Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1859-05-14
The Southern OPPOSITION Party

DOylc, Esq, Will De present.
The Southern Opposition Party.
In our last issue we demonstrated from
the pages Of history that there has been
nothing in the policy or conduct of the De-
mocratic party justly calculated to drive
Southern patriots into coalition" with
Northern fanatics, in order to "extirpate it
forever" We showed that, on the contra
ry, the United States, under its auspices,
and in spite of the Opposition, had grown
and prospered and gone on "conqucring
and to conquer until at this moment they
occupy the proudest position among the a.
tions Of the earth-tkst so wise and patri
otto had been the uniform course of that par
ty-so congenial with the habits and incli-
nations Of free and republican people
that whenever, by accident or trick, their
opponents had come into power, uniformly.
at the very next election, tire people had
condemned them, and generally, by over
whelming majorities, restored the Demoe-
racy to these sacred trusts w1rich they, b5
long experience, had been found SO much
more capable to FILL This undeniable his
tory teaches one of two things, as our friends
ofthe ''Holy Alliance must admit either
that the people, who have done this thing,
are incapable Of self-governmcnt and ought
therefore, as the desposs Of Che other clio
ly Alliance" of 1915 believed. to be sho=h'
Of taeir powey, or else t1rat tie Democratic
party is worthy of the confidence of all good
men-a noble and patriotic party-a and that
the violent hatred and e1tirrdihating spirit
now sought to be excited against it, is the
work of wicked men, to foster private and
sinister purposes. We cannot we'll see how
Mr.. Bolts tail can extricate itself from this
"split stick" Come, gentlemen, tell the
hoEest masses whom you are endeayoring to
carry after you, which is your position
to, denounce them as fools, incapable Of
self government, or to- lead them astray for
the promotion Of your own ambitious pur-
poses, and for the destruction of liberty?
The most amusing feature in the action Of
the Southern Opposition, is to denouhce the
Democracy as sectional party, and for the
correction Of this vice Of sectionalty, to in
woke the aid and cooperation Of the Black
Republicans, an organization so essentially
sectional, that in the last Presidential cam
vass it did not run a candidate south of
Mason's and Diton4s line. Thc leaders Of
the Opposition know this charge to be false
when they make it. They know that ma
tionality is constituted by principle, and not
by the extent to which that principle is held
That party consisting Of tea men only,
yet founded on the Constitution and main
tanning its principles, is just as much ma
tional party, though opposed by all the rest
of mankind, as ~ party Of ten million hold
ing the same doctrines, world be ; while a
party of ten million taking ground against
the national principles Of the Constitution,
is ay essentially sectional, in the TRUE sense
of that terra; as party of only ten opposed
by all others would be. Judged by this
rule, which'is Tie sectional party? That.
Of course, which lifts itself up against the
solemn decision Of the Supreme Court Of the.
United States, sustained, as it is, by every
mans sense Of justice and equality; and
contends, that though the Missouri Com
promise was a plain violation of the Consti-
tuition, yet its repeal was an abomination,
and cur only hope is in its restoration; in
other words, that our only hope of safety
and quiet isto be found in the destruction
Of the charter of our liberty Fhat party
which refuses to the people Of one-half the
Union the right of protection to their prop
erty, in the common territoryof tie nation,
equally belonging to- all, and insists that
while Congress has no right to destroy slave
property in the territories, but is bound to
respect it, yet the territorial governments,
the creatures Of Congress; are greater than
their creator, and may destroy or take away.
such property from the owner. That party
which in the intensity of its hatred for the
rights of the South, contends that while the
whole framework Of the national govern
ment was designed for the protection ofper
sons and property, and while there is no.
where to be found in it the intimation of a.
power to destroy that which is recognized
and vested as property, yet being powerless
itself to do so, it can create an instrument
by which it may be done. That party
which holds one of two tenets, both equally