The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-05-05
WASHINGTON D.. C.
SHALL THE REPUBLICAN PARTY BE
DISBANDED
The Question Again Submitted.


Party, and substitute for it a union of all the
opponents of the Administration, without regard
TO their opinion in relation to Slavery or
Know Nothingism, embracing Republicans and
Fillmore men,, shareholders and Pro-Slavery
men, non-slayeholders and Ant-Slavery men,
arranging them all on the simple ground of
opposition to Mr.. Buchanan and his policy.
Assuming to speak for the Republican Party,
it further proposed to divide the Ticket for
1860, the Republicans designating the candi1
date for the Presidency, or Vice Presidency, or
consenting that the other parties to the fusion
should have the first choice.
The Era at once entered its protest against
the whole scheme, and With all the energy&it
could command insisted upon the duty and
sound policy of preserving the Republican or
ganization, maintaining its Principles, con
Quoting the canvass of 1860 on the Issues in
volved in the great controversy between Free
dom and Slavery, and selecting as its candidates
able men, distinctively representing these issues.
The case went to the People, and what was
the verdict? Not a Southern newspaper, not
a Southern authority, accepted the proposition
of the Tribune, but a general cry was raised
that it was inadmissible. The Southern Oppo-
sition would have all, or none. Not single
Republican press, or politician or convention
of any note, assented.to the proposition, but in
all quarters it fell under the disapprobation Of
the friends of Freedom. Was not this enough
to satisfy the Tri6uReP
What occurred afterwards? 1t contented
itself with limiting occasionally at fusion, :"
but seemed to acquiesce in the clear decision
of the Party. Republicans were bold and un-
compromising, utterly repudiating in practice
the policy of the Tribune, and so they achieved
an uninterrupted succession of triumphs. The
. victories they won were Republican, not Oppo-
siton victories. They were not intolerant, not
proscriptive, but, constituting the only organ
lied Party opposed to the Administration,
they defined their own issues, pursued their
own course, leaving Old Wings, Conservatives,
and Native Americans, to vote with them or
with profigate, Pro-Slavery Administration,
as their consciences should dictate.
That was the true plan, and its wisdom has
been fully attested bylthe result. What the
Party has done in the States let it repeat in the
Federal contest of 1860, and the country will
witness a similar result.
Is it not marvellous that after the fusion a"
policy has been so utterly repudiated in all Sec
tons, and by all parties, the Tribune should
again present its disorganizing proposition,
again attempt to persuade the Republican Par
ty to commit suicide? Having opened our
columns for discussion of the Presidential
Question, we insert the editorial of the Tribune
under that head, SO that our readers may see
clearly how himsy ia the argument in support
of such policy.
The proposition virtually contemplates the
transfer of the Republicans to the Old Wing
ground: if carried out generally, the Opposi-
ton would be in substance Wing Party, under
Conservative leadership, controlled by Conser-
vative usages. That is, the Slavery Question
would be ignored, evaded, or subordinated, and
such men as Winthrop, Fillmore, Bates, and
Bolts, would be restored to power. The coun-
try was favored once with Wing Party, Just
like this, and what did it accomplish for Free
dom? How many words in behalf of Human
Rights did it utter in the Congress of the United
States? Did it prevent the annexation of Texas
with Slavery? Did it prevent the war against
Mexico to extend the area of Slavery? Did it
prevent the passage of the Fugitive Slave Bill,
the abandonment of the Proviso, the repeal of
the Missouri Compromise? Was it ever able
to save Anti-Slavery men from political pro-
scription? Did it not, with the hue and cry
of grand Opposition rally elect John Tyler,
who committed himself to the Texas annexation
policy? Did not the Wings of the Senate ratify
unanimously the nomination Of John c. Cal
houn as Secretary of State, and did not the
Wing Press applaud the appointments man
who rested the whole policy of annexation on
Pro-Slavery grounds, and advocated before the
world the institution of Negro Slavery Did
not that party, with the same hue and cry for
grand rally of the Opposition, elect Willard
Fillmore, to whose Wing Cabinet and Admins
trstion we owe the passage of the Fugitive
Blacks Act, and the abandonment of the Anti
Slavery policy of the Ordinance of 1887? Did
not that Party, at Baltimore, in 1852, swear by
the Compromise of 1850, and even Mr. Greeley
vote for the candidate Of the Platform, while
splitting upon the Platform itself? Did not the
Wings of the South, in the struggle Of 1854
concerning the Missouri Compromise, desert
their Northern associates, unite with Pro-Sla-
very Democrats and carry the repealP Did
they not, together with Conservative Wing of
the North, as they are called, in 1856, u mite
in support of Willard Fillmore, thereby defeat
ing the Republicans, and electing James Bu-
chanan?
And now the proposition is coolly made, to
60 back to all this |" wallowing in the mire {"
To reconstruct National Wing Party, with
the same reasonable wonderfully efficient policy,
which marked the career of National Whiggery
from 1910 to 1854!
The Tribune seems willing to do almost any
thing for the sake of fusion" 1t will not in
sist on reafirmation of the Republican plat
form, or the selection of Republican candidate
for the Presidency; it would cheerfully sup port
Bell, Bates, or Bolts, and ask no more than
Z" that the Federal Government should cease tn
be the active champion and propagandist of
Slavery, whether in its domestic or foreign
policy"
In the opinion of the Tribune, then, there is
no fundamental, necessary conflict between Sla-
very and Freedom. The Ethiopian may change
his skin, and the leopard his spots, and the
wolf and the lamb love each other like broth
ers. 1t sees not the slightest difficulty in the
way of the harmonious cooperation of those