The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1859-02-04
TIE PRESIDENTIAL QUESTION AND
THE OPPOSITION.
OFrom the Richmond WhigD

va c1i NV
Qrom the Richmond whig)
We have continually insisted that The
movement now in progress heie in Virgins
must necessarily exert considerable, il MOI
controlling, influence upon the issue of tn,
next Presidential election. We now percciv,
that this fact is beginning to be recognize,
and admitted by many Of the mos, dscernin!
and sagacious journals in both sections of TIN
country. We therefore indulge in no exug
gera,ion when we say, that men Of all parties
outside Of the State, are looking with lively
interest to the result of the deliberations o
our friends in the coming Convention, and t,
the result of the contest which is 10 follow.
in the last number Of the New York Her
aid, for example-a paper that has heretofore
only rdiculed and laughed nj our efforts Il
get up n Convention, and put Opposition can
didates in the fields an admission that TN
movement in progress in Virginia is prom
Using one, and may be u very formidable one
in its bearings upon the future. In an articI,
on the Presidential question, and the proba
biliiy of combining the Opposition elements
into compact and organized party it says
-"Meanwhile, we perceive that n new ant
active experiment has been stated in Vireinli
for the resusctaiion of tho old Wing party
m experiment. too, which seems 10 have beer
attended, thus far, with remarkable degrc,
of success. Should il be followed up through
DAT the Southern States, upon the basis O
the prominent features Of the old Henry Clay
Wing party, the result may soon be such 1
respectable array of strength ms will encour
age all concerned to push it into the Pres
dental election. Thus Pennsylvania ant
several other Northern States would prett,
surely be lost to the Republicans. from til,
diversion of the Old Line Wings and con,
sentative Americans over to the resuscitated
Wing party; and thus this Wing party in the
South would, while retaining Maryland, :.
very apt TO recover Kentucky, Tennessee ant
North Carolina"
So much for the views Of n Northern or.
gan of the presen. Administration. That
they are reasonable and just, in view of the
present condition Of political parties, md vii
be confirmed By the events Of the future, We
entertain. scarcely doubt. The contest in
Virginia thus becomes one of the creates,
magnitude and importance. We are inaugu.
rating n movement, not merely for the pur.
pos" Of endeavoring to elect our candidate
for Governor and redeem the Old Dominion
but with view to thorough union of the
Conservative Opposition, North and South, in
the next Presidential election. II is clear
httefore, that vast results nre suspended up
ON the issue of the canvass in this State. II
we are successful, we sweep the whole coun.
try before us, and hold the Presidency in oul
own hands. If we make only good fgh,
and poll large aud formidable vote, we still
perform great and noble work-we Law the
foundation for great national, conservative
Union party, which may n, eas, control the
ieslinies of the next Presidential campaign
And such, we think, must be The ineyitabl,
effect. Seeing that there is a strong, formi.
dable, md unconquerab'e Opposition party in
Virginia, which has no thought of surren.
dering to the bogus Democracy, our Opposi.
ton friends in all the Southern States, at the
next election, will follow our example. or
ganizc their forces and wage determined
contest with their atversaries.