The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1859-05-20
Weakness of Democracy.


Weakness of Democracy.
We invite the special attention Of ou
democratic friends to the following articl
from the Baltimore Clipper, one Of tn
ablest and most conservative journals o
the Union: SO fll.
Some Of the locofoco organs Of tn,
South piteously deplore the dissension
and divisions in the ranks of the demo
cracy, and earnestly invoke union o
the democratic party "to meet and. pu-
down the coalition which the abolitionist,
and Know Nothings are striving to effect.
1t is in vain that these sentinels of loco
focoism cry "Peacel peacep when there
is no peace. The discord in the demo
cratic party is not ephemeral. 1t is the
growth of years of double dealing and
political hypocrisy. u pervades the whole
party organization, which in no two States
of the Union. and hardly in any two coun.
ties OF State, stands upon the same plat
form or supports the same principles
It Is in vain that these blind leaders Of
the blind now call uponth people to de.
eide whether it is not safer and wiser to
trust the government of the country in
the hands of Democrats than in the hands
of abolition fanatics" This is. not the
question before the country. There is no
party in the South proposing a coalition
with the abolition fanatics Of the North.
SO far as the question of slavery is con-
cerned the whole South is unit, and the
Southern Rnow Nothings are farther even
than the intensest pro-slavery democracy
from contemplating any coalition" with
abolitionism in any shape or form what
ever. They have proposed no such union,
and those who proclaim it know that
they utter falsehoods, and wantonly per-
vert the facts. The Americans of Mary
land, and of the other Southern States,
have called upon the conservative men
in those States to unite in opposition to
democracy, and they have invoked the
cooperation of the conservative men
throughout the whole country in the
formation of party which shall advocate
strictly national principles and shall Bit
terly oppose sectionalism of all kinds
tional party which shall ''meet and put
down" sectional democracy at the South,
and sectional Republicanism at the North
and, concluding by the senseless and
dangerous agitation by which the country
has been sadly and ruinously distracted,
to restore some semblance OF nationality
and patriotism to the politics and parties
of the Union.
The democratic party is confessedly use
less for this purpose. 1t can, under no
circumstances, rise above a mere section
al organization. Those who urge the
people of the South to enter its ranks and
sustain democratic candidates are madly
advising them to bring on purely sec
tional contest in which the South will in
evitably be defeated. There is no chance,
no glimmer of the hope for the success
of the democratic party in another ma
tional contest. 1t would be sheer mad
ness, the supremest folly for the friends
of Southern institutions to invite such a
contest. The success of the democratic
candidates in the elections soon to be
held i'll the Southern States will unques-
tionably precipitate such an event and all
hope of the election OF national adj
ministration will be gone. If the people
of the South were all democrats, if they
were all honestly in favor of democratic
principles, it would be their interest in
the present emergency to separate from
the democratic leaders and invite the CO.
operation of conservative men of the
North to avoid and prevent another pure
ly sectional struggle. A national party
is needed for the preservation of the
Union and the maintenance of the free
institutions of the country. The masses
of the people North and South appreciate
this necessity. In the North they have
been missed by the Republicans and Abo-
lition demagogues. In the South, they
have been betrayed by the selfish leaders
of the democratic party. The scales
have fallen from their eyes. They are
awakening to sense of the perils of their
position and in both sections, the true
friends of the Union are putting aside
this silly and improbable sectional non
sense and are rallying to the defense OF
the Union and the constitution in the
formation of a great and successful ma
tional party which shall give to the coun-
try an administration pledged to correct
the abuses OF democratic misrule and to
restore to the government patriotism and
real nationality.
Those in the South who are invoking
the people to support the democratic cam
didates are counselling them to rush up
on their own ruin. They are working
literally for the success of the Abolition
Republican party in 1860. They are, in
fact, the most useful co-adjutors of VIM.
ii. Seward, and Wendall Phillips, and
VIM. Lloyd Garrison, and the whole crowd
of abolition fanatics. They are putting
into the hands of these Northern section
al agitators the weapons they need and
cannot otherwise obtain, with which to
crush, and degrade, and overcome the
South, or to force her out of the Union
They are, unwittingly, perhaps, the South's
worst enemies. Let the people beware
of their dangerous counsels, and shun
them as they would the arch traitors and
betrayers of their true interests. "a -
Ray Governor S., of South Carolina
was splendid lawyer, and could talk a
jury out of their seven senses. He was
especially noted for his success in criminal
cases, almost always clearing his client
He was once counsel for man accused o.
horse stealing. He made long, elo
quent, and touching speech. The jury
retired, but returned in a few moments
and with tears in their eyes, declared the
man not guilty. An old acquaintance
stepped upto the prisoner and said:
.Jem, the danger is past; and now hon
or bright, didn't you steal that horseF
To which Jem replied: