The Van Buren press., 1859-10-21
The Opposition.

cratic party is disorganized, and that this is
fit time to make another effort to CONQUER.
Their repeated defeats and the emphatic
voice Of the people seem not to have had
the admonitary influence upon the crazy
leaders that wisdom should dictate. The
hopes of the g opposition" are revived by
the appearance of a speck of disaffection
upon the political horizon. A baseless and
hopeless foundation upon sandy ground
work, which will be washed from under
them by the first waves of the moving de-
mocracy. They may fatter themselves that
they see in the discussions between aspi-
rants in the democratic ranks the hydra of
" disorganization > let them enjoy their
blissful dream these fitful reveries COM
pose The sum of their political prospects.
Disorganization of the democratic party of
Arkansas What delusion. We are
sufficiently advised to authorize US to assure
our friends that this speck is mere vapor
that will disperse before the first rising of
the democracy.
1t is true that some misupderstandings
and chickering's exist among aspirants in the
democratic party, but we have too muels
confidence In the people in the rank and file
of the party to believe that the friends of
any leader will fall out with the party
from considerations of personal promotion
of individuals. They value their principles
above the interest of men. When they are
arrayed under the democratic banner, and
led by the nominees of their party, there
will be no swerving from the ranks.
Yet it behooves our friends to be on the
alert; and they should be wary of. the
movements of our adversaries. Let them
not be beguiled from the true track of de-
mocracy by new issues. The landmarks
of the Democratic party are not new they
are renewable, permanent and unvarying
They are the same that they were years ago ;
and emcnate from the constitution of the
country, indicating the spirit and genius of
our government. They have not varied,
cannot vary more than can vary the mean
ing of the magma charta of our liberties.
Members of the democratic party may
differ upon measures and policy. The poli-
cy of re-opening the. slave trade, and of re-
pealing the laws against that traffic divides
the opinions of good men of the democratic
party. They have the right to differ and
will do SO, so long as the freedom of opinion
remains unfettered /; but neither side of that
question, is a test of democratic faith.
Congressional intervention" or the
protection of slave property in the terrific
ries, is another matter of discussion in the
democratic party, yet it is not test of par
ty, and no one has a right to read out of
the party another for differinssin opinion on
this subject and the man who, liz advance
of the deliberate consideration of this sub
ject, by the wise and patriotic sages of the
party in council, declares that unless Con-
gress gives protection to slave property in
the territories, he is ready for secession OF
disunion, throws a firebrand in our ranks.
His voice and opinion may be entitled to
great consideration, but when such a man
offers his dicta in advance of the solemn
deliberation of the subject, one of such i'm
portant results to our country, by our wisest
and most patriotic men, must be.regarded
as a hasty, selfwilled and dangerous coun-
selor.
rfa ayif
and matured investigation should be exer-
cise1 before they are disposed of, and it is
not the mission of one man or one commu-
nifty to solve them.
Our advcrsaries will endeavor to distract
the democratic party by discussions on these
questions. In some localities we will be
charged as truant to Southern rights, whilst
in others, they will seize upon the extreme
opinions of some democrats, for which the
democratic party is not responsible, and de-
nouace us as disunionists. The democrat
ie party constitutes the conservatism of the
country, and it is now battling, as it ever
has battled, against Sectionalism and so
long as we take the Constitution for our
guidance, there will be no danger of split
ting upon the rocks of sectionalism. So
long as the democratic party keep in view
principle, and swerve not for temporary ex-
pediency, local jealousies or sectional pre-
judices, triumph awaits it; or if it is de-
feated, the knell of this Union will indeed be
sounded. So long as we remain true to the
whole country. and to all of our constitu-
al rights, we have stake to contend for
when we deviate from these land marks. the
cause, the county is lost.
Hence the necessity of organization of
the democratic party in every county let
us settle our local jealousies, our divisions
on men unite and adhere to our true and
tried and wisest members, eschew new mea
sures, and We will triumph over our adver-
saries. The next will be an extraordinary
contest T; we will have to fight against the
combined forces of inscriptions Republi-
cans of the North, and the no less criminal
opposition of the South, an