their
tendency we have no hesitation in saying we should
at least be better prepared to endorse the sugges
tons on the subject of fdeity to their organization
which the InteLigeneer has presented. Meanwhile,
80 long as the democracy adhere TO the great prnci-
PIES the practical operation of which seems 80 adj
mirably suited to our system of government, and in
default whereof we way by which the Union
itself could be maintained it is certainly the dictate
of patriotism to maintain and uphold not only their
organization, but to enforce to the last possible
tent the duty of the representatives. carry out faith
fully the will--the party willof his constituents.
N
We go little further in our disagreement with
our contemporary, and urge that nearly all the true
patriotism-the true national Union sentimental
the country, is embraced in the democratic party.
Prominent exceptions doubtless may be referred to ;
but they manifestly exceptions, as to lead to
the establishment of the rule rather than to its in
valuation. If we could impress upon neghbors
the justice of this proposition now that they seem
to hang by loose hawser, and ready to drop into
the stream with or without notice, might per-
haps expect to enlist them in support of the democ-
racy hereafter. But they must not expect to come
into the ranks of the administration with such loose
political morals as would set up the will of the rep
resentative above that Of his constituents Ours is
a representative democracy; and when the people
confer authority upon their agenthey do not set him
their opinions and to carry out their particular party
views If it is possible for the Iegencer to convict
the democratic party of equal want of patriotism
with the straining to divide the Union
into two hostile factionsof fomenting sectional ea-
ousies and hatredsin that event, shall be prepar-
ed to join neighbors, not only in denouncing par
ty fidelity, but to adopt to modify the gov
eminent, so as, in accordance with the fntegencers
opinions to make the legislator not the agent but the
principal, in the work assigned him.
As the matter now stands far more than at any
former period of our history, maintain that a
failure to abide by the laws of the democratic party
is the highest crime that representative COM
nit because we are fully convinced there is no pos
siDle way, that there no known means, by which
the affairs of tho federal Union can be conducted
except through the agency of the democratic party
This may have the ring of extreme partisanship-it
may sound harsh intoerant, and bigotod. But
when we reflect upon the conduct of the opposition,
how they have sought to weave into the texture of
our politics hateful sectionalism, how they have
endeavored in fact to divide the Union into two r-
reconcable hostile factions, the maintenance of fdel
iy to the democracy becomes the soul of enlarged
national patriotism.