The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1858-09-15
The Doom of Black Republi-
canisn..


No unaccomplished fact was ever more
apparent or imminent, than is the now
quickly approaching dissolution Of the
Republican, party. Either none of its
leaders are honest, or their organization
must be speedily, entirely and finally bro
ken. to pieces. CoRwIN breaches up the
admission of slave States as his cardinal
principle upon the slavery question.
While this enunciation is fresh on his lips
he is nominated for seat in the National
Legislature, by one of the strongest op-
position constituencies in the Union-but
only after contest in his convention that
we'll nigh dashed the whole body into
fragments, and which threatens even now
to hopelessly divide and disperse the rank
and file of his party. Meantime, Gid
dings goes into nominating caucus CON-
posed of men who have formerly consid-
cred it u sacred duty TO stand by him as
chief apostle; and he is defeated, after
fierce, protracted, and bitter struggle,
by an obscure and unheralded competitor.
Whatever declarations may have been
made to the contrary, it is useless to deny
that, by the sacrifice of Giddings, the
principles, and above all the political
spirit, which had given him his great as
tendency in his party, received a deadly
thrust by defeat at once startling and
surprising.
But Corwin adds to the potent sigui6-
canoe Of his nomination, by the reproduc.
ton of. his Old Line Whig views upon
the commercial policy of the Union.-
This is subject of as much superiority
in Importance to the negro issue, as the
practical aud hourly pressing bread and
raiment interests of the twenty mil
lions of white people are superior to the
abstract, theoretical and indefinitely un-
attainable rights of four millions Of black
men in municipal slavery. The tariff issue
puts it plainly and bluntly before the vo
ting population Of the whole country,
whether they shall be taxed unnecessarily,
to create and maintain lordly monopoly
of manufacturing millionaires in the east.
The nomination of such men as Corwin,
followed by their adducing the old pro-
lection issue, rs dwaring down the slavery
question into secondary and inferior
place among political Issues. 1t is say
ing to Mr.. Chase, Mr. Giddings Mr.
Spaulding and all men of that sort, "away
with you as leaders of this pa:ty which
you have evoked, and named Republican;
begone with your anti-slavery principles
Give us back our old party chiefs, Cor
win, Crittenden, and all the old conserva-
tive Whigs." Even Mr. Greeley, who
proclaimed the doom Of the Whig party
in '52, and by proclaiming sealed it--he
has succumed to this great reaction.
Even he, VINO prepared the foundation Of
the Republican anti-slavery movement out
of the scattered ruins of the Whig party,
has bartered off the trophies won in the
greatest crusade of his bad career, and
taken for then the ideas of the Nativist
element, t,--superadding to the programme
his favorite high tariff dogmas, thus fabri-
eating platform upon which no advocate
of the anti.slavery issue. as the cardinal
point, can stand, without shameless
abandonment of principle. And thus the
reactionary tendency in the Republican
party goes forward.
1t may be fac game of chances and
changes, for ambitious demagogues thus
to triae with popular conviction, in order
to advance their own schemes of individ.
ual promotion. Itiss of course. all very
interesting and edifying to the select and
selfish cliques and rival managers Of the
Republican party, this pulling down one
dominant issue and putting up another.
But how asto the people-the voting rank
and file of that party? Chase and Greeley
the marter builders of the Republican
demonstration as it has been, but is moi
now, have played in and out, and round
about the no more slave State dogmas Q
decoy duck to seduce men into their move
ment against the National Democracy
The time may be never SO ripe, it may
be never so conrenient, for these leader,
now to lay oil, like worn-out garment
their former Anti Slavery creed, to star
/ forth afresh in the cause of high pro
tective tariff, in company with Corwin
and renew along with Erastus Brooks ant
Crittenden, the lately abandoned attempt
to increase the disabilities of our immi
grant white population Chase could say
! at Corwin's meeting, that while that gen
tleman stood thus and so on the slavery
question, they would endeavor to ayoic
much disagreement upon the minor points
of the tariff, and so forth. But Mr.
i Chase knows that, under the new regim,
of what was his party, these are not t.
be minor points. CrittendeH, Corwin
Brooks and the rehabilitated old lin,
i Wings will take good care as to all that
Mr.. Chase will be generously permitted
/ to hew wood and draw water and tn
power brought to the party by the quar-
ter century's services of Giddings will b
made equally good use of. But what for
Simply to revamp the doctrines of thes
late recruits to the leadership. The ques
: Ition is, will the tens of thousands of me-
! now in the Republican ranks. who for
/ merly opposed, and do still oppose, TIL