Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-05-06
[Frnm ths LouisrlIIe ~ Jcurnal !


Among the various speculations called forth by
the recent combination Of parties in Congress
touching the question Of slaYerythe question which
lust a. present makes and unmakes parties in this
eountry-there are some which, though doubtless
well Intended, seems to us extremely i'll advised
OF these, the suggestion that any one Of the men,
hers of the combination is destined or entitled TO
appropriate the others to its own glory and behoof
is the most to be regretted because the most fatal
TO harmony, and, Of course, to success Yet the
suggestion is deliberately made. Suppose, too,
saws the Philadelphia Press slluding 70 the possible
elements of party, - that the remnant of the
American party, who once belonged to the demo-
cratic party, and yet remain in opposition to 1t,
should Weld their one idea-Whieh may now be said
70 be an obsolete idea and join their old friends
again, as most of that organization has done. Who
can object to it The democratic party has never
refused to receive into its embraces, nor to bestoW
its honors on its most bitter opponents when these
have given up their opposition to its principles and
embraced its faith. It has never refused to open
its arms wide TO receive new converts, or welcome
the return of its prodigal sons In this respect it
has followed the preeeps and practice of the great
Founder of our religion, and among the most ap-
proved best beloved, and most hOuOred Of its
apostles have been, and now are, not only many re-
turned prOdigals but many converts from sll ofthe
parties that have antagOnZed it-from the old fed
eral party down to the recent wing party. Even so
late as the last presidential election it embraced
within us cnarlLaDle nearJ anu arHsB III DOuy,
nearly all that remained Of the wing party and
many Of these hold high places in the democratic
church" Now, we have several Weighty objections
to this-objectiOns theoretical well practical.
The thing to begin with, is not merely impracti-
cable but absurdly The anti -Leeompton demo-
Gratis are not the democratic party, and, if they
we're, it would be quite proper for them TO turn
Americans as it would be for the Americans to turn
democrats, numbers going for nothing in point of
honor if indeed the Americans do not largely out
number them. Neither party, in short, could
sacrifice its principles without disgrace The pro-
position is an insult But insults are not adapted
to promote the end in view Nor, in fact, is mere
speculation of any sort. Political organizations
are in some degree vital things. They are develop
ed rather than manufactured. They are born, not
made. Instead Of being formed by express
agreement, they result inevitably from the nature
of events. The idea Of party compact is Jas far
cful as that the social compact. Parties, worthy
Of the name, are natural, not artifoial-nominal
not miraculous They do not spring Minerva like
in fun panoply from the brain of any political Ju
piter. They terminate in the popular bosom,
shooting up to majesty and strength by modest
stages. They are spontaneous, self-determining
not plastic or mechanical. They grow. And to
discuss them too curiously or peremptorily before
they appear is scarcely greater mistake than to
burst open seeds before they vegetate TO see how
rapidly they are swelling To drag the germs of q
party jealousy into the light and submit them to
public dissection and analysis, is to disturb if not
arrest the delicate processes of development, and
endanger if not defeat, the grave purpose in hand
Much more certainly and extensively destructive is
the attempt not only to resolve and name, but to
construct finished platform for nascent party in
advance Of its existence By inopportunely awaken
ing fears resentments, suspicious, heart-burnings,
rvslries aud all the elamoroUs appetites Of power
the direct and necessary tendency of such restless
folly is TO blast the new organi sion Fin the bud -
1t interrupts reverses distracts scatters, and
POUNDS all the subtle operations Of growth. Its
effect is as fatal as that of the drop from the lamp
Of the inquisitive Psyche
We have now, in the stand taken on the Mont
gomery Crittenden bill by the anti-LecomptOn sec
ton of Congress, the undoubted germ Of grest
national parry. The starting point, we need not
say, is the affirmation by that section, embracing
the entire republican delegation, Of the right of
State to come into the Union with without slavery
as the people thereof shall elect In this afirma-
ton the antagOnistic views of the North and Sou
blend at last into one. Herein lies the rUdiment,
the possibility of q conservative organization
It is, however, embryo as yet, and nothing more
We who desire it to expand into full blown maturity
and who, if possible, would fsin accelerate its
growth, have a critical question to answer. Shall
We, for the present. by fixing our eyes mainly on
this central point Of unity, and cullVating spirit
Of harmony as to every other, quietly nourish the
germ leaving it free to shape itself; shall We by
holding in view the irritating 9ontrareties ofthe
and arrog ting the mastery Of the whole on behalf
Of one or the other constituent element, undertake
TO force its development crushing it into some ex-
listing mould Shall we, after having reached at
length through the most painful and fearful dssen
sion, commanding point of agreement between
the North and the South hold fast to it. whilst the
simple law of political affinity srrsnges q party
about it or shall we let it go, throw away this of
ty vantage point and resorting to the old rallying
cries fighting on the old level insist that the demo-
cratic, or the republican the American organi-
cation is the coming party, before which each of
the others must lower its coors and its cause? In
word, shall we suffer the new party to develop
ITSELF shall we attempt to distort it into the pro-
portions of some other? Ifthe opinion we have
expressed respecting the formation Ofpartes is just
there can be but one answer to this question. The
party so generally foretold and all other genuine
parties must be left to the force of instructive de-
veopement, or perish in the germ. Too much nurs-
ing can only prove the death of it.
It is indeed an arrant contradiction on the part
of Philadelphia contemporary or anybody else,
to talk about a reorganization Of parties, whilst
extong his own party as the perfection Of political
organizations, aud cOOy demanding that it shall be
allowed to swallow up every other member Of the |
new combination. It is, TO say nothing Of its |
narrowness, utterly absurd. It is as if chemist
should expect pet const uept to impress its exclu
sve form and properties on the compound intO |
which it enters If the editor of the Press wishes
to promote the formation of a new party on the |
basis to which all eyes turning at present, he
must exhibit somewhat greater sagaity and mOder-
alton than this Cerainlyi if the process of forms-
ton is to consist Of the summary absorption of
of parties that stand that basis by the re-
naming one, and that one the democratic party, |
We for our part shall take no especial interest in
the progress of the maneuVre.